The Media, Information & Persuasion Lab is committed to international excellence in media and communication research through innovative and critical scholarly research within areas such as journalism and news, strategic communication, digital media, human computer interaction, and culture and policy. The Media, Information & Persuasion Lab is part of the Faculty of Social Sciences that studies society to understand, empower, guide and inspire it.
Project
Your assignment will consist of a combination of research (50%) and teaching (50%) in an intellectually enriching, open and creative environment.
In the field of research, you start a PhD programme in the social sciences. You will immerse yourself in an academically relevant research topic, and will also have the opportunity to acquire a wide range of competences that are of strategic importance for your short- and long-term career.
The specific topic of the PhD will be determined together with the selected candidate, with a focus on social media, digital influence, and persuasive communication. The methods will be adapted to the specific research question although a strong interest in quantitative research methods is required (including survey research, experimental research, longitudinal research, eye tracking etc.).
Your teaching assistantship is embedded within the Communication Studies programme (Bachelor's and Master's) and related programmes such as the Master's in Digital Media and Society.
Specifically, you will take on a supporting role in the courses taught by Prof. Tim Smits (Persuasieve Communicatie, Marketing Communicatie, and Advertising) and Prof. Brahim Zarouali (Bedrijfscommunicatie and Digital Media & Technology). Since some of these courses are given in Dutch, it is important that you are fluent in Dutch.
In addition, you will be able to propose your own themes to supervise master's theses and thus also further develop your research programme and research skills.
You will also be involved in ad hoc assignments, e.g. linked to Toledo, evaluations, updating didactic material, and you will sporadically carry out assignments at the broader study programme and/or faculty level, such as supervising exams, participating in ABAP consultations, and representation at info days.
Profile
- You have obtained a Master's degree in Communication Science (with at least distinction), or a Master's degree from a related field (e.g., Media Studies, Psychology, Marketing, at least distinction). Students who will obtain their Master's degree in January are also eligible to apply.
- You possess research skills in both qualitative and quantitative research. Particularly, knowledge pertaining to quantitative data analysis is an important requirement (in programs such as SPSS, R, Python, etc.).
- You are willing to further develop your research skills in the context of doctoral research.
- You can work independently as well as part of a team. Successful candidates have well-developed social skills that they effectively use to collaborate with colleagues in various settings.
- You possess excellent knowledge of both Dutch and English (both written and spoken) and outstanding presentation skills. Since teaching assistance is also required in Dutch, proficiency in Dutch is a clear requirement.
- Academic writing skills (writing papers and presenting at conferences) also need to be further strengthened during the assistantship.
Offer
- We offer a full-time employment as assistant in a two-year contract, which can be extended up to 6 years (after positive evaluations).
- Salary (barema 43 is applicable here) and benefits are in line with the university salary scales for PhD candidates and highly competitive according to international standards.
- PhD candidates will be enrolled in KU Leuven’s Doctoral Programme of the Social Sciences, in which they acquire many other important career skills.
- The interviews will take place in the first week of December. The start of the appointment is scheduled for February 2025 (however, this is negotiable).
Interested?
For more information please contact Prof. dr. Brahim Zarouali, tel.: +32 16 37 74 75, mail: brahim.zarouali@kuleuven.be or Prof. dr. Tim Smits, tel.: +32 16 32 30 97, mail: tim.smits@kuleuven.be.
KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.
