Antony Pemberton

KU Leuven’s Leuven Institute of Criminology (LINC) is offering a four-year full-time PhD position in criminology within the project Framing Justice for Victims . The position is part of the Faculty of Law and Criminology and is located in Leuven, Belgium. The project is funded by KU Leuven and is connected to the NWO VICI-WOVEN project at NSCR in the Netherlands. The PhD researcher will work under the supervision of Professor Antony Pemberton , in cooperation with Emeritus Professor Stephan Parmentier . The project examines atrocity victims’ needs through qualitative case studies of the Syrian and Ukrainian diasporas. Research activities will include in-depth narrative interviews with victims of violent conflicts from Syria and Ukraine residing in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. This opportunity is especially relevant for candidates interested in criminology, victimology, transitional justice, qualitative social research, and atrocity studies . The role offers the chance to contribute to a socially important, internationally connected research project and to develop experience in interviewing vulnerable research participants, publishing in high-quality journals, presenting at conferences, and participating in doctoral training. Eligibility highlights include a master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline, strong academic results, excellent English, sufficient Dutch, and demonstrable scientific, communication, and organizational skills. Experience with vulnerable participants is recommended. The appointment is full-time and paid for up to four years. The application deadline is 2026-08-13 (23:59 Brussels time). Interviews are expected to take place during the week of August 31st . Applications should be submitted through the KU Leuven job portal. For more information, contact antony.pemberton@kuleuven.be .