PhD in Purpose-Driven Companies, Law, and Sustainability UCLouvain in Canada

PhD opportunity in purpose-driven companies, law, and sustainability at UCLouvain / Ichec Brussels Management School.

This post announces a PhD position focused on the Belgian Société à Mission d'Intérêt Commun (SMIC) as it emerges, with supervision by Valérie Swaen and Grégory De Boe. The project sits at the intersection of management, law, and sustainability, and examines how purpose-driven legal frameworks are adopted and implemented in practice.

The research will compare purpose-driven legal frameworks across Europe and the United States, follow companies longitudinally as they adopt SMIC status, and study how accountability and impact measurement systems are built. It also involves close collaboration with field actors such as Kaya, EcoRes, and Corporate ReGeneration, offering privileged access to companies during a key transformation phase.

The position is based in Louvain-la-Neuve and Brussels and is described as an interdisciplinary research environment. Eligible candidates should have a Master's degree with distinction minimum in management, business, law, political sciences, or a related social science. Applicants should also have at least B2 English proficiency, with strong written communication in both English and French considered an asset.

Funding is linked to a joint application for the F.R.S.-FNRS FRESH doctoral fellowship, and applicants are asked to review the FRESH-B1 instrument. The application deadline is 15 June 2026.

There is also mention of another doctoral researcher opening in Circular Economy and teaching/research assistant roles, but the main advertised opportunity here is the PhD on purpose-driven companies and SMIC governance.