Nieuwsbrief

POLITICOLOGENETMAAL – CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS
On Thursday, 11 June and Friday, 12 June 2026 the ‘Politicologenetmaal’ (The Annual Political Science Workshops of the Low Countries) is jointly organized for the 25th time by the Dutch Political Science Association (NKWP) and the Association for Political Science (VPW). This time the conference will be organized by the Department of Political Sciences of Ghent University.

POLITICS OF THE LOW COUNTRIES – CALL FOR PAPERS
Politics of the Low Countries invites abstract submissions for a forthcoming special issue on democratic innovations in the Low Countries “Reinventing Democracy in the Low Countries: Evidence, Insights, and Next Frontiers in Democratic Innovations Research“. The special issue is guest edited by Emilien Paulis (University of Luxembourg), David Talukder (Namur University) and Take Sipma (Tilburg University). Abstracts must be submitted by October 31, 2025. Please find more information here.

SEMINAR SERIES – CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
TheIPS Belgium Seminar Series (Jan–Jun 2026) organizers are pleased to invite abstract submissions for the next edition of the seminar series. This monthly online seminar provides a platform for PhD candidates and senior scholars based in Belgium and beyond to present work-in-progress and engage with International Political Sociology (IPS). The deadline for abstract submissions is 31 October 2025 (23:59 CET). Please find more information here.

LECTURES
The Voting & Democracy Research Group at KU Leuven is delighted to invite you to a seminar with Prof. Bjørn Høyland (University of Oslo) on “Dimensions of Politics and Dynamic Ideal Points of Members of the European Parliament”. The seminar takes place on 20 October 2025, 14:00 – 15:30h in SBIB Reserachers’ Zone (Parkstraat 45, 3000 Leuven).

The Political Communication Division of the Netherlands-Flanders Communication Association (NeFCA) is delighted to invite you to an online seminar with Prof. Sophie Lecheler (University of Vienna) on “Framing” in the scope of their new online webinar series “PolCom Classics”. The online seminar takes place on 30 October 2025, 12:00 – 13:00h. Please register via this link.

CONFERENCES
The Belgian Probability Panel “The Social Study” warmly invites you to its Kick-off Conference, taking place on 9 December 2025 in Brussels. This event offers a unique opportunity to discover the research made possible through the probability panel and to connect to survey researchers from all over Belgium. Please register via this link.

SUPPORT THE VPW AND SAVE THE DATES
As the Flemish Political Science Association (VPW), we want to update you on what is happening in the field close to home. If you want to support the VPW (and get discounts on our conferences), become a member now, or renew your membership here. Or even better, renew the membership of your whole research group by contacting Veronique.VanHulle@UGent.be. Also, we’d appreciate it if you could encourage new team members to subscribe to our newsletter.

Safe the dates!

• State of the Federation 2026 will take place on 06/02/2026 at the University of Antwerp. Great opportunity to present your work and meet colleagues from both sides of the language border.
• Politicologenetmaal 2026, also known as the Annual Political Science Workshops of The Low Countries, will take place at Ghent University 11-12 June. More info soon.
  

LECTURES

The Research Group GASPAR at Ghent University is delighted to invite you to a lecture by Prof. Jenny de Fine Licht (University of Gothenburg), titled “A public library or a prison? Locating public services as a challenge for governments” on 5 September 2025 at 10h30. The lecture takes place in the Faculteitsraadzaal – John Vincke (Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41 – Technicum, 9000 Gent). Please register via this link.

SAVE THE DATE – SOF 2026
The State of the Federation 2026 will take place on 06/02/2026 at the University of Antwerp. Great opportunity to present your work and meet colleagues from both sides of the language border. Please find the announcement in the attachment.

FLASHBACK: POLITICOLOGENETMAAL 2025
We look back at a great 2025 edition of the Politicologenetmaal held June 12-13 at the University of Groningen. We would like to thank all workshop chairs and the local hosts Pieter de Wilde, Malcolm Campbell-Verduyn, Martijn Schoonvelde, Eugenie de Saint-Phalle, Beer Prakken, Matteo Casiraghi and Yuleng Zeng.

Also, a shout-out to the award winner of the Els Witte Award for the best PhD, Dr. Jasmien Luypaert (Ghent University) and the winner of the Daniel Heïnsius Award for the best master thesis, Job Noah van Lobenstein (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam).

JOBS
The Department of Political Science at the University of Antwerp is recruiting two PhD researchers to work with Maurits Meijers on his ERC StG project DEMO-LIES, Deception in Democracy: Political Lying Accusations and Their Effects on Democratic Citizenship. The job ad for the positions is here. Deadline: 21 August 2025.

CALL FOR SPECIAL ISSUES
Politics of the Low Countries (PLC) invites proposals for a special issue to be published in an upcoming volume of the journal. We welcome proposals that address key political science themes relevant to the Low Countries, including but not limited to electoral politics, political parties, governance and public policy, foreign policy, European integration, political institutions, and regionalism. Please find more information here. Deadline: 8 September 2025.

CALL FOR PAPERS
COST RELINK2 and the Brussels Institute for Advanced Studies (BrIAS) are pleased to invite you to take part in the workshop “Citizens, Political Organisations and Digital Technologies: Disconnection or/and Reconnection?”, which will take place on 1–2 October 2025 in Brussels (Usquare). This two-day event aims to bring together scholars, practitioners, and digital actors to explore how digital technologies are reshaping democratic engagement. All details on how to participate can be found here. Deadline: 25 July 2025, by 17:00 CET.

LECTURES
The research group GASPAR (UGent) is delighted to invite you to a lecture by Prof. Alessandro Nai (University of Amsterdam) “The Mangione Effect: A Natural Experiment on Partisan Differences in Support for Political Violence” on 11 June 2025 at 14h. The lecture takes place in room 3.1 (Technicum 1, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41, 9000 Gent). Please register via this link.

(MANY!) JOBS

PhD positions

The Voting & Democracy research group at KU Leuven is recruiting two PhD researchers to work with Ruth Dassonneville on a project studying how social groups become connected to vote choices. These are four-year positions. The job ad for the positions is here. Deadline: 4 July 2025.

The Voting & Democracy research group at KU Leuven is recruiting a PhD researcher to work with Ellen Claes on a research project examining polarization in adolescence. This is a joint project with the University of Münster. The PhD student will be based in Leuven in year 1 and in Münster the following years. The job ad for this position is here. Deadline: 11 July 2025.

The research group GASPAR at Ghent University is recruiting a PhD researcher to work with Bram Wauters and Robin Devroe on a project on ideological stereotypes. This is a four-year position. You’ll find the job ad here. Deadline: 11 July 2025.

The research group GASPAR at Ghent University is recruiting a PhD researcher to work with Anna Kern on a project on losers’ consent in the context of salient policy decisions. This is a four-year position. You’ll find the job ad here. Deadline: 1 August 2025.

Postdoc positions

The Voting & Democracy research group at KU Leuven is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher (for 2 to 3 years) to work with Ellen Claes on a research project examining polarization in adolescence. This is a joint project with the University of Münster. This researcher will be fully based in Leuven. You’ll find the job ad here. Deadline: 11 July 2025.

The EDGE (Evaluating Democratic Governance in Europe) Strategic Research Programme at Vrije Universiteit Brussel has opened a call for two post-doctoral researchers. EDGE is a strategic research programme of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. It explores innovative ways of political decision-making that help tackle real-world challenges to democracy and strengthen European democracies. You’ll find the job ad in the attachment. Deadline: 20 June 2025.

Data Manager

The probability panel The Social Study & Cevipol Research Center ULB are hiring a new data manager (PhD or MA degree). The tasks will be related to implementing an Open Data and Science Policy within TSS and Cevipol. Contract duration : 4 years. You’ll find the job ad here. Deadline: 20 June 2025.

REMINDER
Time to register for the Politicologenetmaal, also known as the Annual Political Science Workshops of The Low Countries. The 2025 edition will take place in Groningen on 12-13 June. Registration is possible until 22 May via the following link: https://politicologenetmaal.eu/ . VPW members receive a discount on the participation fee.

