PhD opportunity in Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium (deadline:11 June 2017)

Do you wnt to study in Belgium? Try this opportunity for PhD in Political Sociology!

The Institut de sciences politiques Louvain-Europe (ISPOLE) based in the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL), offers one doctoral fellowship in the context of the research project Qualidem, a five-years research project funded by the European Research Council  (StG – 2016_716208 ; Prof V. Van Ingelgom, F.R.S. - FNRS, UCLouvain, Principal investigator & Dr C. Dupuy Sciences Po Grenoble, Pacte, principal collaborator)

The Qualidem project offers a qualitative (re)appraisal of citizens’ (dis-)affection towards politics by relying on the core argument of the policy feedback literature: attitudes and behaviours are outcomes of past policy. It aims to explain the evolutions of democratic linkages as being shaped by public policy, and specifically by the turn to neoliberalism and supranationalisation. It intends to systematically analyse the domestic and socially differentiated effects of both of these major macro transformations to citizens’ representations and experiences of politics, as an addition to the existing emphasis on individual determinants and the existing contextual explanations of disengagement and disaffection towards politics. On the theoretical level, this project therefore aims to build bridges between scholars of public policy and students of mass politics. On the empirical level, Qualidem relies on the reanalysis of qualitative data – interviews and focus groups – from a diachronic and comparative perspective focusing on four Western European countries (Belgium, France, Germany and the UK) with the US serving as a counterpoint.

The doctoral fellow will be employed full-time for the duration of 48 months by the Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium, ideally starting on October the 1st 2017. By the end of this period S/He will have to submit a PhD dissertation. S/He will be affiliated to ISPOLE [https://uclouvain.be/fr/instituts-recherche/ispole] at UCLouvain. In the context of Qualidem sustained collaboration with Sciences Po Grenoble, this institution will contribute to the international environment of the research team.

The doctoral fellow will be employed full-time for the duration of 48 months. The applicant's net monthly salary will be approximately 1850 euros. Social insurance is included.

Selection process

The application deadline is June 11, 2017.

Applicants are asked to email to sandrine.leveque@uclouvain.be: (1) a cover letter ; (2) a detailed CV; (3) one writing sample (chapter of master thesis, article, paper, book chapter…) ; (4) one letter of recommendation.

Interviews will be scheduled on June 28, 2017 in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Travel funding will be provided. The invited candidates will received further information on the project and will be asked to submit a PhD project / research proposal (max. 1000 words).