PhD in Political Science Université catholique de Louvain in United Kingdom

UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain) is offering a fully funded PhD position in Political Science within the WEAVE project Co-Designing Inclusive Political Representation. The project is a joint FNRS- and FWO-funded European collaboration between UCLouvain and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), focused on how political representation can be rethought from the perspective of people experiencing socio-economic precarity in Brussels.

The doctoral researcher will join a collaborative research environment in the Institute of Political Sciences Louvain-Europe, working on democratic theory, qualitative longitudinal fieldwork, participatory co-design, and community-engaged research. The project emphasizes inclusive and bottom-up approaches to studying representation, with participants from structurally underrepresented groups contributing throughout the research process. The successful candidate will develop an original doctoral dissertation while contributing to an internationally connected research programme with academic and societal relevance.

Supervision is provided by Prof. Virginie Van Ingelgom, Prof. Karen Celis, and Dr. Kenza Amara Hammou. The appointment is a 4-year fixed-term doctoral scholarship (48 months), starting on 1 October 2026, with funding in line with FNRS and FWO regulations and a dedicated budget for fieldwork, conferences, training, and dissemination.

The position is based in a joint UCLouvain-VUB doctoral programme leading to a joint doctoral degree. The first two years will be spent at UCLouvain and the final two years at VUB, with access to seminars, doctoral training, and international research networks at both institutions. Responsibilities include developing the dissertation, conducting participatory qualitative fieldwork in Brussels, facilitating panel discussions and co-design sessions, collaborating with NGOs and community organizations, analyzing qualitative data, publishing research, presenting at conferences, and supporting outreach to policy stakeholders and broader publics.

Applicants should hold, or be in the final year of, a Master's degree in Political Science or a related social science discipline. The post seeks candidates with a strong interest in political representation, democracy, and qualitative research, along with an interest in participatory and community-engaged methodologies. Excellent French oral proficiency and strong English writing and speaking skills are required; Dutch is an asset. Willingness to undertake extensive qualitative fieldwork in Brussels is important.

Applications must be submitted online by 31 August 2026 and should include a cover letter, CV, short statement of research interests and project ideas, master's thesis or writing sample, diploma, and contact details for two academic referees. Shortlisted candidates will be informed in early September 2026, with interviews expected in the second half of September 2026.