List of Study Programmes - Antwerp (Updated Nov 2012)

Faculty Field of study Name of study
programme/degree
Applied Economics 4,9 - Others -
Business Studies,
Management
Sciences
One semester exchange in the
Faculty of Applied Economics
Applied Economics 14,3 - Economics One semester exchange in the
Arts 8,9 - Others -
Humanities
Faculty of Arts
Political and Social Sciences 14,1 - Political
Science
Faculty of Political and Social
Sciences
Political and Social Sciences 14,2 - Sociology One semester exchange in the
Sciences
Political and Social Sciences 15,9 - Others
Communication and
Information
Sciences
Sciences
Faculty Field of study Name of Master programme
Applied Economics 4,9 - Others -
Business Studies,
Management
Sciences
List of study programmes
UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP
UNDERGRADUATES
MASTER EXCHANGE
Applied Economics 14,3 - Economics One semester exchange in the
Arts 8,9 - Other -
Humanities
Faculty of Arts
Science
Sciences
Political and Social Sciences 14,2 - Sociology One semester exchange in the
Sciences
Political and Social Sciences 15,9 - Others
Communication and
Information
Sciences
Sciences
Law 10,9 - Others Law One semester exchange in the
Faculty of Law
Science 11,3 - Informatics,
Computer Science
Faculty of Science
Science 13,1 - Biology One semester exchange in the
Faculty of Science
Science 13,2 - Physics One semester exchange in the
Faculty of Science
Science 13,3 - Chemistry One semester exchange in the
Faculty of Science
Faculty Field of study Name of Master programme
MASTER DEGREE
Institute of Development Policy
and Management
14,8 - Development
Studies
Master of Globalisation and
Development
and Management
14,8 - Development
Studies
Master of Governance and
Development
and Management
14,8 - Development
Studies
Master of Development
Evaluation and Management
Applied Economics 4,1 - Business
Studies with
Languages
Master in Applied Economic
Sciences: Business
Administration
Applied Economics 14,3 - Economics Master in Applied Economic
Sciences: Business
Administration
Arts 9,2 - General and
comparative
literature
Master in Linguistics and
Literature: English
Arts 9,3 - Linguistics Master in Linguistics and
Literature: English
Science 11,3 - Informatics,
Computer Science
Master in Computer Science
Pharmaceutical, Biomedical
and Veterinary Sciences
12,9 - Others
Medical Sciences
Master in Biomedical Sciences:
Molecular Imaging
12,9 - Others
Medical Sciences
Neurosciences
12,9 - Others
Medical Sciences
Infectious and Tropical
Diseases
Science 13,1 - Biology Master in Biology
Biodiversity: Conservation and
Restoration
Science 13,2 - Physics Master in Physics
Nanophysics
Applied Economic Sciences 14,3 - Economics Master in Applied Economics
Sciences: Economic Policy
Faculty Field of study Name of PhD programme
Sciences 1,6 - Forestry
Biomass productivity of a fast-
growing bio-energy plantation :
genotypic variation in second-
rotation yield
DOCTORATE EXCHANGE
Sciences
The political psychology of
public speech in transition
Sciences 13,2 - Physics Electronic transport in organic
materials and
organic/inorganic hybrids
Sciences 13,2 - Physics Numerical experimentation on
new superconducting materials
Science
Comparative regionalism:
issues of European integration
compared to other regional
integration projects.
Political and Social Sciences 14,6 - International
Relations, European
Studies, Area
Studies
Science 13,2 - Physics Self-assembly of Janus particles
Faculty Field of study Name of PhD programme
Law 10,2 - International
Law
Local relevance of human
rights to foreign sex workers in
Antwerp
DOCTORATE DEGREE
Law 14,9 - Others
Social Sciences
Local relevance of human
rights to foreign sex workers in
Antwerp
Law
Childrens rights based
approaches to development
from a theory of change
perspective
Law
Human rights: A Common
Responsibility: Transnational
Human Rights Obligations
Sciences
Science 7,1 - Geography Mapping and Modeling of
Ecosystem services and their
trade-offs
Science 7,2 - Environmental
Sciences, Ecology
Mapping and Modeling of
trade-offs
Science 7,4 - Soil and Water
Sciences
trade-offs
Science 7,6 - Geodesy,
Cartography,
Remote Sensing
trade-offs
Science 13,1 - Biology Mapping and Modeling of
trade-offs
materials and
Science
Relations, European
Studies, Area
Studies
13,6 - Biochemistry Studying heme-proteins of
Caenorhabditis elegans and
their role in redox sensing.
Science 7,1 - Geography Modeling the response of
coastal and estuarine marshes
to global change
Science 7,2 - Environmental
Sciences, Ecology
Modeling the response of
to global change
Science 7,3 - Geology Modeling the response of
to global change
Science 7,4 - Soil and Water
Sciences
Modeling the response of
to global change
Applied Economics 4,3 - Accountancy,
Financial
Management
The financing of new firms: an
international perspective
Political and Social Sciences 10,6 - Public
Administration
The governance and
performance of autonomous
agencies: the influence of
national context
Administration
Coordination within and
between government for cross-
cutting policy challenges
Administration
Liberalization and privatization
of essential public services
Administration
Political control of public
administration and
administrative reforms
Administration
The governance of public
private partnerships in
economic turbulent times
Law
Legal Certainty : What can the
citizen expect when he or she
crosses the border?
Law
International economic law a
site for egalitarian distributive
justice?
Law 8,1 - Philosophy International economic law a
site for egalitarian distributive
justice?
Law 10,5 - Constitutional
/Public Law
Administrative law and the
regulation of uncertainty
Law
Consumer information labels
under WTO law: Less favorable
treatment, unnecessary trade
restrictions or consistent with
the text and spirit of WTO law?
Science 13,2 - Physics Functionalization of graphene
Sciences 13,2 - Physics Self-assembly of Janus particles
Sciences 13,3 - Chemistry Halogenated aldimines as
versatile polyfunctional
substrates for the synthesis of
propargyl and allylamines
Sciences 13,3 - Chemistry Development of new
benzo[g]isoquinoline-5,10-
dione derivatives as potential
anti-plasmodial and
antimycobacterial agents
Department/Faculty Field of research Name of teaching/research
programme
Sciences 1,6 - Forestry
Biomass productivity of a fast-
growing bio-energy plantation :
genotypic variation in second-
rotation yield
POST-DOCTORATE
Law
Childrens rights based
approaches to development
from a theory of change
perspective
Law
Human rights: A Common
Responsibility: Transnational
Human Rights Obligations
Sciences
materials and
Science
Relations, European
Studies, Area
Studies
Administration
Coordination within and
between government for cross-
cutting policy challenges
Administration
Liberalization and privatization
of essential public services
Administration
Political control of public
administration and
administrative reforms
Administration
The governance of public
private partnerships in
economic turbulent times
Science 13,2 - Physics Functionalization of graphene
Science 13,3 - Chemistry Synthesis and biological
evaluation of novel pyridazin-
3(2H)-one derivatives
Science 13,2 - Physics Self-assembly of Janus particles
Sciences 13,3 - Chemistry Halogenated aldimines as
versatile polyfunctional
substrates for the synthesis of
propargyl and allylamines
Sciences 13,3 - Chemistry Development of new
benzo[g]isoquinoline-5,10-
dione derivatives as potential
anti-plasmodial and
antimycobacterial agents
Faculty/Department/
Service/Office
Field of work Name of work/
teaching/research programme
Faculty of Arts 8,9 - Others -
Humanities
Staff exchange in the Faculty of
Arts
STAFF
Faculty of Applied Economics 4,9 - Others
Business Studies,
Management
Science
Applied Economics
Faculty of Law 10,9 - Others Law Staff exchange in the Faculty of
Law
Faculty of Medicine 12,9 - Others
Medical Sciences
Medicine
Faculty of Pharmaceutical,
Veterinary and Biomedical
Sciences
12,9 - Others
Medical Sciences
Pharmaceutical, Veterinary and
Biomedical Sciences
Faculty of Sciences 13,9 - Others
Natural Sciences
Sciences
Sciences
14,9 - Others
Social Sciences
Political and Social Sciences
Sciences
15,9 - Others
Communication and
Information
Sciences
Political and Social Sciences
Additional documents to be
uploaded/Special admission
requirements
Language of instruction Required language
certificates
Preliminary learning agreement English
English language proficiency
required. More info:
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.as
px?c=.ENGLISH&n=43525
requirements
certificates
requirements
certificates
Applicants must hold a university degree of
at least four years of study in Social
Sciences (Economics, Political Science,
Sociology, International Relations, or related
disciplines), preferably at Master level, with
good study results. Applicants with only a
Bachelors degree of three years of study
will not be admitted to the Master
programmes. Applicants with a Bachelors
degree of four years of study can be
admitted. However, applicants with a Master
degree will be given priority. Applicants must
have at least two years of professional
experience in a sector relevant to the
programme. Applicants who obtained their
University degree under the European
Bologna system), must hold a Masters
degree. These applicants are not required to
have professional experience but they must
demonstrate a proven interest in
development issues (for example through
internships or additional training).
English TOEFL (Test of English as a
Foreign Language):
minimum score of 550 for
paper-based test or 79 for
Internet-based test or IELTS
(International English
Language Testing System):
minimum score of 6.0.
Foreign Language):
Foreign Language):
Applicants should hold an Academic
Bachelors degree in Applied Economic
Sciences or equivalent, with a
specialisation in business administration
(or business economics) . They should
have obtained this Bachelor's degree at
a University. Applicants who obtained
their Bachelor's degrees at a 'University
of Applied Sciences' are advised to
contact our administrator. Applicants
should have sufficient knowledge of
Principles of management, Marketing,
Corporate finance and Management
accounting, Intermediate micro- and
macro-economics and Introductory
econometrics or quantitative research
methods. A preparatory course can be
compulsory. Please find a checklist
attached below with the prerequisites
attached based on which applicants are
requested to present their prior
knowledge on each of these topics. Also,
a GMAT score is compulsory for
students coming from non EU-countries
and for students coming from non
AACSB or EPAS/EQUIS accredited
universities.
English
TOEFL 79-80 or IELTS 6,5.
More info:
px?c=.MBA&n=63292
Applicants should hold an Academic
Bachelors degree in Applied Economic
Sciences or equivalent, with a
specialisation in business administration
(or business economics) . They should
have obtained this Bachelor's degree at
a University. Applicants who obtained
their Bachelor's degrees at a 'University
of Applied Sciences' are advised to
contact our administrator. Applicants
should have sufficient knowledge of
Principles of management, Marketing,
Corporate finance and Management
accounting, Intermediate micro- and
macro-economics and Introductory
econometrics or quantitative research
methods. A preparatory course can be
compulsory. Please find a checklist
attached below with the prerequisites
attached based on which applicants are
requested to present their prior
knowledge on each of these topics. Also,
a GMAT score is compulsory for
students coming from non EU-countries
and for students coming from non
AACSB or EPAS/EQUIS accredited
universities.
English
TOEFL 79-80 or IELTS 6,5.
More info:
px?c=.MBA&n=63293
The Master in English is primarily
aimed at students who have received
a BA in Language and Linguistics,
with an emphasis on English.
English TOEFL internet-based: 110-
120, IELTS: 6.5-7.0,
Cambridge Certificate of
Proficiency in English: Grade
A, TOEIC: 701-910. Once a
score has been certified, a
Skype conversation with
use of the video camera will
complete the application
procedure.
The Master in English is primarily
aimed at students who have received
a BA in Language and Linguistics,
with an emphasis on English.
English TOEFL internet-based: 110-
120, IELTS: 6.5-7.0,
Cambridge Certificate of
Proficiency in English: Grade
A, TOEIC: 701-910. Once a
score has been certified, a
Skype conversation with
use of the video camera will
complete the application
procedure.
To be eligible for the Master's
programme in Computer Science, a
student should have a strong
scientific background in order to be
able to pass all the courses. An
indicative set of concepts/disciplines
that need to be understood are
outlined on the programme's
website
(http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=.
COMPUTERSCIENCE&n=103330).
Applications are welcomed from
university graduate students
(Bachelor's degrees) in computer
science, computer engineering and
software engineering and from
students who have been awarded
equivalent non-university degrees.
Admissions are subject to review.
English internet-based TOEFL level
of minimum 80, or IELTS
with minimum average
score of 6.5 (with minimum
score 6.0 on each part).
More info:
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.
aspx?c=.COMPUTERSCIENC
E&n=103331
Applicants must hold a Bachelor of
Science (academic degree, minimum
180 ECTS) in Biomedical Sciences,
Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Bio-
engineering, Pharmacy, Biology,
Medicine or Veterinary Medicine.
Before you can enroll as a foreign
student in one of the international
Master programmes in Biomedical
Sciences of the Faculty of
Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and
Veterinary Sciences, the Faculty will
screen your academic history and
motivation by means of a pre-
application. After your pre-
application was evaluated positively,
you can proceed with the
Universitys admission procedure.
English TOEFL internet-based:
minimum 80
IELTS: minimum score of 6.5
(with minimum score 6.0 on
each part). More
info:
aspx?c=.BIOMEDICALSCIEN
CES&n=100854
Medicine or Veterinary Medicine. A
specific prerequisite for this master
is knowledge of basic neuroanatomy
and neurophysiology. Before you can
enroll as a foreign student in one of
the international Master
programmes in Biomedical Sciences
of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical,
Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences,
the Faculty will screen your academic
history and motivation by means of a
pre-application. After your pre-
minimum 80
each part). More
info:
CES&n=100840
Medicine or Veterinary Medicine.
Before you can enroll as a foreign
student in one of the international
Master programmes in Biomedical
Sciences of the Faculty of
Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and
Veterinary Sciences, the Faculty will
screen your academic history and
motivation by means of a pre-
application. After your pre-
minimum 80
each part). More
info:
CES&n=100868
A strong scientific background
including basic knowledge of
mathematics, physics, and inorganic
and organic chemistry. Knowledge of
the basic principles of statistics is
critical. Candidates should also be
acquainted with plants, animals and
other organisms (diversity, evolution,
cell biology, biochemistry,
physiology, genetics, etc.), but
especially familiarity with ecology is
a necessity. In addition, an
understanding of the physical
environment (soil, water, air) is
useful. All bachelor degrees in the
field of Science, Applied Sciences or
Life Sciences that have a strong focus
on biology will be considered by a
board of admission of the specific
programme (e.g. Biology, Bio-
engineering, Environmental science,
...).
minimum 80
each part). More
info:
aspx?c=.BIOLOGYBIODIVER
SITY&n=103321
The previously accumulated
knowledge of a prospective student
should consist of: Quantum
Mechanics, Solid State Physics,
Statistical Physics, Calculus.
Applications are welcomed from
university graduate students
(Bachelor's degrees) in physics,
chemistry, applied and material
sciences and from students who
have been awarded equivalent non-
university degrees. Admissions are
subject to review.
minimum 80
each part). More
info:
aspx?c=_WETNAT01&n=42
5
Applicants should hold an
Academic Bachelors degree
inEconomic Policyor equivalent.
They should have obtained this
Bachelor's degree at a University.
Applicants who obtained their
Bachelor's degreesat a'University of
Applied Sciences' are advised to
contact our administrator. The
equivalence of Bachelors degrees
will be considered by the Board of
Admission. Students completing
their Bachelors degree in 2012-2013
are encouraged to apply.In such
cases the admission procedure will
take place on the assumption that
the student has obtained a
Bachelor's degree before starting the
programme. In this case applicants
should submit an official letter in
English from their university
confirming that the student is
expected to finalize his/her
Bachelors studies at the end of the
current academic year, and submit
up-to-date authenticated transcripts
with the results of the previous
years. Also, a GMAT score is
English internet-basedTOEFL level
of minimum 79-80 or IELTS :
a minimum score of at least
6.5, and on each part
minimum 6.0
More info:
aspx?c=.MEP&n=86120
requirements
certificates
MA degree and ongoing Ph.D.
work;
English TOEFL 79-80 or IELTS 6,5
MA in political science,
communications, other relevant field
to the project.
MSc in Physics, Physical Electronics,
or Material Science
or Material Science
Profound knowledge of comparative
politics theories and methods
Master in physics or Master in
Applied Computer Science or
Master in Materials Science
requirements
certificates
Degree in Law or Social Sciences;
Background in human rights studies
or in human rights work.
Previous experience in dealing with
trafficking/migration issues is a plus.
Master in Law English TOEFL 79-80 or IELTS 6,5
Master in Law English TOEFL 79-80 or IELTS 6,5
MA in political science,
communications, other relevant field
to the project.
Relevant Master's degree English TOEFL 79-80 or IELTS 6,5
or Material Science
or Material Science
Master in Biochemistry or related
degree.
Masters degree in one of the
following disciplines: Geography;
Geology; Environmental Sciences;
Environmental Engineering
Masters Degree in Business
Administration, Finance or
equivalent. A very good knowledge
of corporate finance, econometrics
and English (written and oral) is also
required.
Master diploma in public
administration, (applied) economics,
political or social sciences, or
development studies, or in a
comparable area, with good study
results
development studies, or in a
comparable area, with good study
results
development studies, management
studies or in a comparable area, with
good study results
good study results
good study results
Law degree
Preferably experience in writing and
experience in qualitative research
such as the taking and analyzing of
interviews.
Prior studies in legal theory or
political philosophy, international
law, excellent academic English,
strong academic research and
writing skills
Prior studies in legal theory or
political philosophy, international
law, excellent academic English,
strong academic research and
writing skills
Prior studies in administrative law,
regulation and EU law, excellent
academic English, strong academic
research and writing skills
Prior studies of WTO and
international law and excellent
academic English, strong academic
research and writing abilities
Master with major in Organic
chemistry
Master with major in Organic
chemistry
requirements
certificates
Ph.D. degree and looking for
short-term post-doctoral
experience toward a manuscript
English n/a
Relevant PhD-degree English n/a
English n/a
English n/a
PhD or equivalent degree in
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
English n/a
PhD or equivalent degree in
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
English n/a
requirements
Working language Required language
certificates
Staff applicants should submit a work
plan and a support letter from the
host professor / host department
together with their online
application. If you cannot identify a
suitable host professor / host
department yourself, then please
submit your academic CV and work
plan to joineusee@ua.ac.be so the
JoinEU SEE team can try to find a
suitable match for you
English n/a
English n/a
English n/a
English n/a
English n/a
English n/a
English n/a
English n/a
Website link to all
courses/ECTS/learning outcomes (in
order to be able to fill in the learning
agreement )
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=.EN
GLISH&n=25489
GLISH&n=25490
GLISH&n=25491
GLISH&n=25492
GLISH&n=25493
GLISH&n=25494
Website link to all
agreement and SRTT plan )
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=.ENGLI
SH&n=25489
SH&n=25490
SH&n=25491
SH&n=25492
SH&n=25493
SH&n=25494
SH&n=25495
SH&n=25496
SH&n=25500
SH&n=25501
SH&n=25502
Website link to all
order to be able to fill in the SRTT plan )
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=.IO
B&n=57986
B&n=57987
B&n=57988
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=.MBA
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=.MBA
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=.ST
UDKIEZ&n=101052
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=.ST
UDKIEZ&n=101053
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=.CO
MPUTERSCIENCE&n=103318
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=.BI
OMEDICALSCIENCES&n=100843
OLOGYBIODIVERSITY&n=103316
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=_W
ETNAT01&n=419
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=.M
EP&n=85979
Website link to all
agreement and SRTT plan )
http://www.ua.ac.be/reinhart.ceulema
ns
www.ua.ac.be/polcom
www.cmt.ua.ac.be
www.cmt.ua.ac.be
www.ua.ac.be/acim
www.ua.ac.be/acim
http://www.cmt.ua.ac.be
Website link to all
order to be able to fill in the SRTT plan )
www.ua.ac.be/ro
www.ua.ac.be/cemis
www.ua.ac.be/ro
www.ua.ac.be/cemis
www.ua.ac.be/ro
www.ua.ac.be/childrensrights
www.ua.ac.be/ro
www.glothro.org
www.ua.ac.be/polcom
www.ua.ac.be/ecobe
www.ua.ac.be/ecobe
www.ua.ac.be/ecobe
www.ua.ac.be/ecobe
www.ua.ac.be/ecobe
www.cmt.ua.ac.be
www.cmt.ua.ac.be
www.ua.ac.be/acim
www.ua.ac.be/acim
http://www.ua.ac.be/PPSE
www.ua.ac.be/stijn.temmerman
www.ua.ac.be/ecobe
www.ua.ac.be/ecobe
www.ua.ac.be/ecobe
www.ua.ac.be/ecobe
www.ua.ac.be/marc.deloof
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=koe
n.verhoest
n.verhoest
n.verhoest
n.verhoest
n.verhoest
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=thal
ia.kruger
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=ale
xia.herwig
xia.herwig
xia.herwig
xia.herwig
Contact info:
kourosch.abbaspourtehrani@ua.ac.be
Contact info:
Website link to all research
groups/research
coordinator/departments/institutions/l
aboratories (in order to be able to fill
in the SRTT plan )
http://www.ua.ac.be/reinhart.ceulema
ns
www.ua.ac.be/ro
www.ua.ac.be/childrensrights
www.ua.ac.be/ro
www.glothro.org
www.ua.ac.be/polcom
www.cmt.ua.ac.be
www.cmt.ua.ac.be
www.ua.ac.be/acim
www.ua.ac.be/acim
n.verhoest
n.verhoest
n.verhoest
n.verhoest
bert.maes@ua.ac.be
Contact info:
Contact info:
Website link to all
faculties/departments/institutions/lab
oratories/offices/services (in order to
be able to fill in the SRTT plan )
GLISH&n=96870
GLISH&n=96871
GLISH&n=96872
GLISH&n=96873
GLISH&n=96874
GLISH&n=96875
GLISH&n=96876
GLISH&n=96877
Remarks (e.g. practical courses, annual lessons, etc.)
Applicants should be enrolled at a Bachelor programme at the home university at the time of the exchange. Courses at the
home university should be replaced by courses at the University of Antwerp. A preliminary learning agreement should be
submitted together with the online application.
Remarks
Applicants should be enrolled at a Master's programme at the home university at the time of the exchange. Courses at the
Remarks (e.g. admission procedure, dates, etc.)
More info about the programme? http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=.IOB&n=57986
More info about the prorgamme? sabine.vanpellicom@ua.ac.be / Prior admission to the programme is
recommended: http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=.ENGLISH&n=94490
More info about the prorgamme? luc.herman@ua.ac.be / Prior admission to the programme is recommended:
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=.ENGLISH&n=94492
More info about the prorgamme? luc.herman@ua.ac.be / Prior admission to the programme is recommended:
More info about the prorgamme? arne.vanoverloop@ua.ac.be / Prior admission to the programme is recommended:
More info about the prorgamme? miep.demuynck@ua.ac.be / Prior admission to the programme is recommended:
More info about the prorgamme? miep.demuynck@ua.ac.be / Prior admission to the programme is recommended:
More info about the prorgamme? Miep.demuynck@ua.ac.be / Prior admission to the programme is recommended:
Remarks
Among the different alternatives of bio-energy production the use of biomass crops such as fast-growing woody
crops under short-rotation coppice regimes is probably the most suited renewable bio-energy source, in particular
in the EU. The success of this bio-energy source entirely depends on the achievable yield, i.e. the above-ground
woody biomass production. Biomass production depends on the interactions between the genotype planted, the
environment and the management. The proposed project will examine the genotypic variation in above-ground
woody biomass production of 12 poplar (Populus ) and 3 willow (Salix ) genotypes at the end of their second two-year
rotation (2012-2014). We are monitoring an operational 18 ha short-rotation bio-energy plantation during two entire
rotations (2x2 years). The plantation had been planted in Lochristi (East of Flanders) in April 2010 and has been
harvested and coppiced on 2-3 February 2012, i.e. after a first rotation of two years. The yield data of this first
harvest (coppice) are available. After the harvest multiple shoots started growing at a height growth rate of 4 m per
year. A second harvest is foreseen for January 2014. More info? reinhart.ceulemans@ua.ac.be
Politics and language are so much connected with each other, that language used in the public sphere is a source of
information on past, present and future developments in politics.
Style in general and metaphor in particular has been the subject of a vast body of literature that addresses this
relationship from both a theoretical and an empirical perspective.
The current project aims at developing a political semantic theory that fully takes into account both linguistic and
political factors while diving into the underlying psychological grounds that drive societies in transition where they
are and where they will go.
The project takes the point of view of political psychology in which humans rather than institutions are seen as key
factors when studying political developments. This view is based upon an interdisciplinary approach.
The empirical part of the project has as a purpose of testing the political semantic theory for particular areas and
countries. What does the public speech in this country or area tells us about democracy and leadership, or citizens
participation in politics?
More info? christl.delandtsheer@ua.ac.be
Several research projects are available, all based on the state-of-the-art atomistic simulations using molecular
dynamics with ReaxFF interatomic potentials for structure optimization, different multi-scale techniques, and home-
made codes and open-source TransSiesta software for transport calculations.
The available topics include:
1) Metallization of bio-molecular templates, where new type of organic/inorganic hybrid structures are studied (for
example, insulin molecules decorated by gold, silver, or magnetic nanoparticles), and their properties fully analyzed,
with potential applications in nanotechnology and medicine.
2) Acceptor/donor organic mixtures for solar-cell technology, where structure of mixed organic molecules is crucial
for transport of excitons after solar excitation, and the efficiency of the device. Furthermore, within this project the
contact with metallic and transparent-oxide leads has to be optimized for best transport properties, and this for a
wide selection of involved materials.
3) Single-molecule based solar cells, where efficiency is sacrificed compared to item 2) but simplicity of the material
is gained. Currently 5 candidate-molecules exist for these cells, but their stacking in bulk and individual as well as
joint electronic properties remain unexplored.
4) Molecular magnets, where influence of injected electronic current, or hybridization by a different molecule, on the
magnetic properties will be studied. More info? milorad.milosevic@ua.ac.be
Superconductivity as a phenomenon is known for over 100 years, yet it remains secretive and puzzling as ever.
Recent years have witnessed discovery of new superconducting materials, often called unconventional since their
description does not fall in the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) regime. As a common line for below projects, we will
search for a suitable phenomenological theoretical model for the given superconducting material, and implement
that model in a numerical simulation able to reveal the full electromagnetic behavior of the superconducting
condensate, in response to applied magnetic field, electric current, or varied temperature. As such, these simulations
will offer comparison, but also insight beyond available experimental techniques.
The studied materials include:
1) Multiband superconductors, mainly borides, vanadium-silicon, chalcogenides. There, Cooper-pairing in each band
results in multiple coexisting and coupled superconducting condensates, with potentially very different comparative
properties. Here we will study the cases in which multiple condensates work cooperatively or destructively with
respect to basic superconducting phenomena, e.g. critical properties (maximal current and field the material can
sustain), and vortex matter.
2) Iron-based materials, particularly pnictides, tellurides and selenides, many out of which are multiband, but with
more complex pairing symmetries involved, plus possibly magnetic order. These materials are complex, but they
offer an exploration avenue towards understanding the enigma of high-temperature superconductivity.
3) Ferromagnetic superconductors, for example ruthanates, which harbor both ferromagnetic and superconducting
order, two antagonistic phenomena in solid-state physics. As such, these materials are of great fundamental interest,
but also practical importance due to their ever-present internal magnetic field, which interacts non-trivially with
applied field.
4) Non-centrosymmetric superconductors, e.g. cesium-based ones, where the inversion symmetry of the crystalline
lattice is broken. Hence internal electric field is present, which strongly affects the dynamic properties of the
material, e.g. when subjected to an applied current.
More info? milorad.milosevic@ua.ac.be
The European Union is by far the most developed regional integration project. However, states in other continents
have increasingly engaged in regional integration as well, triggering a growing academic interest in comparing
regional integration projects.
The research group ACIM focuses on several aspects of multilevel political settings, with a focus on the EU: the
politics of multi-level government, the politics of interest representation, and regulatory and judicial politics. See
www.ua.ac.be/acim for details of the research agenda and ongoing projects. We welcome applications on PhD or
post-doc level within these research lines. Scholars from other regions and continents may embed relevant
questions resorting under the above mentioned research lines in a regional comparative perspective. More info?
peter.bursens@ua.ac.be
milorad.milosevic@ua.ac.be
Assembly of small building blocks such as atoms, molecules and nanoparticles into macroscopic structures (i.e.
bottom up assembly) is a modern topic in chemistry, biology and materials science.
Janus particles possess tunable anisotropic interactions resulting in a rich variety of structural phases that can be
used to artificially build new ordered phases and novel crystal phases that are not present in nature.
Within this project Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations will be used in order to investigate various
regimes of self-assembly, in order to optimize the formation of highly ordered clusters and novel crystal phases.
If time allows, the melting of such ordered phases and there dynamical behavior will also be studied. More info?
francois.peeters@ua.ac.be
Remarks (admission procedure, dates, etc.)
The research proposal seeks to study the situation of foreign sex workers in Antwerp, using the localizing human
rights methodology (see DE FEYTER, K. TIMMERMAN, C. e.a., The Local Relevance of Human Rights, Cambridge, CUP,
2011). The main research question is whether the international framework of both general and specific human
rights norms and institutions has resulted in effective protection at the local level for foreign sex workers in the city
of Antwerp. According to statistics compiled by the city of Antwerp, in 2008 foreign sex workers (both female and
male) in Antwerp originated primarily from Central and Eastern European and from African countries.
The research will focus on the extent to which local agents have used the international normative framework to
empower foreign sex workers and to provide them with an adequate standard of living. These agents include the sex
workers and their organizations, doctors and NGOs both at local, domestic and international levels. The project will
also look at the response side, and determine to what extent authorities (from the local to the global level) have
been ready to accommodate claims formulated. The project will examine a number of hypotheses with regard to the
factors that may determine whether an appeal to the international normative framework results in effective
protection or not. More info? koen.defeyter@ua.ac.be
The research proposal seeks to study the situation of foreign sex workers in Antwerp, using the localizing human
rights methodology (see DE FEYTER, K. TIMMERMAN, C. e.a., The Local Relevance of Human Rights, Cambridge, CUP,
2011). The main research question is whether the international framework of both general and specific human
rights norms and institutions has resulted in effective protection at the local level for foreign sex workers in the city
of Antwerp. According to statistics compiled by the city of Antwerp, in 2008 foreign sex workers (both female and
male) in Antwerp originated primarily from Central and Eastern European and from African countries.
The research will focus on the extent to which local agents have used the international normative framework to
empower foreign sex workers and to provide them with an adequate standard of living. These agents include the sex
workers and their organizations, doctors and NGOs both at local, domestic and international levels. The project will
also look at the response side, and determine to what extent authorities (from the local to the global level) have
been ready to accommodate claims formulated. The project will examine a number of hypotheses with regard to the
factors that may determine whether an appeal to the international normative framework results in effective
protection or not. More info? koen.defeyter@ua.ac.be
Childrens rights based approaches to development, as part of a broader movement, have been introduced in more
recent development programming and practice by international organizations, donor countries and non-
governmental organisations. Assessments of achievements and success have shown mixed results, to the extent that
results could be measured and demonstrated. The study of often implicit theories of change that inform
childrens rights based approaches to development may provide new insights in why and when childrens rights
based approaches to development work or not. This project seeks to render these theories of change explicit, and to
examine how they can contribute to more succesful childrens rights based approaches to development. More info?
wouter.vandenhole@ua.ac.be
International law, including international human rights law, has traditionally been state-based. Yet, with the rise of
non-governmental organisations, multinational corporations, humanitarian aid agencies, human rights defenders and
so on, the net has been cast much wider. The current legal framework of human rights responsibility devised more
than 60 years ago cannot live up to the challenges of our globalised world. There is a pressing need to
reconceptualise international human rights law, in order to ensure that it can act effectively as a corrective to abuses
of power and failures by a variety of actors that exercise power. One way of doing that is by applying human rights
obligations extraterritorially to foreign states, and by establishing human rights accountability of non-State actors, in
particular in the area of economic, social and cultural rights. This project seeks to deepen the understanding of
human rights obligations of foreign states, and to bring together sub-fields of human rights studat the response side,
and determine to what extent authorities (from the local to the global level) have been ready to accommodate
claims formulated. The project will examine a number of hypotheses with regard to the factors that may determine
whether an appeal to the internat
participation in politics? More info? christl.delandtsheer@ua.ac.be
The aim of the research project is to develop spatially explicit information and tools for the assessment of ecosystem
services (ES) and the evaluation of functional ecosystems as a cost-efficient and multi-purpose strategy to improve
environmental quality. If robust and relevant valuations are to be made of the contribution that natural capital
makes to human well-being, then we need a deeper understanding of the way in which the drivers of change impact
on the marginal outputs of ecosystem services. A better understanding of the trade-offs that need to be considered
when dealing with multifunctional ecosystems is also required. Therefore methods to identify, quantify, value and
validate-monitor ecosystem services are much needed. Within the project there are several options to focus on: 1)
Application of advanced conceptual modeling methods to unravel the impact of land, soil and water management
measures on the complex physical-ecological mechanisms that drive the generation of ES. 2) Development and
application of validation methods and associated uncertainty assessments on mapping methods - to what extent can
proxies be used to map ES. To date, there has been little attempt to quantify the effects of using proxies on
distribution maps of ecosystem services, despite the potentially large errors associated with such data sets. 3)
Modeling and mapping of interactions/trade-offs between ecosystem services in the spatio-temporal domain.
Characterizing structure and dynamics of ecosystem service providing units by hybrid modeling that combines object
based mapping with pixel based mapping. 4) The use of advanced remote sensing image analysis for ES-mapping and
validation. To use and develop remote sensing-based techniques to generate input data for the spatial models on the
regional scale and to develop proxies for bundles of ES at the local scale, based on hyper spectral signatures. More
info? patrick.meire@ua.ac.be
magnetic properties will be studied.
applied field.
material, e.g. when subjected to an applied current.
From the genome data of many organisms, it has become clear that globin-folded proteins occur in representatives
of all kingdoms of life and that they display a wide diversity in function. Phylogenetic research has shown that all
modern globins have evolved from an ancestral globin molecule long before the presence of O2 in the atmosphere.
The primary function of globins was therefore not O2-transport and storage as known for hemo- and myoglobin.
Globin functions are mainly determined by the reactivity of the heme-iron atom and are as diverse as O2-sensing and
an involvement in redox reactions, respectively to warn the cell for the presence of O2 and to use or eliminate
oxidative molecules such as H2O2. Extensive in silico search of the genome of Caenorhabditis elegans revealed the
presence of 33 genes coding for globins that are all transcribed. Preliminary characterizations of GLB-12, GLB-26 and
GLB-33 reveal a possible redox function for these globins. To further elucidate this hypothesis the above mentioned
globins will be immobilized in gelatin matrices and in nanoporous silica and titania materials and their
electrochemical respons will be measured.For these means, the PhD student will first have to produce the
recombinant globins in E. coli. As expression vectors pET (T7 promotor) or pBAD vectors (arabinose promoter) with
or without a His-tag will be used. To study structure-function relationships and to facilitate better incorporation and
immobilization in the matrix, the student will design and express mutants (Quick Change Mutagenesis Kit,
Stratagene). The expressed wild type and mutant proteins will be purified from an E. coli lysate using standard
techniques. The structural characterization of the active heme centre in the globins will be done using
spectroscopical techniques. Furthermore, the functional characterization will be assessed by ligand binding kinetics
and electrochemistry. The PhD student will work in close collaboration with other research groups at the UA. More
info? sylvia.dewilde@ua.ac.be
Tidal marshes are valuable ecosystems that occur along sheltered coasts and estuaries. However, their existence is
globally under pressure by global changes, such as sea level rise, increasing intensity and frequency of storm surges,
and increasing human disturbances of sediment supply to tidal marshes. As a result, tidal marshes may be
increasingly flooded, which causes stress to the vegetation growing in tidal marshes and which may lead to erosion
and permanent loss of tidal marsh ecosystems.
In this project we want to study the adaptability of tidal marshes to global changes, by interactions between the
marsh vegetation, flow hydrodynamics, and sediment deposition. The marsh vegetation is able to reduce
hydrodynamic forces (tidal currents and waves) and to promote the deposition of sediments. In some places in the
world this sediment accretion is enough so that tidal marshes can grow up with the rising sea level and hence can
survive. However, in other places sediment accretion may be too limited to follow the rising sea level, so that tidal
marshes finally disappear.
In this project we want to identify the critical thresholds that determine the survival or disappearance of tidal
marshes in response to global changes, including sea level rise, increasing storm activity, and changing sediment
supply. These thresholds involve both biotic variables (like vegetation characteristics) and geophysical variables (like
hydrodynamics by tides and waves, and transport of sediments). This will be studied by numerical model simulations,
using models that are available in the hosting research group, that simulate the interactions between vegetation
growth, flow hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and geomorphological changes.
This project will result in recommendations on protection of tidal marshes against global change. More info?
stijn.temmerman@ua.ac.be
We investigate the determinants of the financial structure of new firms for a large European sample. While there is
an large literature on the financing decisions of firms, very few studies have considered the financing of new firms
(exceptions are Cassar, Journal of Business Venturing, 2004; Nofsinger and Wang, Journal of Banking and Finance,
2011; Robb and Robinson, Review of Financial Studies, 2012). This is surprising, since the financing of new firms is
one of the most fundamental questions of enterprise research. Financing decisions have been shown to have
important implications for the operations and performance of firms, their growth potential and their risk of failure.
We investigate the determinants of the choice between debt and equity; the choice between different types of debt
(public versus private; long-term versus short-term); the choice between formal and informal finance; cash policies.
We investigate how firm characteristics affect financing choices; the role of the institutional environment and the
degree of financial development of the country in which firms operate; how the Global Financial Crisis has affected
the financing of new firms. We also consider the evolution of the financial structure of firms during the first years of
their existence and which factors determine this evolution.
The results of this project will lead to a better understanding of the problems of new firm finance and how these
problems can be addressed. More info: marc.deloof@ua.ac.be
Most developed countries, but also most developing countries have created semi-autonomous agencies or other
bodies within their public sector, as a response to the New Public Management doctrine, pressure by international
organisations (IMF, World Bank), or the need for credibility in regulatory governance. Examples of such agencies are
independent market regulators (in energy or telecom for example) or public service delivery agencies, like road
management agencies within the public sector. The underlying claim is that the extended autonomy of these bodies
will enhance their performance in performing their task, because they act more flexible, more result-oriented, more
innovative and more credible. However, research in Western democracies show clearly that such improved
performance of such agencies is dependent upon how these agencies are governed by the government( e.g. the use
of performance contracts), and upon several organizational features (like leadership, capacity). There is a lack of
research on how the governance and hence the performance of such agencies evolved within the particular context
in developing countries, transitional states or catching-up economies, where the public administration often lacks a
Weberian legacy and is under intense political control.
By a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis and by comparing data with an existing database of 1800
agencies in 18 countries (see the COBRA-CRIPO network), this project aims to:
(1) to study the autonomy, governance and performance of autonomous agencies in the country of the researcher by
conducting a survey (similar to the internationally replicated COBRA survey) and a number of in-depth case studies,
(2) to analyse the relation between the autonomy and governance of agencies on the one hand and the performance
of the agencies on the other hand in the country at hand,
(3) to make comparative studies with the other countries in the database in order to detect the influence of the
specific conditions of the country under study (such as the politico-administrative regime), compared to the Western
countries in the database. More info? koen.verhoest@ua.ac.be
For the implementation of policies, governments are increasingly dependent on a vast array of public actors, like
various departments, autonomous agencies, lower governmental levels, which do not always cooperate well. A
central question for most governments is how to coordinate all these actors in order to yield an efficient and
effective achievement of the set policy goals. This problem is even more pronounced in the case of cross-cutting
policy challenges and crises, which go beyond the boundaries of single organisations, governmental levels or policy
departments. Most governments are increasingly confronted with so-called wicked issues and crises (like poverty,
internal security, climate change, integration of minorities, youth unemployment, coordination of development aid)
which call for a joint well-coordinated policy response from several departments and agencies. Wicked issues and
crises cut across functional lines, organizational boundaries and boundaries between policy areas and require
collaboration of multiple public organizations. Also in order to deliver public services, different public organizations
have to collaborate.
This project studies how governments in developing countries, transitional countries and catching-up economies try
to coordinate policy making and implementation in order to deal with cross-cutting issues, what strategies they use
to foster collaboration between public actors and how these strategies can be explained and with what effect? The
researcher will have access to international comparable data from other countries as well as to international
networks of researchers studying similar aspects. More info? koen.verhoest@ua.ac.be
In a lot of developing countries, transitional countries and catching-up economies, essential public services or goods,
like the provision of energy or drink water, have been liberalized and privatized. Several issues are relevant in this
respect. Governments do not always have the capacity or incentives to device effective regulatory regimes, market
regulators which can control the behavior of these private companies. Moreover, due to globalization, several of
these private companies provide on an international scale, and exert pressure to minimize regulation and control of
their activities. This research aims to study in the countries under review to what extent there is effective
liberalization and privatization of essential public services, to what extent and how the government regulates and
control these companies (or the other way around) and what the impact is upon service availability and access for
users. The project compares these practices in different countries and aims to explain country differences and
sectoral differences. More info? koen.verhoest@ua.ac.be
In a lot of developing countries, transitional countries and catching-up economies, there is a strong political control
over bureaucracy and over the public sector. The instruments of political control can be multiple: political
appointments of top civil servants, intensive interaction and interference in operational business, frequent
restructuring, and other ways of control. However, administrative reforms and new control instruments (like
performance management and contracting, more managerial flexibility, modern management techniques) have an
impact upon this relationship between politicians and civil servants. This project aims to compare between different
governments the impact of administrative reforms and new control practices on the politico-administrative relations
between different administrations and to explain similarities and differences.More info? koen.verhoest@ua.ac.be
Public private partnerships (PPP) are widely used in developing and transitional countries, as well as catching up
economies to build public infrastructures or to deliver public services in areas like transport, hospitals, schools, water
sewage and so on. In such long term PPPs the private sector is involved in financing and take on risks for bad
performance. The governance by the public authorities of such PPPs should ensure that these PPPs deliver value for
money. Therefore the public authorities need good procurement procedures and skills, decision making tools,
controlling capacities and instruments, and good governance structures, as well as sound PPP policy frameworks,
regulations and supporting institutions. However, these conditions are not always present. In most countries the
global economic-financial crisis affects these PPPs and the way governments govern them.
This project aims to conduct comparative case studies of PPPs in developing or transitional countries and catching up
economies (in the region to which the country of the researcher belongs), in order to analyse (1) the way public
authorities govern the PPPs and (2) to explain the effect on the performance of PPPs, and (3) to assess the impact of
national politico-administrative regimes and other contextual factors.
This project would compare the case study data with a large case study database which is built by a large
international research collaboration on PPPs in transport and other infrastructures in 23 countries (see COST TU 1001
P3T3). By this comparison, the researcher can assess the influence of the specific conditions of the countries which
he studies. More info? koen.verhoest@ua.ac.be
The citizen expects the law to be clear and certain. The law aims to offer legal certainty. Neither of these aims is
always reached in practice, especially when individuals cross international borders. This research project investigates
critically - and in the light of the principle of legal certainty - the system of Private International Law (PIL), which uses
connecting factors (attributing each legal fact to the appropriate system). Legal certainty is indeed one of the
foundations of PIL, created among others to ensure continuity of legal relationships when individuals cross
international borders. Legal certainty is in this research project approached from two perspectives: 1) from that of
the legislator, aiming to create clear rules that can always be applied in the same way, irrespective of who the
subject of the rule is (abstract legal certainty) and 2) from the perspective of the individual, the user of the law, who
has to know and understand the law in order to organise his/her life in accordance with the law (concrete legal
certainty). The researcher will investigate case law and the experiences of individuals (through semi-structured
interviews) in order to determine what parties expect the law to be and how often their legal situations are
uncertain. One of the biggest problems, and a clear indication of legal uncertainty, is limping legal relations (for
instance a person is considered married according to the law of one country, but considered unmarried according to
the law of another country). Examples abound in the case law and will also emerge through interviews. The
researcher will analyse these incidences and seek possible solutions. Next, the exceptions to the PIL method, such as
public policy will be submitted to the same scrutiny: does the use of this exception in practice lead to more or less
legal certainty? When the EU harmonises rules, are these rules conducive to legal certainty? Through comparative
research and qualitative interviews, the best way to guarantee legal certainty will be sought. Where the current rules
(on national or EU level) prove to be insufficient to guarantee legal certainty, the aim of the research is to search for
better PIL rules. More info? thalia.kruger@ua.ac.be
In the Theory of Justice, Rawls identified the basic structure as the site for social justice because it is social
cooperation for mutual advantage with pervasive impacts on peoples life chances backed by legal coercion. This
leaves open whether the three criteria must cumulatively or separately be present and whether they are empirical
existence or feasibility conditions. Scholars have relied on all three criteria to argue that the international order is or
is not a site of egalitarian social justice. Nagel denies this because it does not coerce subjects in their name. His
position ignores that coercion can take many forms and lets brute coercion without appeal to the coercees interests
escape the demands of social justice. Buchan argues the international order is a site of justice because it produces
pervasive impacts but fails to explain why impacts give rise to egalitarian distributive rather than corrective justice.
For James, the international economic order is a site of justice because it is rule-regulated cooperation for mutual
advantage. His position is overbroad because it captures also voluntary transactions and too demanding in its
requirement of mutual advantageousness. Amongst other criteria, involuntariness of membership in institutions such
as the WTO makes them a site for egalitarian justice in the view of Moellendorf. This criterion also seems to be
fulfilled by participation in the market, understood here as a legally created space, not commonly thought of as
subject to egalitarian distributive justice. It is also unclear whether membership in international economic
institutions is indeed involuntary from people from all countries. Plausible reasons for why the international
economic order is or is not a site of egalitarian distributive justice are still missing and this project seeks to close the
gaps by taking a fresh look at these theories, establishing counterfactually for each what would be required to turn
or not to turn the international economic order into a site of social justice and by drawing on a solid legal doctrinal
and empirical understanding of international economic law. More info? alexia.herwig@ua.ac.be
In the Theory of Justice, Rawls identified the basic structure as the site for social justice because it is social
cooperation for mutual advantage with pervasive impacts on peoples life chances backed by legal coercion. This
leaves open whether the three criteria must cumulatively or separately be present and whether they are empirical
existence or feasibility conditions. Scholars have relied on all three criteria to argue that the international order is or
is not a site of egalitarian social justice. Nagel denies this because it does not coerce subjects in their name. His
position ignores that coercion can take many forms and lets brute coercion without appeal to the coercees interests
escape the demands of social justice. Buchan argues the international order is a site of justice because it produces
pervasive impacts but fails to explain why impacts give rise to egalitarian distributive rather than corrective justice.
For James, the international economic order is a site of justice because it is rule-regulated cooperation for mutual
advantage. His position is overbroad because it captures also voluntary transactions and too demanding in its
requirement of mutual advantageousness. Amongst other criteria, involuntariness of membership in institutions such
as the WTO makes them a site for egalitarian justice in the view of Moellendorf. This criterion also seems to be
fulfilled by participation in the market, understood here as a legally created space, not commonly thought of as
subject to egalitarian distributive justice. It is also unclear whether membership in international economic
institutions is indeed involuntary from people from all countries. Plausible reasons for why the international
economic order is or is not a site of egalitarian distributive justice are still missing and this project seeks to close the
gaps by taking a fresh look at these theories, establishing counterfactually for each what would be required to turn
or not to turn the international economic order into a site of social justice and by drawing on a solid legal doctrinal
and empirical understanding of international economic law. More info? alexia.herwig@ua.ac.be
The complexity of the current post-industrial society is reflected in its increasing vulnerability to natural as well as
man-made threats as well as the related need to cope with them in advance. In order to enhance living standards
and preserve the regular functioning of legal orders, the search for safety and security is based on the assumption
that risks as such cannot be eliminated and vulnerability can only be mitigated with the aim of reducing risk and
uncertainty to an acceptable level in everyday activities.
To this end, legal orders attempt to introduce suitable legal instruments to assess and manage ex ante the threats of
potentially catastrophic impact, before recovering ex post from their possible occurrence (through emergency
regulation) and besides the allocation of liabilities in the case of failure of preventive measures (through the
remedies of tort law). This way, legal orders aim to avoid both possible economic losses and injuries and boost their
resilience to undesired events. Basically two kinds of legal instruments have been developed, namely administrative
tools and private means, which constantly interact both in the rule-making and in the stage of enforcement of
preventive measures. These different approaches give rise to different regulatory methodologies which swing
between the traditional command-and-control administration and self (private) regulation, passing through the
resort to contractual models (public and private partnerships).
In order to assess how these currently cope with vulnerability issues, the present research project aims to deepen
the legal study on these regulatory instruments in a comparative way between levels of government, jurisdictions
and risks. More info? alexia.herwig@ua.ac.be
The aim of the research project is to develop a legally coherent and normatively convincing application of WTO
disciplines to informational labels. It will analyze and under which conditions consumer information labels should be
regarded as inconsistent with WTO law obligations of national treatment and of avoiding unnecessary restrictions to
trade. These questions are raised by the 2012 US-Tuna dispute settlement report concerning a US technical
regulation laying down fishing technique requirements which had to be complied with to label tuna as dolphin-safe
on the US market. The report concluded that Mexican tuna was treated less favorably in respect of the award of the
tuna-dolphin safety label and that the technical regulation was not more trade restrictive than necessary by
prohibiting a more permissive label. The report raises conceptual and legal problems the research project analyzes.
The purpose of WTO law is to remove governmental barriers to enable more efficient consumer choices. Economic
theory recognizes that more information enables more efficient choices. Normative political theory establishes that
decisions on questions of the good (such as non-human health related environmental protection) are for individuals
to decide. Based on literature in economics and political theory, the research will develop a theory of optimal
information provision to guide the application of WTO law. The research will also analyze the consistency of the US-
Tuna decision and the TBT standard for national treatment with the standard under GATT, Article III:4 and dispute
settlement reports pertinent for informational labels. The Korea-Beef report suggests that incidental effects on
consumer tastes from regulations are consistent with the national treatment obligation while EC-Asbestos could be
read as saying that serious effects on consumer tastes will be inconsistent with this obligation. In the light of
international law on state responsibility, the project will analyze whether or not a WTO member can be responsible
for a violation of WTO law if trade-restrictive effects arise primarily from consumer choices. More info?
alexia.herwig@ua.ac.be
The importance of graphene was recently highlighted by awarding the Nobel Prize in Physics 2010 to A. Geim and K.
Novoselov for their ground-breaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene. Graphite is
made of graphene layers that are hold together through van der Waals forces. Graphene is an atomic layer of carbon
atoms densely packed into a benzene-ring structure. Despite being only one atom thick and unprotected from the
immediate environment, such layers are continuous on a macroscopic scale, are unexpectably stable under ambient
conditions and exhibit remarkable high crystal quality.
Graphene can be used as a template to increase its functionality by bonding other atoms and or molecules. Such
functionalization will modify e.g. the electronic band structure, the charge density and its mechanical properties.
Within this project density functional theory will be used to investigate different functionalizations of graphene. The
electronic band structure, the phonon spectrum and the mechanical properties will be investigated.
More info? francois.peeters@ua.ac.be
If time allows, the melting of such ordered phases and there dynamical behavior will also be studied.
The nucleophilic 1,2-addition to imines is an important and established reaction in organic synthesis. In the same
step new C-C bonds and stereogenic centers are formed. Allylic amines, propargylic amines and homoallylic amines
are fundamental building blocks in organic chemistry and their synthesis is an important industrial and synthetic goal.
Classical methodologies for the preparation of propargylic amines have usually exploited the high acidity of a
terminal acetylenic C-H bond to form the metal acetylide by reaction with strong bases. Similarly, allyl metal reagents
add to imines and provide an entry to homoallylic amines. The strongly basic reagents employed in such reactions
are incompatible with sensitive substrates like imines and for sure cannot be combined with halogenated imines. In
this view, the use of organoboron compounds gains more and more interest in organic synthesis because of the
mildness, green character and usefulness of the products. The aim of this project is to investigate the use of
organotrifluoroborates in a Petasis-type of reaction with halogenated imines as a substrate. The resulting
halogenated amines are new compounds which have been only rarely investigated. Therefore a second part of this
research will focus on the use of such highly functionalized amines in organic synthesis. This way, new
methodologies will become available for the synthesis of Maillard aroma compounds, natural products analogues
and a wide variety of functionalized aza-heterocyclic compounds.
The applicant should possess a solid theoretical background in Organic Chemistry, excellent hands-on skills in organic
synthesis, and excellent practical knowledge of routine characterization methods (NMR, MS, IR, UV, TLC, etc).
In the framework of a screening program for novel bioactive compounds a series of novel quinoid compounds has
been synthesized and evaluated for activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (potential anti-TBC drugs). This
resulted in the identification of several highly promising bacteriodical 2-azaanthraquinones. As a result, this class of
compounds was selected for further specific research towards their toxicology, new syntheses and further
functionalization with respect to the development of new antimycobacterial drugs. Besides to TBC, also malaria is
becoming increasingly important since the emergence of resistance of the malarial protozoan blood parasite
Plasmodium falciparum to available drugs like the well known chloroquine. Several, previously by us synthesized,
benzo[g]isoquinoline-5,10-dione derivatives were also found very active against Plasmodium falciparum in the
micromolar region, but also suffered from a strong cytotoxicity.
Therefore, several strategies for the preparation of 2-azaanthraquinones will be investigated. A first approach entails
the direct functionalisation of the parent benzo[g]isoquinoline-5,10-dione. Among them the radical alkylation of the
heterocyclic moiety, direct arylations of the peri-carbonyl atoms and the further elaboration of the 2-
azaanthraquinones N-oxide will be looked at. In a second approach several ring-building protocols will be
investigated in order to prepare more elusively substituted benzo[g]isoquinoline-5,10-diones.
Remarks
Among the different alternatives of bio-energy production the use of biomass crops such as fast-growing woody
crops under short-rotation coppice regimes is probably the most suited renewable bio-energy source, in particular
in the EU. The success of this bio-energy source entirely depends on the achievable yield, i.e. the above-ground
woody biomass production. Biomass production depends on the interactions between the genotype planted, the
environment and the management. The proposed project will examine the genotypic variation in above-ground
woody biomass production of 12 poplar (Populus ) and 3 willow (Salix ) genotypes at the end of their second two-year
rotation (2012-2014). We are monitoring an operational 18 ha short-rotation bio-energy plantation during two entire
rotations (2x2 years). The plantation had been planted in Lochristi (East of Flanders) in April 2010 and has been
harvested and coppiced on 2-3 February 2012, i.e. after a first rotation of two years. The yield data of this first
harvest (coppice) are available. After the harvest multiple shoots started growing at a height growth rate of 4 m per
year. A second harvest is foreseen for January 2014. More info? Reinhart.ceulemans@ua.ac.be
Childrens rights based approaches to development, as part of a broader movement, have been introduced in more
recent development programming and practice by international organizations, donor countries and non-
governmental organisations. Assessments of achievements and success have shown mixed results, to the extent that
results could be measured and demonstrated. The study of often implicit theories of change that inform
childrens rights based approaches to development may provide new insights in why and when childrens rights
based approaches to development work or not. This project seeks to render these theories of change explicit, and to
examine how they can contribute to more succesful childrens rights based approaches to development. More info?
International law, including international human rights law, has traditionally been state-based. Yet, with the rise of
non-governmental organisations, multinational corporations, humanitarian aid agencies, human rights defenders and
so on, the net has been cast much wider. The current legal framework of human rights responsibility devised more
than 60 years ago cannot live up to the challenges of our globalised world. There is a pressing need to
reconceptualise international human rights law, in order to ensure that it can act effectively as a corrective to abuses
of power and failures by a variety of actors that exercise power. One way of doing that is by applying human rights
obligations extraterritorially to foreign states, and by establishing human rights accountability of non-State actors, in
particular in the area of economic, social and cultural rights. This project seeks to deepen the understanding of
human rights obligations of foreign states, and to bring together sub-fields of human rights study, i.e. on the human
rights obligations of transnational corporations, international organisations and foreign states, with a particular focus
on questions of attribution and distribution of human rights responsibility to different actors. More info?
participation in politics? More info? christl.delandtsheer@ua.ac.be
magnetic properties will be studied. More info? milorad.milosevic@ua.ac.be
applied field.
material, e.g. when subjected to an applied current. More info? milorad.milosevic@ua.ac.be
For the implementation of policies, governments are increasingly dependent on a vast array of public actors, like
various departments, autonomous agencies, lower governmental levels, which do not always cooperate well. A
central question for most governments is how to coordinate all these actors in order to yield an efficient and
effective achievement of the set policy goals. This problem is even more pronounced in the case of cross-cutting
policy challenges and crises, which go beyond the boundaries of single organisations, governmental levels or policy
departments. Most governments are increasingly confronted with so-called wicked issues and crises (like poverty,
internal security, climate change, integration of minorities, youth unemployment, coordination of development aid)
which call for a joint well-coordinated policy response from several departments and agencies. Wicked issues and
crises cut across functional lines, organizational boundaries and boundaries between policy areas and require
collaboration of multiple public organizations. Also in order to deliver public services, different public organizations
have to collaborate.
