PhD Talent Coordination Team

Welcome on the web page of the PhD Talent Coordination Team of the 5 Flemish universities!


<<WHAT?>>

  • We help employers connect with PhD Talent
  • We facilitate information exchange within the PhD Talent Network
  • The input of companies and other employers is crucial to stay relevant

 

<<WHY?>>

Our mission is to bridge the gap between academia and the world of work beyond academia by connecting relevant stakeholders 

  • who are committed to encouraging and better facilitating the PhD talent flow to the knowledge economy, as well as to raising awareness about the added value of the PhD degree;
  • who are committed to better aligning the competency-based (transferable skills) training as currently offered by the universities with the expectations of the non-academic labour market, taking into account the contours as specified by the Flemish government;
  • who are committed to instigating different forms of talent connections that unlock and demystify the non-academic labour market.

We want to bridge the gap between academia and the world of work beyond academia by actively reaching out to companies/ organisations/ institutions who are as yet unfamiliar with the added value of the PhD degree

 

<<OUR SERVICES>>

 

VLIR PhD Talent portfolio 2025

Download our portfolio here (PDF).

 

> We organise/support three types of events:

  • Category I events

These are events that we organise for you to participate in and to meet PhD Talent. Some examples are:

    • KU Leuven PhD Society career fair
      • Job fair organised by PhDs, fall each year
    • Job Shadowing
      • One day ‘fly on the wall’ for PhD candidates and postdocs in a company/organisation
    • Job Market for Young Researchers
      • Live job fair with online activities, spring each year

  • Category II events

These are events we co-create & co-organise with you, tailored to your needs and fields of discipline. There are a number of best practices we can share with you: eg. (reverse)pitching, case challenges, company visits online or live, from webinar, over one-evening, to two full-day activities.

  • Category III events

These are events you organise yourself.
The PhD Talent Coordination team will advertise your event among the PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers of the five Flemish Universities.

    • These can range from webinars to case competitions.
    • All recruiting/employer branding events are published on the PhD Talent Pool.

 

> We created the PhD Talent Pool, a career and job site for all PhD candidates and postdocs of the five Flemish universities and beyond.

  • Create your account (for free)
  • Post your vacancies
  • Post your recruiting/employer branding events

 

> We organise a PhD Talent Stakeholder Meeting and a PhD Talent Advisory Board (see below).

 

> You can also book us as speakers:

  • We can speak about PhD Talent, the skills and competencies they bring beyond their technical skills – we are happy to join the discussion.
  • Your member organisations are keen on recruiting but someone with a PhD is not yet considered a potential employee? We are excited to proof the contrary.
  • Book us (for free) to help convince your customers about this Talent Pool.

 

<<PHD TALENT STAKEHOLDER MEETING>>

Once a year, meet like-minded organisations and PhD candidates/postdocs.

  • Exchange and learn from each other to enable (international) PhD talent recruiting.
  • The formal programme combined with plenty of room for networking.
  • It is not a recruiting event (number of participating PhDs is limited).
  • Free of charge

Send us an email if you’re interested in joining us at one of our stakeholder meetings!

The next edition will take place on the 20th of January 2026. Click here to find the announcement.

 

 

<<PHD TALENT ADVISORY BOARD>>

The PhD Talent Advisory Board helps to close the gap between PhD talent and companies/organisations that wish to capitalise on the added value of the PhD degree.

  • Labour market representatives help us tailor our concepts towards your needs/the needs of the labour market.
  • Exchange through inspiring discussions with other sector representatives on topics related to PhD Talent transition to the non-academic labour markt.

 

<<UPCOMING EVENTS>>


Don’t miss a thing, follow us on our LinkedIn page!

 

<<WHO?>>

The PhD Talent Coordination Team consists of the following coordinators, affiliated with the doctoral schools or career centers of the 5 Flemish universities:

  • Nicole Wedell-von Leupoldt (KU Leuven)
  • Rosanne Ceuppens (UHasselt)
  • Katrien De Gelder (UGent)
  • Tessa Heyvaert (VUB)
  • Kristien Daems (UAntwerpen)
  • Corinne Herrijgers (UAntwerpen)

You can contact us at phdtalent@vlir.be.

 

Artikel in Th&ma Hoger Onderwijs over de realisaties van het PhD Talent Coordination Team: ‘Een brug naar de niet-academische arbeidsmarkt. Doorstroom van doctoraathouders.‘ (2025)