Job Openings

Temporary Postdoc researcher position in Environmental Technology – Ghent University Global Campus, Korea
 
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

Part-Time Post-doc researcher in Environmental Technology – Ghent University Global Campus Department: Centre for Green Cheimistry 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: 3 months Occupancy rate: 100% Vacancy Type: Assistant Academic Staff (AAP) Last application date: June 24, 2025 (Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as the position will be filled upon finding the right candidate) Starting date: August 1, 2025 Scientific Supervisor: Prof. Dr. ir. Philippe M. Heynderickx (Philippe.Heynderickx@Ghent.ac.kr)

 
Job Position
Ghent University Global Campus, South Korea, has a temporary vacancy for a Postdoc researcher in Environmental Technology in the Centre for Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology at Ghent University Global Campus, starting from August 1, 2025. 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.
 
The Postdoc candidate is supposed to perform research (and deliver in due time tangible research output) in the areas of environmental process technology for sustainable development and circular economy, for instance, but not limited to:

1. Thermogravimetric analysis of Korean single waste thermoplastics
2. Catalytic upgrading of pyrolysis oil
3. Understanding the Korean plastic waste (statistics, management methods, implications of status and projections, -potential innovative options for effective waste management
4. Techno economic analysis and LCA of electrified pyrolysis and steam cracking within the context of South Korea, Korean waste, Conventional pyrolysis practices in Korea versus new technologies (e.g. electrified steam cracking)
5. Characterization of Korean plastic waste (multisampling approach, TGA-DSC, FTIR, CIC, ICP MS…)
6. Current status of Korean plastics (review work)
7. Understanding the impact of polyvinyl chloride (the global statistics, management options, challenges, solutions, alternative solutions…)
8. Collaborate on publications in leading environmental science and technology journals and present research findings at international conferences.
9. Mentor and supervise junior researchers and students, in internships.
10. Actively contribute to a multidisciplinary research team, demonstrating leadership and teamwork.

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)

19. Ph.D. (by April 30, 2025) in Chemical Engineering, Bioscience Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or related fields.
19. Strong experimental skills in waste plastic treatment and hydrothermal carbonization pratises and applications.
19. 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.
19. Proven track record of first-author publications in reputable journals.
19. Proficiency in English (minimum TOEFL iBT score of 80 or IELTS score of 6.5), with strong academic writing and presentation skills.
19. 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.
19. Independent, self-motivated researcher with team spirit and leadership potential.

 
Job Description

19. Conduct research in the area of environmental process technology, upcycling waste to chemicals and life cycle assessment.
19. 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).
19. 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

19. Scientific background and knowledge
19. Working experiences
19. Experience with plastic waste treatment (especially via hydrothermal carbonization)

 
Application Documents

19. Full resume (CV), including at least 2 references’ contacts
19. Research statement (up to 4-page, referring to all mentioned points of action)
19. 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 Philippe.Heynderickx@Ghent.ac.kr (Subject line: GREAT_postdoc_waste_plastic_PMH_surname). Please kindly noted only the selected candidate(s) will be contacted for the next step.
 
Application Process and Interview

19. Interviews (in-person or online) will take place in stages from the first available time.
19. 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: Philippe.Heynderickx@Ghent.ac.kr
 
Selection Process

19. CV Screening -> Interview(s) (including oral evaluation and/or written evaluation) -> Internal committee -> Approval -> Acceptance Notice to the candidate selected.
19. Position will be filled when appropriate candidate is chosen by the committee.

 
Compensation & Benefits for the candidate selected.

19. Basic Term of the Contract

-3-month contract term

19. Salary

-starts from Gross Annual Salary 46,624,146 KRW (will be evaluated based on the research track record)

19. Extensive annual paid leave and holidays

- The selected candidate shall have 9 days paid leave (pro rata with “35 days paid annual leave per year”)

19. Others

-To be discussed.