This project studies how governments in developing countries, transitional countries and catching-up economies try
to coordinate policy making and implementation in order to deal with cross-cutting issues, what strategies they use
to foster collaboration between public actors and how these strategies can be explained and with what effect? The
researcher will have access to international comparable data from other countries as well as to international
networks of researchers studying similar aspects. More info? koen.verhoest@ua.ac.be
In a lot of developing countries, transitional countries and catching-up economies, essential public services or goods,
like the provision of energy or drink water, have been liberalized and privatized. Several issues are relevant in this
respect. Governments do not always have the capacity or incentives to device effective regulatory regimes, market
regulators which can control the behavior of these private companies. Moreover, due to globalization, several of
these private companies provide on an international scale, and exert pressure to minimize regulation and control of
their activities. This research aims to study in the countries under review to what extent there is effective
liberalization and privatization of essential public services, to what extent and how the government regulates and
control these companies (or the other way around) and what the impact is upon service availability and access for
users. The project compares these practices in different countries and aims to explain country differences and
sectoral differences. More info? koen.verhoest@ua.ac.be
In a lot of developing countries, transitional countries and catching-up economies, there is a strong political control
over bureaucracy and over the public sector. The instruments of political control can be multiple: political
appointments of top civil servants, intensive interaction and interference in operational business, frequent
restructuring, and other ways of control. However, administrative reforms and new control instruments (like
performance management and contracting, more managerial flexibility, modern management techniques) have an
impact upon this relationship between politicians and civil servants. This project aims to compare between different
governments the impact of administrative reforms and new control practices on the politico-administrative relations
between different administrations and to explain similarities and differences. More info? koen.verhoest@ua.ac.be
Public private partnerships (PPP) are widely used in developing and transitional countries, as well as catching up
economies to build public infrastructures or to deliver public services in areas like transport, hospitals, schools, water
sewage and so on. In such long term PPPs the private sector is involved in financing and take on risks for bad
performance. The governance by the public authorities of such PPPs should ensure that these PPPs deliver value for
money. Therefore the public authorities need good procurement procedures and skills, decision making tools,
controlling capacities and instruments, and good governance structures, as well as sound PPP policy frameworks,
regulations and supporting institutions. However, these conditions are not always present. In most countries the
global economic-financial crisis affects these PPPs and the way governments govern them.
This project aims to conduct comparative case studies of PPPs in developing or transitional countries and catching up
economies (in the region to which the country of the researcher belongs), in order to analyse (1) the way public
authorities govern the PPPs and (2) to explain the effect on the performance of PPPs, and (3) to assess the impact of
national politico-administrative regimes and other contextual factors.
This project would compare the case study data with a large case study database which is built by a large
international research collaboration on PPPs in transport and other infrastructures in 23 countries (see COST TU 1001
P3T3). By this comparison, the researcher can assess the influence of the specific conditions of the countries which
he studies. More info? koen.verhoest@ua.ac.be
The importance of graphene was recently highlighted by awarding the Nobel Prize in Physics 2010 to A. Geim and K.
Novoselov for their ground-breaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene. Graphite is
made of graphene layers that are hold together through van der Waals forces. Graphene is an atomic layer of carbon
atoms densely packed into a benzene-ring structure. Despite being only one atom thick and unprotected from the
immediate environment, such layers are continuous on a macroscopic scale, are unexpectably stable under ambient
conditions and exhibit remarkable high crystal quality.
Graphene can be used as a template to increase its functionality by bonding other atoms and or molecules. Such
functionalization will modify e.g. the electronic band structure, the charge density and its mechanical properties.
Within this project density functional theory will be used to investigate different functionalizations of graphene. The
electronic band structure, the phonon spectrum and the mechanical properties will be investigated. More info?
francois.peeters@ua.ac.be
Polyfunctionalized pyridazines are of considerable importance due to their application as drugs, pesticides and
advanced materials. The number of synthetic methods hitherto available to functionalize the 1,2-diazine skeleton is
rather limited due to the high pi-deficient character of the heterocycle. A very attractive approach is the preparation
of metalated 1,2-diazines which upon quenching with electrophiles allow the direct introduction of an even wider
variety of functional groups. Variations of these methods comprise transition-metal catalysis in the reaction between
of metalated 1,2-diazines and electrophiles as well as transmetalation of initially formed metalated derivatives.
Within this project, various methods, including halogen-metal exchange and direct metalation followed by reactions
with electrophiles, for the functionalization of the pyridazin-3(2H)-one core will be studied. The target molecules are
biologically relevant compounds (e.g., they are expected to possess inhibitory activity towards specific enzymes), or
key intermediates towards such biologically relevant compounds. Evaluation of their biological activity is therefore
foreseen.
Successful applicant should possess PhD or equivalent degree in ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. Solid theoretical background
and excellent hands-on skills in organic synthesis, and excellent practical knowledge of routine characterization
methods (NMR, MS, IR, UV, TLC, etc) are essential. Experience in heterocyclic chemistry, metal-catalyzed cross-
coupling reactions, and organometallic chemistry would be an additional advantage. More info? bert.maes@ua.ac.be
If time allows, the melting of such ordered phases and there dynamical behavior will also be studied.
The nucleophilic 1,2-addition to imines is an important and established reaction in organic synthesis. In the same
step new C-C bonds and stereogenic centers are formed. Allylic amines, propargylic amines and homoallylic amines
are fundamental building blocks in organic chemistry and their synthesis is an important industrial and synthetic goal.
Classical methodologies for the preparation of propargylic amines have usually exploited the high acidity of a
terminal acetylenic C-H bond to form the metal acetylide by reaction with strong bases. Similarly, allyl metal reagents
add to imines and provide an entry to homoallylic amines. The strongly basic reagents employed in such reactions
are incompatible with sensitive substrates like imines and for sure cannot be combined with halogenated imines. In
this view, the use of organoboron compounds gains more and more interest in organic synthesis because of the
mildness, green character and usefulness of the products. The aim of this project is to investigate the use of
organotrifluoroborates in a Petasis-type of reaction with halogenated imines as a substrate. The resulting
halogenated amines are new compounds which have been only rarely investigated. Therefore a second part of this
research will focus on the use of such highly functionalized amines in organic synthesis. This way, new
methodologies will become available for the synthesis of Maillard aroma compounds, natural products analogues
and a wide variety of functionalized aza-heterocyclic compounds.
In the framework of a screening program for novel bioactive compounds a series of novel quinoid compounds has
been synthesized and evaluated for activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (potential anti-TBC drugs). This
resulted in the identification of several highly promising bacteriodical 2-azaanthraquinones. As a result, this class of
compounds was selected for further specific research towards their toxicology, new syntheses and further
functionalization with respect to the development of new antimycobacterial drugs. Besides to TBC, also malaria is
becoming increasingly important since the emergence of resistance of the malarial protozoan blood parasite
Plasmodium falciparum to available drugs like the well known chloroquine. Several, previously by us synthesized,
benzo[g]isoquinoline-5,10-dione derivatives were also found very active against Plasmodium falciparum in the
micromolar region, but also suffered from a strong cytotoxicity.
Therefore, several strategies for the preparation of 2-azaanthraquinones will be investigated. A first approach entails
the direct functionalisation of the parent benzo[g]isoquinoline-5,10-dione. Among them the radical alkylation of the
heterocyclic moiety, direct arylations of the peri-carbonyl atoms and the further elaboration of the 2-
azaanthraquinones N-oxide will be looked at. In a second approach several ring-building protocols will be
investigated in order to prepare more elusively substituted benzo[g]isoquinoline-5,10-diones.
Remarks (closing dates of university, no lecture period, etc.)
Contact: joineusee@ua.ac.be

List of Study Programmes - Antwerp (Updated Nov 2012)

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