Ph.D. position in Ancient Philosophy (fully funded)

A fully-funded Ph.D. position in Ancient Philosophy is available at the Institut supérieur de philosophie of Université catholique de Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve). The fellowship holder will write a dissertation, preferably on a theme in Hellenistic or Roman ethics, under supervision of prof. David Machek.

Ideally, the position should start from October 2024, but a later starting date can be negotiated.

We offer 

• funding for a period of 2 years, with the possibility of extension for another 2 years in case of satisfactory progress; 
• monthly fellowship of 2'400 EUR (after taxes), plus health and social security insurance; 
• personal operating budget of 6'000 EUR to cover costs associated with the Ph.D. candidate’s research (e.g. IT expenses, conference travels etc.); 
• free public transport travel pass within Belgium.

We require

• M.A. or equivalent in Philosophy or a related field (e.g. Classics) by September 2024 at the latest
• good reading skills in Greek and/or Latin, OR a readiness to improve less advanced skills through intensive language courses taken in the first year of the program (at least intermediate Greek and/or Latin is required at the start of the appointment)
• excellent command of English (no French is required)
• residence in Louvain-la-Neuve and adequate participation in the research events at the Institute
• compliance with general rules for study in doctoral programs at UCLouvain

Application

• CV
• a 1-2 page letter explaining your motivation for the study of ancient philosophy generally, and in Louvain in particular, as well as a short summary of the proposed direction of research
• a writing sample of no more than 6’000 words that best attests to your skills in ancient philosophy (may be an abridged version of a longer piece), e.g. a seminar paper or a part of your M.A. thesis. The sample can be in English, French, German or Czech
• All these materials should be sent, compiled in a single pdf file, to [email protected], preferably by June 1, 2024 (soft deadline). Informal inquiries about the position can be made at the same address.

About the University and Institute

Traditionally, philosophy has been one of the strengths of UCLouvain, its philosophy program being ranked 40th in the world in the 2024 QS Subject Ranking. Institut supérieur de philosophie has areas of concentration in both analytic philosophy (philosophy of science, applied ethics) and continental (phenomenology) philosophy, as well as in the history of philosophy (esp. ancient, medieval and early modern). From 2024, there will be two full-time faculty members working on ancient Greek and Roman philosophy; the Institute also has distinctive strengths in non-Western philosophies, notably Islamic and Chinese. Some 40 train minutes from Brussels, Louvain is within train travel distance from Paris (2 hours), London (2.5 hours), Amsterdam (2.5 hours) and Köln (3 hours), which facilitates scientific networking with other institutions.