HR Excellence in Research

Excellent HR policy for researchers

UAntwerp aims to be a stimulating, attractive working environment for every researcher, from PhD, postdoc to professor, and by extension for all our employees. An innovative workplace where scientists can fully develop themselves and give shape to a succesful career.

This commitment was recently recognised with an employer brand award from Randstad; it also underpins the HR Strategy for Researchers action plan. Inspired by the European 'Charter & Code', UAntwerp strives for continuous improvement in dialogue with its researchers, on a wide range of actions: recruitment & selection, working conditions & social security, training & development and ethical & professional aspects of research. Our UAntwerp recruitment and selection policy, supporting the European principles of "open, transparent & merit-based" (OTM-R), also receives special attention.

This engagement was recognised for the first time in 2013 with the 'HR Excellence in Research Award'. In its assessment, the European Commission praised the impressive number of measures in the action plan and called the approach of the University of Antwerp a great example of an excellent process, leading to a continuous improvement of the HR policy for researchers. With subsequent updates of our action plan, the HR policy for researchers of UAntwerp has been positively assessed by the European Commission on several occasions, including a 'site visit' in 2019 by a panel of three international experts:

'I learned more today than I had to evaluate. There weren’t many recommendations I could give, and I am going home with a bunch of new suggestions that will be useful for other European institutions' (Professor Fulvio Esposito, 2019)

'It was good to read the report, but even better to meet all these enthusiastic and dedicated people' (Marta Lazarowicz, Foundation for Polish Science, 2019).

In view of the periodic renewal of the award, we have three-yearly evaluation cycles in which we communicate transparently about the course taken. Curious about what we have been working on in recent years? Read more here: