Hello there,

I had my PhD in law in 2015. I recently had to leave my job in a university and moved to Brussels for a family reason. My French is basic but I will start a french course soon! I want to go back work again and follow the Universities' website for a postdoc positions but have not succeded to find anything! Any recommendation?

Regards

Hello. There is no golden advice I am afraid. What I recommend is to send to PIs showing interest even in volunteer jobs to put a foot in the lab. Moreover, have you considered the Flemish part of Belgium? Commute from Brussels won't be that far and English is totally accepted there in contrast to the French Belgium.

Thank you eng77, yes I am also looking for in the Flemish part.. it is frustrating to restart from zero in a new country

Again I know exactly how you feel. Have you also considered universities in 200 km radius? for example in NL or DE?

I will do👍🏻Is it normal to send emails to universities or proffersors working in my field to ask an advice or offer a volunteer job 🤔

Some people would see it abnormal but I see it differently. We all are human and this is human to human communication. What are going to lose? Professors might not reply/stop replying for potential PhD/Postdocs with no reason which I find "impolite". The worst that could happen is they ignore your email which will leave you with the same outcome if you do not send it :)

I had a postdoc in Belgium. You will find pay/conditions a bad shock after Switzerland. the system is very much about personal contacts so suggest networking via seminar series etc asap. There is one major funding scheme through which you apply for individual fellowships to be held at a host uni - the FNRS https://www.frs-fnrs.be/fr/ - some info is in English. Most others work a stream of very p/t teaching jobs at different universities even 0.1 FT ones - if you don't speak French/flemish you are limited there but check Vesalius College in Brussels also College of Europe and united Nations university where things are done more in English. It will though be quite hard to break into the Belgian university system.
The good news though is if you are open to non university jobs there are many think tanks and organisations in Brussels to work for.

Thank you bewildered for the advice.. I will consider the international organisations, although I think the situation is similar to that in Switzerland, personal contacts!!