ELS WITTE AWARD AND DANIEL HEÏNSIUS AWARD – SHORTLIST

Els Witte Award for best PhD:

• Dr. Aslak Veierud Busch (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) – In pole position? The construction of regions and the EU’s role in the Arctic
• Dr. Josette Daemen (Leiden University) – Just to be sure? An analysis of security in relation to the values of well-being, freedom, and equality
• Dr. Maaike Homan (University of Amsterdam) – Citizens’ affective, cognitive and behavioral responses to emotional displays of politicians
• Dr. Jasmien Luypaert (Ghent University)  – From Hero, to zero and back? The causes and consequences of party reforms

Daniel Heïnsius Award for best master’s thesis:

• Robin Neumann (Leiden University) – Navigating Cooperation: The Conditions for Successful EU Migration Partnerships
• Job Noah van Lobenstein (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) – All Roads Lead to… Restrictions on Religion and Beliefs. A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of an Increase of Governmental Restrictions on Freedom of Religion and Beliefs in the European Union
• Tillman Thore Iwersen (Leiden University) – Not Just a Numbers Game: The Effects of Opposition Fragmentation and Polarisation in 19 Established Democracies

COURSES
Lisa Janssen and Anna Kern organise a PhD course on “Open Science in the Social Sciences” through the Doctoral Schools of Ghent University. The course is taught by Dr. Amélie Godefroidt (KU Leuven) from the 3. – 6. June 2025, and is free of charge for PhD students. More information on content and registration can be found here.

CALL FOR QUESTIONNAIRE PROPOSALS
The Belgian probability-based panel The Social Study invites researchers to submit proposals for upcoming survey modules. Your survey can be fielded for a fee, depending on its length and the number of respondents, starting at €15 per respondent for a 5-minute survey (see The Social Study Pricing). Researchers can choose to survey the full panel of 5,000 respondents or a random subsample. Interested? Visit The Social Study Submission Procedure. Upcoming submission deadlines: June 2, 2025 and September 15, 2025.

CALL FOR EARLY-STAGE RESEARCH AWARDS
The Social Study is pleased to announce two new awards for early-stage researchers: one for a PhD student and one for a recent PhD graduate. Each award offers the opportunity to conduct a free 5-minutes survey using a representative probability-based panel of more than 5,000 Belgian residents. Please visit TSS Early-Stage Researcher Awards. Submission deadline: August 27, 2025.

VPW A NEW LOOK!
Not only does the newsletter of the VPW look different, but we also have a new website and a new logo. Take a look at vpw-politicologie.com!

REMINDER
The deadline to submit your paper for the Politicologenetmaal, or the Annual Political Science Workshops of The Low Countries 2025 (12-13 June in Groningen) is approaching. Check out one of the 15 excellent workshops and submit your abstract via the website by 31 March 2025 at 11:59 pm.

LECTURES

The Research Centre for Gender, Diversity and Intersectionality at the VUB is delighted to invite you to a lecture by Prof. Amy G. Mazur (Washington State University, and Associate Researcher at LIEPP- Sciences Po), titled “State Feminism in Europe and Beyond: Gender Equality Machineries as Catalyst for Democracy Across the Globe” on 26 March 2025 at 5 pm. The lecture takes place in -1 Room Lisbon (Pleinlaan 5, 1050 Elsene). Please register via Christel.Vaeremans@vub.be and indicate your institutional affiliation.

The Voting & Democracy Research Group at KU Leuven is delighted to invite you to a book presentation by Dr. Lala Muradova (University of Southampton). The presentation of her book “Empathy and Political Reasoning” will be followed by a discussion with panellists and a Q&A from the audience. The presentation takes place on 25 March 2025 at 3:30 pm in Aula AV 04.17 (Parkstraat 49, 3000 Leuven). Please register via this link.

SUMMER SCHOOL

Ruth Dassonneville (KU Leuven) and Romain Lachat (Sciences Po) are inviting applications from doctoral students for a doctoral summer school on “Challenges to Electoral Democracy”, organised at Sciences Po Paris by the CERIUM-FMSH Chair on Global Governance. The summer school will take the form of a five-day program (1-5 July 2025) and consists of lectures by experts in the field and time for the presentation of students’ papers. The summer school will cover a broad range of topics, with attention to varying challenges that democratic countries are facing, such as illiberalism, misinformation, or populism. The call for applications can be found in the attachment. The deadline to apply is 17 February 2025.

