Job description

The Tourism unit within the Department of Geosciences, Environment and Society of the Faculty of Sciences (Université libre de Bruxelles) is opening a full-time academic position (100% Professorship) in the form of a Chair entitled ‘Régulations, tourisme et société’ [i.e., Regulation within Tourism Systems & Society]. The starting contract is 3 years. After the first 3-year period, an evaluation of the scientific and teaching activities will be carried out. Following a positive evaluation, the position will become tenured.

The Chair in ‘Régulations, tourisme et société’ is part of the research activities of the Brussels Centre for Tourism Studies (BCTS). The BCTS is specialised in the study of issues relating to tourism as a social phenomenon as well as a set of economic activities. It brings together a number of researchers and scholars who study tourism from various perspectives, including mono-, multi- and interdisciplinary approaches. They carry out both fundamental and applied research on a wide range of tourism practices, stakeholders and destinations. Institutionally the BTCS is part of the ‘Institut de Gestion de l’Environnement et d’Aménagement du Territoire’ (IGEAT), and has recently joined the USET research hub together with four other research units. Within this hub the BTCS fosters research synergies on issues relating to socio-environmental transformations in urban spaces.

In response to the pressing social and ecological challenges facing contemporary societies, both the educational programme and research at the BCTS have taken over the past five years a more pronounced focus on the dynamics of transformation and adaptation within tourism systems. To find out more about the BTCS, please visit the website https://bcts.sciences.ulb.be/fr-1

It is within this framework that the chairholder will develop their research and teaching, focusing on regulation in tourism systems. This area of research has not yet been investigated by the BCTS.

Description of the Chair in ‘Régulations, tourisme et Société’

Area of Research:

The selected candidate will be expected to carry out empirical research that examines in depth modes/forms of regulation within tourism systems, the processes and dynamics underpinning them, as well as their recent and future development. The notion of ‘regulation’ is understood in a broad sense here. It refers to the adjustment of a variety of movements or actions based on previously defined rules or standards, and their effects or outcomes within tourism systems. This encompasses the different models of governance (i.e., as decision-making systems of processes, functions, structures, rules, norms…), as well as all mechanisms designed to influence tourism systems.

With this scope the selected candidate will explore how tourism stakeholders take into account and attempt to influence current and future sociotechnical trajectories. Examples of these trajectories include—though this list is by no means exhaustive—the financialisation of tourism, digitalisation and AI-isation, de- and re-intermediation, individualisation, and the strong growth in tourism mobilities. Particular attention will be attributed to the relationships between the modes and forms of regulation and the social and/or ecological challenges affecting contemporary societies.

The candidate will also need to demonstrate strong skills in research methodologies.

Educational and scientific goals:

The selected candidate will be expected to design, lead and/or contribute to research projects within the Chair’s field (see above). As part of this, he or she will, amongst other things, work to forge research synergies at departmental level, within USET, at ULB and internationally. The selected candidate will be expected to disseminate their research, combining scientific communication with public outreach. He or she will also be involved in supervising, supporting and/or assessing doctoral theses.

The selected candidate will make an active and creative contribution to the Master’s programme in ‘sciences et gestion du tourisme’ (i.e., tourism analyse and management; 120 ECTS) as well as to the related supplementary course programme. Active learning methods are promoted on the Master’s programme. Expectations will be commensurate with the candidate’s career stage, and will reach a teaching load of at least 120 hours (see below for an overview of the teaching load at the time of recruitment). Additionally, the selected candidate will supervise Master’s theses in tourism studies and management, and will be part of the evaluation panel of other theses. He or she will also be expected to play a full part in other initiatives relating to the Master’s, including the enhancement of the curriculum and of the teaching approaches, as well as the development of partner networks.

In the near future, the selected candidate will be expected to take on one or more roles within the wider scientific community and at the ULB. These roles include, amongst others:

reviewing papers submitted for publication in various scientific journals;
(co-)organising scientific conferences;
coordinating the teaching quality committee for the Master’s;
heading the BCTS or the teaching unit;
playing an active part in the DGES council, for example as secretary (drafting meeting minutes).

In the more distant future, these roles may be expanded to include the vice-chair and chair of the DGES council, participation in working groups or faculty or university committees, etc.

