Belgian University Scholarship

Vrijhie University, Brussel (VUB), Belgium

Belgian University Scholarship The Vrijhie University, Brussel (VUB) was officially established 55 years ago as an independent, Dutch-speaking university in May,28,1970 However, its history start from 1834 a when lawyer & politician Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen founded the original Free University of Brussels (ULB) to secure education independent from church and state control.
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is consistently ranked in the top 200–350 universities worldwide. It is highly regarded for its research impact and international outlook. Smaller university rankings (accounting for size) often place VUB as one of the most important position. The university Administrative staff is 4,061 according to 2024 & Students were 24,199 (2024-2025). Vrije University Brussel (VUB) has announced a fully funded PhD Scholarship in Sociology for the 2026 academic cycle, hosted within its Faculty of Social Sciences and Solvay Business School. Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence. The scholarship is based at the Brussels Institute for Social and Population Studies and will begin on 15 September 2026, subject to enrolment as a doctoral researcher. Key research themes may include algorithmic bias, fairness in AI systems, trust in automated decision-making, and the ethical implications of data-driven governance.Education Candidates are expected to develop their own PhD research proposal at the beginning of the appointment, with guidance from academic supervisors. The proposed research topic will also form part of an application to the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) for a fundamental research fellowship. The position is part of a six-year doctoral training programme focused on the intersection of sociology, artificial intelligence, and social inequality. Teaching and Research:- The PhD scholarship is structured as a combined teaching and research position. Approximately 30 percent of the workload is dedicated to teaching activities, while 70 percent is focused on doctoral research. The successful candidate will support teaching within the Bachelor of Sociology programme, with a particular emphasis on quantitative and statistical methods. Responsibilities include assisting with coursework, supporting student learning, and contributing to departmental academic activities. strong background or demonstrated interest in quantitative methods is considered essential, along with the ability to teach and communicate effectively in both Dutch and English. The university is seeking candidates with strong analytical skills, particularly in quantitative research methods, as well as a clear interest in artificial intelligence and its societal impact. Prior research experience is considered an advantage but is not mandatory.Economics Candidates must also demonstrate proficiency in Dutch and English, as teaching and academic communication will be conducted in both languages. Recent graduates are encouraged to apply.Science The position is open to individuals who have not previously held an assistantship exceeding 12 months in a similar capacity. Funding, Duration, and Working Conditions The PhD position is a fully funded doctoral scholarship initially awarded for 12 months, with the possibility of extension up to 48 months based on performance evaluation. Following this period, the appointment may continue for an additional 24 months under a different employment arrangement. The scholarship is linked to government-regulated salary scales, ensuring structured financial support throughout the doctoral trajectory.VUB emphasizes a supportive working environment that promotes work-life balance, diversity, and professional development. The university also offers extensive employee benefits, including telework allowances, hospitalisation insurance, commuting reimbursements, additional leave days, and access to research and training resources.Education. Through this PhD opportunity, VUB continues to position itself at the forefront of research exploring the ethical, social, and political dimensions of emerging technologies in Europe and beyond. The scholarship reflects a broader academic trend toward studying the societal implications of artificial intelligence and digital transformation. By combining sociology with computational and quantitative methods, the programme aims to generate new insights into how technology reshapes inequality, governance, and social structures.Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence 

Applications must be submitted by 15,June 2026.

Application Process and Timeline: Applicants are required to submit a complete application via the VUB recruitment portal. The application must include a curriculum vitae, motivation letter, academic transcripts, diploma, and a brief one-page outline of a potential research topic related to sociology and artificial intelligence. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews scheduled between 22 and 26 June 2026. The final application deadline is 15 June 2026. Further information about the position can be obtained from Professor Tuba Bircan, who will supervise the doctoral research within the Department of Sociology. 

Address:Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Elsene, Brussels, Belgium 

General inquiries is info@ Depending on your specific needs, you can use these direct department contacts: 

General Information: info@vub.be Admissions (Foreign Diplomas): admissions@vub.be Prospective Students: prospective.students@vub.be 

Student Administration: studentenadministratie@vub.be 

Housing: huisvesting.housing@vub.be 

Study Guidance: begeleiding@vub.be 

Phone:- +32 2 629 20 10 Website:- https://www.vub.be/en 

🌸𝓝𝓸𝓽𝓮 𝓟𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮 🌸 𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒍𝒆, 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒘𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝑰𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒍𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉, 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆. 𝑾𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒕. 𝑾𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒔𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒅𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕: 𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒃𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒈. 𝑨𝒍𝒔𝒐, 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌, 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒔 𝒋𝒐𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕. 𝑾𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒋𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚. (𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓).