[Commlist] Vacancy for Tenure track position Journalism

https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/jobs/60590149?lang=en

*Tenure-track professor in Applied Linguistics with a focus on 
Journalism (Faculty of Arts, KU Leuven, Brussels)*

/(ref. ZAP-2025-165)/
/Last modified: 17/12/25/

The Linguistics Research Unit of the Faculty of Arts at KU Leuven is 
seeking a full-time tenure-track professor (ZAP) in Applied Linguistics: 
Journalism. 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.

For this position, KU Leuven Brussels will be your home base. This 
campus combines the strength of KU Leuven with the closeness of a 
vibrant academic community and an educational approach that puts people 
at the heart of its programs. KU Leuven Brussels has a strong applied, 
international, and interdisciplinary research profile and actively 
fosters both regional and international collaboration. At KU Leuven 
Brussels, you will have the opportunity to develop innovative ideas and 
make a real impact in research and education.

We are looking for a motivated lecturer and researcher (m/f/x) to be 
part of the Linguistics Research Unit and the Faculty of Arts at KU 
Leuven Brussels. The Linguistics Research Unit, which counts 50 senior 
and 100 junior researchers, is renowned for its internationally oriented 
synchronic and diachronic linguistic research across a wide range of 
languages using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The Research 
Unit is active within the recently established Leuven Interdisciplinary 
Language Institute. Members of the research unit at the Brussels campus 
teach in the Bachelor of Applied Linguistics, the Master in Journalism, 
and the Master of Multilingual Communication: Cross-Cultural 
Communication Management.

Unit website <https://arts.kuleuven.be/ling>

*Research*

You are a motivated, internationally-oriented researcher in the field of 
Applied Linguistics. You are able to bridge theories and methods from 
linguistics with applied linguistic research in the domain of 
journalism. Possible research themes include language variation in 
journalistic texts, linguistic patterns and dynamics in news reporting 
and/or journalistic production processes. Your research enhances the 
profile of the Master’s program in Journalism, while also connecting to 
one or more of the research priorities within the Linguistics Research Unit.

You strive for excellence in your academic research and develop an 
independent and innovative research program in the area of linguistic 
research on journalism. 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.

You maintain close ties with the professional journalism sector, both 
for research and for outreach activities.

*Teaching*

You provide high-quality teaching in the bachelor’s and master's 
programme(s) within Applied Linguistics, in particular in the Master in 
Journalism, 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 amounts to approximately 16 ECTS credits. Over 
time, this may increase to 21–24 ECTS credits. It includes the following 
or similar courses:

Master in Journalism

• Journalistieke productie en taalvaardigheid (4 ECTS)

• Coordination of Print- en online journalistiek, where you will be 
responsible for 2 ECTS

• A master’s-level course aligned with your disciplinary expertise in 
journalism. (3 ECTS)

Master of Multilingual Communication: Cross-Cultural Communication 
Management

• Writing for digital and social media Dutch (3 ECTS)

Bachelor in Applied Linguistics (Brussels)

• Journalistieke redactie en fact-checking (4 ECTS)

Your teaching assignment also includes the supervision of approximately 
15 master’s theses per year.

Your teaching assignment is initially linked to the Brussels 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 Linguistics (or equivalent), with a focus on Dutch, 
and have successfully defended your dissertation at the time of 
submitting your application. You have a proven expertise in applied 
linguistic research related to journalism. You possess the necessary 
knowledge and skills to teach courses on Dutch language proficiency, 
language norms, and language variation.

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 Applied Linguistics 
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 journalistic work field is a plus.

The teaching assignments require an immediate and thorough command of 
Dutch. We are therefore looking for someone who has native-level 
proficiency in Dutch.

*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 Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European 
Union, twenty minutes from Leuven, the heart of KU Leuven, 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.

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.

KU Leuven Framework for Recognising and Valuing High-Quality Academic 
Work 
<https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/docs/kul_waarderingskader_eng-1.pdf>
Linguistics Research Unit <https://www.arts.kuleuven.be/ling>
Education at KU Leuven 
<http://www.kuleuven.be/english/education/education-at-ku-leuven>
Partner and Family 
<http://www.kuleuven.be/english/life-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)

Candidates who are shortlisted by the Faculty Assessment Committee 
(BeCo) will be invited for an interview and a trial lecture.

KU Leuven attaches great importance to research integrity and ethical 
conduct and will therefore ask you to sign an integrity statement upon 
appointment.

For more information about this vacancy, please contact the Dean of the 
Faculty, Prof. Dr. Liesbet Heyvaert ((liesbet.heyvaert /at/ kuleuven.be)) or 
the Campus Dean, Prof. Dr. Hedwig de Smaele ((Hedwig.desmaele /at/ kuleuven.be)).

For problems with online applying, please contact (solliciteren /at/ kuleuven.be).

You can apply for this job no later than February 19, 2026 via the 
online application tool <http://www.kuleuven.be/eapplyingforjobs/60590149>

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. 
<https://www.kuleuven.be/wieiswie/en/person/ue715673>

  * Job application procedure
 <https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/en/academic-staff/senior-academic-staff-tenure-track-information#job-application>

  * Working conditions
 <https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/en/academic-staff/senior-academic-staff-tenure-track-information#working-conditions>

  * Career opportunities
 <https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/en/academic-staff/senior-academic-staff-tenure-track-information#career-opportunities>


Do you have a question about the online application system? Please 
consult our FAQ 
<https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/en/vacancies/faq-about-applying-online>or 
email us at (apply /at/ kuleuven.be) <mailto:(apply /at/ kuleuven.be)>

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