The East Asian and Arabic Studies Research Unit of the Faculty of Arts at KU Leuven is seeking a full-time (tenure-track) professor (ZAP) in Chinese Studies. The professorship will commence on 1 September 2026.
KU Leuven is the largest university in Belgium and is consistently ranked within the top 10 universities in Europe. The University belongs to the League of European Research Universities (LERU) and attaches great importance to attracting and appreciating talent. At the Faculty of Arts, research is conducted in the fields of Arabic and Islamic studies, archaeology, art history, Chinese studies, history, Japanese studies, musicology, linguistics, literary and cultural studies and translation and interpretation studies. The Faculty employs over 800 junior and senior researchers, and teaches around 4,500 students in various study programmes at its campuses in Antwerp, Brussels, Kortrijk and Leuven. The Faculty strives to be an open and inclusive environment, with a focus on dialogue, social safety, sustainability and a healthy work-life balance,
We are looking for a motivated lecturer and researcher to be part of the Chinese Studies Research Group. The Chinese Studies Research Group is renowned for its research and counts around fifteen senior and junior researchers. Their research revolves around three pillars: (1) early contacts between China and Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, (2) classical Chinese thought and its modern interpretations, and (3) contemporary China’s social economy. The members of the research unit have teaching duties in the (Dutch-language) programmes Bachelor in de Taal- en Regiostudies: Chinese Studies and Master in de Taal- en Regiostudies: Chinese Studies.
Website unit
Duties
Research
You are a motivated, internationally-oriented researcher in the field of modern Chinese thought (e.g. Chinese literature, cultural practices, religion, philosophy,...), with an emphasis on the connection between classical and contemporary China. Your research enhances the profile of the Chinese Studies Research Group.
You strive for excellence in your academic research and develop your own research plan. You publish at the highest academic level, initiate national and international collaborations and help promote and develop such agreements.
You succeed in securing competitive funding and attracting and supervising PhD students. The Faculty will help you find suitable funding opportunities and provide advice on applications. The Faculty attaches great importance to qualitative and correct supervision of PhD students.
You focus on science communication and contribute to public debate whenever possible.
Teaching
You provide high-quality teaching in the bachelor’s and master's programme in Language and Area Studies: Chinese Studies and are committed to the quality of the study programmes as a whole. You develop your teaching activities in line with the teaching philosophy of KU Leuven based on activating, research-based teaching and you use the opportunities provided by the Faculty and the University to further your teaching (for more information: www.kuleuven.be/english/education/education-at-ku-leuven).
Your teaching assignment comprises 21 to 24 credits and includes the following type of courses:
• Two bachelor-level courses in Chinese thought (e.g. Chinese philosophy, literature, history, religion, ...)
• One master seminar in Chinese thought (every other year)
• One bachelor-level course in Classical Chinese
• One bachelor-level and/or master-level methodological course (possibility of co-teaching)
Your teaching assignment also includes the supervision of bachelor's papers and master's theses.
Your teaching assignment is initially linked to the Leuven Campus, but may include teaching assignments at other Faculty campuses in the future.
Together with the colleagues of your study programme you work on the development and improvement of the curriculum, including shaping learning sequences across individual courses, rethinking academic education in light of future societal challenges, and strengthening relationships with the work field.
Service
You are willing to take up academic service tasks and positions within the Faculty and contribute to the visibility and promotion of the education and research of the Research Unit or study programme that you are a part of (e.g. through participation in teacher days, information events and student recruitment events). You also actively contribute to the wider academic community, e.g. through services to academic societies and journals.
Profile
You hold a PhD in Sinology/Chinese Studies (or in a specific discipline, with a dissertation focused on China) and have successfully defended your dissertation on January 15th 2026. You have a proven expertise in the field of Chinese thought. You have excellent teaching skills and an affinity with designing and delivering multi-faceted university education.
You have a strong and validated, international academic portfolio with highly regarded publications in your field. You also have a clear vision of how your research can develop further in relation to the available research expertise.
You openly and enthusiastically contribute to the Chinese Studies university study programmes of the future, in a spirit of open collaboration. Organisational skills, leadership qualities and good social skills are a must. Experience with scientific outreach or collaboration with the work field is a plus.
A good knowledge of English is required. The official administrative language used at KU Leuven is Dutch. If you do not speak Dutch (or do not speak it well) at the start of employment, KU Leuven will provide language training to enable you to take part in administrative meetings. Before teaching courses in Dutch, you will be given the opportunity to learn Dutch to the required standard.
Offer
We offer a full-time tenure-track professorship (ZAP) in a dynamic faculty with diverse disciplines. You will be part of an intellectually challenging and international environment, with plenty of space and opportunity to grow as a lecturer and researcher, thus making a significant contribution to society. KU Leuven provides support and benefits for starting professors who have a partner and/or family, cf. www.kuleuven.be/english/life-at-ku-leuven/partner-and-family.
You will be appointed as tenure-track professor for a period of five years. After a positive assessment following the five-year term, you will receive a permanent professorship at the level of ‘hoofddocent’ (associate professor). Within this function promotions to higher academic degrees are possible. All academic degrees have the ius promovendi.
You will work in Leuven, a historic and lively city in the centre of Belgium, twenty minutes from Brussels, the capital of the European Union, and less than two hours from Paris, London and Amsterdam.
The start date for this position is 1 September 2026. To facilitate scientific integration and the start-up of research, KU Leuven provides start-up funding of 110,000 euros for new professors with an appointment of at least 50%.
KU Leuven is well equipped to welcome foreign professors and their families and offers practical support with immigration and administration, housing, childcare and career coaching for the partner.
More information
KU Leuven Framework for Recognising and Valuing High-Quality Academic Work
Chinese Studies Research Group
Bachelor in de taal-en regiostudies: Chinese studies
Master in de taal-en regiostudies: Chinese studies
Education at KU Leuven
Partner and family
Interested?
To enable review by international experts, we kindly ask you to submit your application in English.
Your application includes the following documents:
- a motivation letter
- a biosketch summarising your most important academic achievements (in various fields: teaching, research, services to society, outreach, etc.). You may also mention personal factors that have played a role in your career here (e.g. pregnancy, illness, care) so that these can be taken into account when assessing your submission. (max. 2 pages)
- a curriculum vitae, including a full publication list
- an annotated document describing your five most important publications (or other academic achievements)
- a vision statement on how you want to fulfil your teaching assignment in the future (max. 2 pages)
- a research plan for the next five years (max. 2 pages)
KU Leuven attaches great importance to research integrity and ethical conduct and will therefore ask you to sign an integrity statement upon appointment.
Candidates who are shortlisted by the Faculty Assessment Committee (BeCo) will be invited for an interview and a trial lecture.
For more information about this vacancy, please contact the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Dr. Liesbet Heyvaert (tel. +32 56 26 61 45, email:
[email protected]) or prof. Mario Cams (tel. +32 16 32 29 75, e- mail:
[email protected]).
Do you have a question about the online application system? Please email us at
[email protected].
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.