LECTURES

On Friday 12 February 2025, Prof. Dr. Petra Meier from the University of Antwerp will deliver the inaugural Francqui Lecture on “Démocratie et pouvoir de la représentation”. Find more information about this lecture and the entire lecture series, as well as the link to register here.

On Friday 21 February 2025, Prof. Dr. Min Reuchamps from UC Louvain will deliver the inaugural Francqui Lecture on the “Challenges and Innovations in Belgian Democracy”. This Francqui Chair is organised by the Faculty of Social Sciences and Solvay Business School, and the Brussels Centre for Democratic Futures. Find more information and the link to register for the lecture here.

CALL FOR QUESTIONS

The Belgian probability panel The Social Study launches a call for questionnaires to be fielded in the panel amongst 2.000 French-speaking Belgians (fieldwork: April – May 2025) with a reduced rate (5€/5min/respondent). You can find more info about the panel here. The deadline for handing in your questions is 10 February 2025 via this form.

CALL FOR PAPERS

Julien Van Ostaaijen (Universiteit Tilburg) and Kristof Steyvers (Gent University) are organizing a special issue on “Local Democracy in the Low Countries” for Politics of the Low Countries. Find more information here. The deadline for submitting a proposal is 24 February 2025.

REMINDER

Nominate the best PhD or master thesis! Deadline: 1 March 2025. During the Politicologenetmaal, we award two prizes. The jury of the Els Witte Annual Prize for Political Science 2024 awards the best PhD dissertation in political science (and related disciplines). The dissertation was defended in 2024 at a Belgian/Dutch university or elsewhere but relates to Dutch or Belgian politics. Send your nominations to Denny van der Vlist; elswitteprijs@politicologie.nl

Every master thesis submitted in 2024 that obtained a score of at least 8 (The Netherlands) or 16 (Belgium) is eligible for the Daniel Heinsius thesis prize. Submissions, including the thesis itself and proof of the score obtained, can be sent to Nino Junius; Nino.Junius@vub.be

NOMINATE

Nominate the best PhD or master thesis! Deadline: 1 March 2025. During the Politicologenetmaal, we award two prizes. The jury of the Els Witte Annual Prize for Political Science 2024 awards the best PhD dissertation in political science (and related disciplines). The dissertation was defended in 2024 at a Belgian/Dutch university or elsewhere but relates to Dutch or Belgian politics. Send your nominations to Denny van der Vlist; elswitteprijs@politiologie.nl

Every master thesis submitted in 2024 that obtained a score of at least 8 (The Netherlands) or 16 (Belgium) is eligible for the Daniel Heinsius thesis prize. Submissions, including the thesis itself and proof of the score obtained, can be sent to Nino Junius; Nino.Junius@vub.be

CONFERNCES/WORKSHOPS

After a successful first edition in Ghent, the 2025 LoPaPol Workshop will be held on 8-9 April in Leiden. This is a 24-hour workshop where research in the field of local party politics is discussed. Papers are welcome that examine all aspects of local party politics using different methodological approaches. Please register your interest here before 1 February 2025.

LECTURES

The Voting & Democracy Research Group at KU Leuven is delighted to invite you to a keynote lecture by Prof. Joshua Tucker (NYU), titled “Mitigating Online Political Harms: Lessons from Experimental Studies” on 23 January 2025 at 16h15. The lecture takes place in Aula Emma Vorlat (Parkstraat 47, 3000 Leuven) and will be followed by a reception. Please register by 14 January 2025 via the following link: https://forms.gle/TvK932WrbcBTaog96.

JOBS

The research group GASPAR at Ghent University is currently hiring an assistant to conduct PhD research and provide teaching assistance. Deadline for applications: 21 January 2025. The start of the mandate is foreseen for 1 March 2025. Please find more information here.

REMINDER

The Politicologenetmaal will take place on 12-13 June 2025 in Groningen. Proposals for workshops should be submitted by midnight on 14 January 2025, via the submission form available on the website. Questions? Reach out to the organizers.