Introduction
Ghent University Global Campus (GUGC; http://www.ugent.be/globalcampus/en) is an integrated campus of Ghent University, Belgium, and the first European university to be part of the Incheon Global Campus (IGC) in Incheon, South Korea. Ghent University is one of the top 100 universities in the world (ARWU ranking, US News), and in the top 100 for the subjects Biotechnology and Environmental Science (2024 QS subject ranking #46 in global). Ghent University Global Campus is an equal opportunities employer.
Centre for Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology (GREAT), formerly known as Center for Environmental and Energy Research (CEER) is one of the five existing research centers of GUGC (RC3, https://rc3.ghent.ac.kr (under construction)). It was established in 2015 with the aim to deliver scientific outcomes that will have a real impact on consolidation of environmental issues, themes, and topics, and to do this under one umbrella to highlight their interconnectedness and interdisciplinary nature. GREAT targets to pioneer at green chemistry and environmental technology to tackle the grand challenges in environmental remediation and sustainable development. In the 10
years’ development, GREAT was well-equipped with state-of-art instruments for environmental and material science research, published > 500 SCI and conference papers and received national and international funding support (e.g.
NRF, KEITI, NERI, BOF, FWO, Horizon2020, etc.), and built strong collaborations with Korea national and international top universities.
Job Summary
Full-Time Post-doc researcher in Environmental Technology – Ghent University Global Campus
Department: Centre for Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology (KR01 – Department of Environmental Technology, Food Technology and Molecular Biotechnology, Ghent University Global Campus, Korea)
Degree: PhD in Chemistry and/or Chemical/Environmental Engineering Contract: 1 year (renewable subject to performance)
Occupancy rate: 100%
Vacancy Type: Assistant Academic Staff (AAP)
Last application date: May 16, 2024 (Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as the position will be filled upon finding the right candidate)
Starting date: July 1, 2025 (negotiable)
Scientific Supervisor: Prof. Dr. ir. Philippe M. Heynderickx ([email protected])
Job Position
Ghent University Global Campus, South Korea, has a vacancy for a Postdoc researcher (with Teaching Duty) in Environmental Technology in the Centre for Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology at Ghent University Global Campus, starting from July 1, 2025 (open to negotiation). The request(s) and standard(s) for the Postdoc in GUGC is equivalent to Ghent University home campus, Belgium. The terms of employment at GUGC are comparable to those at the campus in Ghent, Belgium. However, free guesthouse accommodation (VISA typed has to comply with campus regulations) and a yearly travel budget are foreseen. GUGC is an equal opportunities employer.
The Postdoc candidate is supposed to spend (maximal) 30% of his/her time in teaching activities pertaining to undergraduate courses that include the topics Chemistry (organic/inorganic/green chemistry), Engineering related courses (Process Engineering...). These activities include teaching theory classes, supervision of exercise/tutorial (wet/dry) sessions, preparing and grading tests/exams and the supervision of bachelor projects, etc…
Apart from the teaching activities, the Postdoc candidate is supposed to perform research in the areas of environmental process technology for sustainable development and circular economy, for instance, but not limited to:
- Conduct innovative research in material and catalyst synthesis and modification for applications in photocatalytic water and air treatment and other photocatalysis based (synthetic) reactions, such as hydrogen production/generation and carbon dioxide reduction reactions.
- Develop and apply advanced kinetic models to describe complex reactions involving adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of multiple contaminants (in collaboration with team members).
- Perform detailed experimental work and characterization of catalysts, using various advanced techniques. Integrate photocatalysis in waste water treatment applications for upscale purposes and reactor design.
- Collaborate on publications in leading environmental science and technology journals and present research findings at international conferences.
- Mentor and supervise junior researchers and students, while assisting in teaching and the development of engineering courses.
- Actively contribute to a multidisciplinary research team, demonstrating leadership and teamwork.
In this regard, the candidate is expected to complete a doctoral research proposal containing an extensive literature review, a set of research objectives and research plan within the first 3 months of joining. This research proposal will need to be approved by the GUGC Campus Council in order to ensure renewal of the first contract with GUGC. In addition, the candidate should also support the supervisor to execute of research projects, apply for research grants at the national and international level, and provide support and supervision to intern/master/PhD projects, as well as support center/laboratory management and activities.
