Pieter: "I have the opportunity to focus mainly on research."
“I have been working for the University of Antwerp as a tenure track research professor (ttBOF) since 2010. Thanks to this status, I have the opportunity to focus mainly on research for five years. Most of my colleagues have an extensive teaching programme, whereas I only teach one subject each academic year. After five years, the university checks how many articles I have published, how many research grants I've requested and how many researchers have started in my unit. A positive evaluation will mean that I can be appointed as a senior lecturer."
“I specialise in media sociology, which means I study the role of the media in social debates - especially the extent to which media coverage is pluralistic. Originally, I concentrated on scientific and technological themes, such as genetically manipulated food, for example, or climate change and nuclear energy. These days I also study political and economic topics. I always check how the media contributes to democratic debate, by mapping the scope and diversity of public discourse. The University of Antwerp has a long-standing tradition of carrying out research into environmental themes from a social perspective. This was one of the main reasons why I wanted to work here."
“In recent years, I've been working more and more at an international level. I am actively involved in organising presentations at several international conferences. This is really interesting, because it helps to establish contacts and you can also build a reputation for yourself. I am also working on a European research project, which does involve quite a lot of financial and legal administration. Fortunately, the faculty and the university's central services provide a lot of support, which saves me a lot of time and takes a load off my mind."
