PhD Talent Meets Hogescholen

About the project

More and more PhD holders are finding their way to Flemish Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts (hogescholen), contributing their expertise to research, education, and policy. The ‘PhD Talent Meets Hogescholen’ campaign highlights the unique opportunities that hogescholen offer to PhD holders.

Through authentic stories and interactive activities, our campaign showcases the career paths and meaningful roles PhD holders occupy. Our goal is to:

  • Raise awareness: Inform PhD holders about diverse and rewarding career opportunities available at hogescholen.
  • Position hogescholen: Highlight hogescholen as attractive employers renowned for their dynamic and practice-oriented approach to research, education, and policy.
  • Foster engagement: Inspire PhD holders to actively consider and pursue opportunities within Flemish hogescholen.

Join us to explore how your academic expertise and skills can thrive in the environment of hogescholen.

 


Campaign period: 19 May – 6 June 2025

Follow the LinkedIn page to not miss a thing:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/phd-talent-pool

During the campaign period, we will showcase a variety of testimonial videos, infographics, and interactive posts on LinkedIn, including:

  • Authentic experiences of PhD holders in diverse roles
  • Insights into the work environment, culture, and benefits of working at a hogeschool
  • Promotion of the VLHORA job platform and the PhD Talent Pool

 


Online Panel Discussion: 26 May 2025 (in Dutch)

Working at a Hogeschool: PhD holders share their experiences

When: Monday, 26 May 2025, 12:00 – 13:30
Where: Online (recording available afterward)

During this interactive panel discussion, PhD holders will share insights and experiences about their roles at hogescholen, representing various domains to provide a comprehensive view of career opportunities.

Panelists will discuss what motivated them personally to pursue a career at a hogeschool, how working at a hogeschool differs from a university environment, and provide valuable advice for PhD holders considering such a career move.

The topics that will be discussed:

  • Research: How does a PhD holder contribute to innovative research at hogescholen? What skills are essential for successful applied research?
  • Education: What makes teaching at a hogeschool unique? How do you apply your academic knowledge in practice-oriented education?
  • Policy and management: What challenges and opportunities arise for PhD holders working in policy roles?
  • Expertise centers: How do government-supported centers, ‘Steunpunten’, function as important networking channels for PhD holders? How can PhD holders leverage these centers to enhance their career opportunities?

Panel members:

  • Peter de Graef
    Head of Department of People and Well-being at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences
    PhD Psychology, KU Leuven
  • Saartje Cromheecke
    HR Business Partner at Artevelde Hogeschool
    PhD Psychology, UGent
  • Liese Exelmans
    Docent and senior researcher at Karel de Grote Hogeschool
    PhD Social Sciences, KU Leuven
  • Franne Mullens
    Docent at PXL and postdoc at VUB
    PhD Social Sciences, VUB

Target audience:
PhD candidates, postdocs from all researcher backgrounds, and anyone interested in career opportunities at Flemish hogescholen.

Registration: Reserve your spot via this registration link.

Please note

  1. The speakers have coincidentally predominately research backgrounds in Humanities and Social Sciences. This is not to excluded any research background but really a coincident. All research backgrounds are welcome.
  2. The language of the discussion will be DUTCH. This is not to excluded anyone! However, someone starting a job at a hogeschool will at least need to be able to understand Dutch.

 

Testimonial videos

Curious about what it’s really like to work as a PhD holder at a hogeschool? Watch our upcoming testimonial videos, created by PhD holders themselves.

>> Want to contribute your story?

Are you a PhD holder working at a hogeschool? Share your story! Simply create a short video (1-2 minutes) showing your typical workday. We’ll handle the editing.

Click here for more information and practical guidelines.

 


Discover your career opportunities

Ready for your next career step? Explore opportunities and vacancies through:


Are you someone at a hogeschool looking for PhD talent?

Join the PhD Talent Pool to easily reach PhD holders and postdocs across Flemish universities (more than 4,000 users). To set up your account, follow the instructions in this document.

Questions? Contact phdtalent@vlir.be.

 

Follow us on LinkedIn

Stay updated on our latest news and follow our campaign:

 

Do you have questions? Do not hesitate to send us your thoughts and/or questions.

Corinne Herrijgers  (Universiteit Antwerpen) & Nicole Wedell-von Leupoldt (KU Leuven) on behalf of the PhD Talent coordination team.