Courses covered at the time of recruitment:

TOUR-F-433 Tourisme et régulations (Cours magistral : 24h, Travaux pratiques : 6h, Séminaires : 12h)
TOUR-F-434 Data Analysis Applied to Research and Management (en cotitularisation; Cours magistral: 24h, Travaux pratiques : 12h, Projet: 12h)
TOUR-F-436 Gouvernance et dynamiques collectives dans un monde en mutations (en cotitularisation ; Cours magistral : 18h ; Travaux pratiques : 18h).
TOUR-F_431 Principes et pratiques de l’analyse critique (en cotitularisation ; Cours magistral : 6h ; Travaux pratiques : 12h ; Séminaire : 6h).
Other courses, including one on social-cultural dynamics in tourism, will be added later to reach a teaching load of at least 120 hours.

The language of instruction – French and/or English – is a matter for discussion. Proficiency in French is, however, essential to ensure high-quality academic support for students.

Qualifications required:

PhD Degree (with doctoral thesis) in:

Tourism studies or Tourism/hospitality Managament
Sociology
Anthropology
Political Sciences
Geography
Business engineering or Management

Skills required

In addition to holding a PhD in one of the above-mentioned fields, applicants should have sound and in-depth knowledge of, and research experience in, issues relating to regulation modes within tourism systems.
The applicant should have sound knowledge of, and possibly research experience in, the social phenomena and/or issues associated with tourism.
Experience in applying a systems approach to research topics is a must.
Sound knowledge of, and experience in applying or teaching, quantitative and qualitative research methods in the social sciences.
Applicants should have at least 4 years of research experience (PhD included) at the time of their recruitment.
Post-doctoral experience (i.e., research experience after completing one’s PhD) and a robust scientific record are a plus.
You must be able to teach and take part in meetings in French.
Moreover,
Exchange periods outside of the applicants’ home institution (during or after their PhD) will be taken into consideration when evaluating applications.
A genuine interest in urban issues will be highly valued (e.g., previous studies, research experience, publications, etc.).

Interested?

For more information, please contact Ms Isabelle Cloquet (email: isabelle.cloquet@ulb.be).

Your application will consist of a Curriculum Vitae (if you wish, a standard CV can be downloaded from the website: https: //www.ulb.be/fr/documents-officiels/emplois-academiques-et-scientifiques-cv-type) and a document completed using the template available at this URL address

https://www.ulb.be/fr/documents-officiels/1e-applic-form-acad-tps-plein-docx.

This template structures your application by including the following elements:

an application letter
a 7,000-character report (4 pages) presenting the applicant’s research activities and a research project, including how these will integrate into ULB’s research teams
a teaching dossier including a 7,000-character report (4 pages) on the applicant's previous teaching activities and a teaching project for the first five years in this position; these must be relevant to the faculty and to the teaching profiles for the programmes to which the applicant is to contribute
a note on the applicant's international achievements and projects (no more than 4 pages)
the names and e-mail addresses of five referees (respecting the gender balance) who may be contacted by those in charge of evaluating applications. These referees should not have conflicts of interest because of family or emotional ties.

Incomplete applications or applications that do not use the template provided will not be examined by the selection committee.

The appointment to the academic staff of ULB is made at ”Chargé de Cours” level. As of their appointment, members of academic staff are authorised to use the honorary title of ”Professeur”.

Where to go to apply?

Click here: https://jobs.ulb.be/job-invite/2096/?isInternalUser=true

For any connection problems or questions about our application, consult our FAQ: e-recrut-mode-d-emploi-candidat-en-_1734942996246-pdf

N.B.: SAP complies with European and U.S. regulations and, as a result, does not allow access to its application from the following countries/regions: Crimea, Sevastopol, the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) / Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR), areas not controlled by the Ukrainian government in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Russia, and Belarus.

Therefore, candidates applying from these countries – and only from these countries – can submit their CV and application to this address: rectrice@ulb.be

Equal opportunities policy

ULB's personnel management policy is geared towards diversity and equal opportunities.

We recruit candidates on the basis of their skills, irrespective of age, gender, sexual orientation, origin, nationality, beliefs, disability, etc.

Would you like to be provided with reasonable accommodation in the selection procedure because of a disability, disorder, or illness? Please contact Marie Botty, the person in charge of diversity aspects for the academic and scientific staff (marie.botty@ulb.be). Be assured of the confidentiality of this information.

More details on the ULB gender and diversity policy are available at Diversity at ULB - ULB.

You will find all the regulations relating to academic careers on our site at http://www.ulb.ac.be/emploi/academique.html.

Full-time academic position in regulations, tourisme et societe - Faculty of sciences