Vrije Universiteit Brussel
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PhD scholarship
PhD in Cultural Study of Resistance and Digital Humanities Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
Full-time PhD scholarship for 12 months, extendable up to a maximum of 48 months subject to positive evaluation. The grant is linked to one of the government scales. Hospitalisation insurance, telework allowance, commute reimbursement, and other employee benefits are also mentioned.
Deadline
Sep 21, 2026
Country
Belgium
University
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
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About this position
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is recruiting a PhD student in the cultural study of resistance (digital humanities) within the newly created Brussels Centre for Interdisciplinary Resistance Studies (Inter-RESIST). The position is jointly affiliated with the research groups ECHO: Media, Culture & Politics and CLIC: Centre for Literary & Intermedial Crossings, and the doctoral project will be supervised by Prof. Arvi Sepp and Prof. Kevin Smets, in close collaboration with Prof. Yazan Badran and the wider Inter-RESIST team.
The project examines how resistance is enacted and mediated across time and media. It combines digital humanities, computational content analysis, discourse analysis, and cultural transfer methodologies to study archival, textual, visual, and digital sources. Possible corpora include underground literature, clandestine publications, diaries, memoirs, graffiti, documentary film, visual testimony, social media activism, and digital campaigns. The research is explicitly interdisciplinary, connecting media studies, literary studies, communication studies, translation studies, and broader humanities and social science perspectives.
The successful candidate will prepare a PhD in Media and Communication Studies, Literary Studies, Translation Studies, or Interdisciplinary Studies. The post is based at VUB’s Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Elsene). The university expects the PhD researcher to contribute to research funding acquisition, including future FWO or European grant applications, and to participate actively in the interdisciplinary exchanges between History, Sociology, Literary Studies, Communication Studies, and Political Science.
Funding: full-time PhD scholarship for 12 months, extendable up to 48 months subject to positive evaluation. The grant is linked to a government scale. Additional benefits include telework allowance, commute reimbursement, hospitalisation insurance, leave, and other campus benefits.
Eligibility highlights: Master’s degree in digital humanities, social sciences, Communication Studies, Literary Studies, Translation Studies, Cultural Studies, or a related field; strong command of at least two of English, Dutch, and French; experience with digital humanities tools and methods; and interest in resistance studies, media, discourse, or cultural analysis.
Application window: apply by 21 September 2026 via the VUB jobs portal. Upload a CV, motivation letter, writing sample, and diploma (if applicable).
Funding details
Full-time PhD scholarship for 12 months, extendable up to a maximum of 48 months subject to positive evaluation. The grant is linked to one of the government scales. Hospitalisation insurance, telework allowance, commute reimbursement, and other employee benefits are also mentioned.
What's required
Applicants must hold a Master degree in digital humanities, social sciences, Communication Studies, Literary Studies, Translation Studies, Cultural Studies, or a related field. They should have excellent active professional command of at least two of English, Dutch, and French at upper-intermediate or excellent level at the start, with passive knowledge of other relevant languages such as German, Arabic, Hebrew, or Russian considered an advantage. Experience with digital humanities approaches and tools is required or strongly expected, and affinity or research experience with at least one core Inter-RESIST topic is recommended. Candidates must be able to work independently and contribute to the collective project, must not have performed more than 12 months of assistant work paid from operating resources, and must meet VUB permit and residence requirements.
How to apply
Apply via the VUB jobs portal by 21/09/2026. Upload your CV, motivation letter, writing sample, and diploma if applicable. For questions about the job content, contact Kevin Smets or Arvi Sepp by email.
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