Closes : 31st January 2026

The research group SHOC (Social History of Capitalism) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel is looking for a postdoctoral researcher. SHOC is a young, vibrant research group that aims to study the social history of capitalism from a global, bottom-up perspective from the 12^th to the 20^th century. The group is home to several large research projects, spanning from migration in medieval Europe over foraging practices in colonial Central Africa to the dynamics of wealth inequality in the 19th century. 

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will engage with the following tasks: 

• You will conduct high-quality research in the field of the social history of capitalism, understood as the interaction with and negotiation of capitalist expansion from a bottom-up perspective. Specific research topics can include, but are not limited to, the study of political economy, welfare systems, social relations, migration, colonisation, economic/social inequality, the social history of medicine, the social history of warfare and armed violence, economic/social lobbying and ecological entanglements in any part of the world from the late Middle Ages to the twentieth century. Connections to existing research strengths of the research group are appreciated.
• You will publish your research in international peer-reviewed journals and will present your work at international conferences.
• You will apply for external postdoctoral funding and will contribute to funding applications by the research group. We will actively support you in efforts to secure follow-up or long-term research funding.
• You will contribute to the organisation of the research group and will participate in its activities (meetings, research seminars). Regular attendance on the VUB Main Campus in Etterbeek (Brussels) is required.
• You are encouraged to assist in the supervision of master students working on the social history of capitalism.

Requirements

• Doctoral degree or equivalent in History or related disciplines with historical expertise
• Research experience in fields related to the social history of capitalism, i.e. the ways in which people engaged with the expansion of capitalism as a process that boosted material production but also generated structural inequalities.
• Publication history in international peer-reviewed journals and a track-record of presentations at international conferences.
• Expertise on any historical period or across periods from the twelfth to the end of the twentieth centuries.
• Experience with global historical perspectives, taking into account interactions between different societies, is particularly welcomed.
• You are a team player and have good social skills.

Languages

English/Dutch

What we offer

• A contract for a full time appointment for 36 months (pending positive evaluation after twelve months), with planned starting date between 1 June and 31 August 2026.
• A yearly gross salary of €63,500 to €69,000 before taxes and social security contributions.
• A range of other benefits, including hospitalisation insurance, transport allowances, home-working opportunities, and 35 vacation days (fulltime contract)
• https://www.vub.be/en/working-for-vrije-universiteit-brussel-vub 

For additional job details, including the required documents, please visit https://shoc.research.vub.be/ or contact SHOC director Bart Lambert at bart.lambert@vub.be 

Location

VUB Main Campus (Etterbeek), Brussels, Belgium

Source : Jobs.ac.uk