Job Qualification (Profile of the Candidate)
- Ph.D. (by April 30, 2025) in Chemical Engineering, Bioscience Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or related fields.
- Strong experimental skills in catalyst synthesis and photocatalytic process optimization.
- Expertise in modeling for adsorption and degradation reactions in water and air treatment.
- Experience in synthesizing metal sulfides, metal oxides, MOFs, carbon-based compounds (biochar, hydrochar, g- C3N4), hydroxyapatite, and nanocomposites combining these through various synthesis methods.
- Experience in investigating surface morphology, structural characteristics, and optical properties of nanomaterials through SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, FTIR, BET, DSC-TGA, EIS, UV-DRS, and PL analysis.
- Proven track record of first-author publications in reputable journals.
- Experience in supervising students and acting as a teaching assistant.
- Proficiency in English (minimum TOEFL iBT score of 80 or IELTS score of 6.5), with strong academic writing and presentation skills.
- Have an excellent command of English, and good academic writing and presentation skills – GUGC’s working medium is English, working fluently English is a must.
- Independent, self-motivated researcher with team spirit and leadership potential.
Job Description
- Assist his/her supervisor(s) in teaching undergraduate courses at Ghent University Global Campus, Korea (general chemistry, engineering).
- Conduct research in the area of environmental process technology, upcycling waste to chemicals and life cycle assessment.
- The detailed working plan will be explored upon the background and interests of the individual candidate (e.g. supporting fellowship application, transferring technology for application and commercialization).
- To assist his/her supervisor(s) with tasks in ongoing and future R&D projects and research-led educations (e.g. Master/Bachelor/High school student(s) teaching activities).
Selection Criteria
- Scientific background and knowledge
- Working experiences
Application Documents
- Full resume (CV), including at least 2 references’ contacts
- Research statement (up to 4-page, including 3 future study plans)
- Teaching statement (up to 2-page)
- Others (subjected to the supervisor’s requirement in the later stage)
- Copy of the certificates and transcripts for education
- Transcripts (overview of study results and ranking)
The documents shall be merged into a single PDF file (< 10MB) and sent to [email protected] (Subject line: GREAT_postdoc_PMH_surname). Please kindly noted only the selected candidate(s) will be contacted for the next step.
Application Process and Interview
- Interviews (in-person or online) will take place in stages from the first available time.
- Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as the position will be filled upon finding the right candidate. We reserve the right to hold applications on file for potential future job openings. For submission of your file and any inquiries, please contact us via e-mail: [email protected]
Selection Process
- CV Screening -> Interview(s) (including oral evaluation and/or written evaluation) -> Internal committee -> Approval -> Acceptance Notice to the candidate selected.
- Position will be filled when appropriate candidate is chosen by the committee.
Compensation & Benefits for the candidate selected.
- Basic Term of the Contract
- 1 year-contract term (renewable upon committee’s evaluation, until total duration of 6 years)
- Salary
- starts from Gross Annual Salary 46,624,146 KRW (will be evaluated based on the research track record)
- Housing unit or Housing Allowance
- A single unit of Dormitory operated by Incheon Global Campus (IGC) is provided for foreigners. If the selected candidate is a permanent resident holder or has a Korean nationality, the housing unit shall not be provided by IGC, but the Housing Allowance of 725,000 KRW monthly.
- Private Health Insurances
- Marsh private health insurance provided, including basic medical reimbursements
- Extensive annual paid leave and holidays
- The selected candidate shall have 35 days paid annual leave per year.
- Additional holiday from Christmas (Dec 25) to New Year (Jan 1).
- Others
Selection Committee
Chairperson: Philippe M. Heynderickx, RC3, Professor, GUGC
Members:
Di Wu, RC3 Director, Professor, GUGC
Alireza Ranjbari, RC3, Postdoctoral fellow, GUGC
Jungmin Suh, Senior HR Manager, GUGC
