Research Assistant – PhD candidate @ Ghent University Global Campus, Korea (Joint- PhD) + Macquarie University, Australia (co-tutelle)

Job Summary

Candidate – Ghent University Global Campus (GUGC)
Department: Centre for Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology
Degree: MSc in (or closely related area): Engineering, Science
Contract: 1 year at GUGC + 2 years at MQ + 1 year at GUGC
Occupancy rate: 100%
Vacancy Type: Research Assistant (AAP)
Last application date: May 15, 2026 (Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as the position will be filled upon finding the right candidate)
Starting date: July 1, 2026 (negotiable)
Scientific Supervisors: Prof. Dr. ir. Philippe Heynderickx (@ GUGC) and Prof. Dr. Vladimir Strezov (@ MQ)

Job Position

Ghent University Global Campus (South Korea) and Macquarie University (Australia) have a vacancy for a joint-PhD Candidate in the Center of Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology at Ghent University Global Campus and the Macquarie University in Sydney (Australia), starting from July 1, 2026 (open to negotiation). It concerns 1 year at GUGC + 2 years at MQ + 1 year at GUGC.

The candidate will work under the supervision of Prof. Philippe M. Heynderickx at the Centre for Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology (GREAT) of the Ghent University Global campus in Korea during the first and the last year of the 4-years PhD research program. The second and third year will be spent at Macquarie University under the supervision of Prof. Vladimir Strezov at the Centre for Energy and Natural Resources Innovation and Transformation (CENRIT), School of Natural Sciences.

The performance will be formally evaluated after a period of nine months from the start date. The evaluation will assess the progress and performance. Based on a positive evaluation, the PhD can be continued at MQ in the second year.

Job Qualification (Profile of the Candidate)

• You hold from February 2023 (or earlier) a Master degree with strong focus on Engineering/Chemistry/Science AND you have (at least) 3 years of related experience after obtaining master's degree.
• The condition to have 3 years of related experience (mentioned above) is not required if you have Korean nationality or have studied in a Korean Public University for a Master program.
• The condition to have 3 years of related experience (mentioned above) is not required if the applicant holds a master’s degree from a highly ranked overseas university, specifically: a university ranked within the top 200 selected by TIMES, or a university ranked within the top 500 in the QS World University Rankings.
• Having practical laboratory experience with performing wet-lab experiments and/or having publications in chemistry/engineering fields is an advantage.
• You have excellent verbal and written communication skills, corresponding to a minimum score of 80 on the TOEFL iBT test, both written and orally.
• You need to satisfy the English language entry requirements into a PhD program at Macquarie University (see).
• Possess good academic writing and presentation skills.
• Have an excellent academic track record.

Job Description

• Conduct personal (applied) research in the area of hydrothermal carbonization with the combined purpose to (1) chemically treat/reduce typical carbon-containing feedstocks (plastic waste, food waste or other biomass) and optimize this process in order to (2) produce carbon for industrial applications.
• Perform wet-laboratory hydrothermal carbonization experiments to upgrade the yield in carbon;
• Conduct techno-economic analyses to evaluate the technology;
• Write scientific papers including the output of the experiments during the research;
• Assist his/her supervisors with tasks in ongoing and future R&D projects;
• Collaborate with the research team @ GUGC;
• Have the willingness to work flexible hours if needed and occasionally participate in events outside of the regular working hours.

Selection Criteria

• Scientific background and knowledge
• Educational experiences

Application Documents

Applicants should submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the global PhD project via email directly to both supervisors. This needs to contain:

• CV including information about publications
• Transcripts of most relevant/recent degrees
• Information about thesis components (thesis mark, word count, weight/length in comparison to the degree overall)
• A PDF version of the Master’s Thesis
• Motivation letter (including a statement of suitability as a candidate for the project (max 500 words)
• Indication that the student meets the English language requirements for entry into a PhD program at either universities, or willingness to obtain relevant English language proficiency test results.

The documents must be merged into a single PDF file (< 10MB) and sent to Philippe.Heynderickx@Ghent.ac.kr and vladimir.strezov@mq.edu.au (subject line: PhD_Position/Co-tutelle_GUGC/MQ_Name, Name = your last name).

Please kindly note that only the selected candidate(s) will be contacted for the next step.

Application Process and Interview

• Interviews (in-person or online) will take place in stages from the first available time.
• 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: GUGCAcademicHR@ugent.be.

Selection Process

CV Screening -> Interview -> Internal committee -> Approval -> Acceptance Notice to the candidate selected.

Compensation & Benefits for the candidate selected

Basic Term of the Contract @ GUGC (year 1 and year 4)

• Salary: starts from Annual Base Salary of 28,059,375 KRW (Monthly Salary of 2,338,281 KRW, Gross)
• Bonuses: Additional two bonuses in June (92% of monthly salary) and December (100% monthly salary)
• Housing unit or Housing Allowance; A single unit of Dormitory operated by Incheon Global Campus (IGC) is provided for foreigners. If the selected candidate has a Korean nationality, the housing unit shall not be provided by IGC, but the Housing Allowance of 725,000 KRW monthly.
• Severance shall be paid when the contract ends and if the candidate works more than one year.

• Private Health Insurances: Marsh private health insurance provided, including basic medical reimbursements.
• Extensive annual paid leave and holidays
  • The selected candidate shall have 35 days paid annual leave per year.
  • Additional holiday from Christmas (Dec 25) to New Year (Jan 1).

Basic Term of the Contract @ MQ (year 2 and year 3)

• At MQ, a tax-exempt stipend of AUD $39,700 per year will be provided for the duration period spent at MQ. The MQ tuition fees will fully covered by the co-tutelle scholarship.
• Airfare allowance for flights between the country of the Partner University and Sydney up to AUD $4,000.