Introduction

Ghent University Global Campus (GUGC; http://www.ugent.be/globalcampus/en) is an integrated campus of Ghent University, Belgium, and the first European university to be part of the Incheon Global Campus (IGC) in Incheon, South Korea. Ghent University is one of the top 100 universities in the world (ARWU ranking, US News), and in the top 100 for the subjects Biotechnology and Environmental Science (2025 QS subject ranking #53 in global).

Ghent University Global Campus is an equal opportunities employer.

Centre for Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology (GREAT)

Formerly known as Center for Environmental and Energy Research (CEER), GREAT is one of the six existing research and education centers of GUGC. It was established in 2015 with the aim of delivering scientific outcomes that will have a real impact on the consolidation of environmental issues, themes, and topics, and to do this under one umbrella to highlight their interconnectedness and interdisciplinary nature.

GREAT targets to pioneer green chemistry and environmental technology to tackle the grand challenges in environmental remediation and sustainable development.

In the 10 years of development, GREAT was well-equipped with state-of-the-art instruments for environmental and material science research, published >300 papers and received national and international funding support (e.g., NRF, KEITI, NERI, BOF, FWO, Horizon2020, etc.), and built strong collaborations with Korea's national and international top universities.

Sustainable Environmental Engineering Laboratory (SEELab)

SEELab (http://www.dwese.com/), led by Dr. Di Wu (https://research.ugent.be/web/person/di-wu-0/en), was established in 2021. It is a part of the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering (Belgium) and Ghent University Global Campus (South Korea). SEELab focuses on developing sustainable solutions to address water and environmental challenges, promoting long-term sustainability.

Job Summary

Full-Time Researcher (PhD) in Bio-/Photo-catalytic Wastewater Treatment
Department: Centre for Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology (KR01 Department of Environmental Technology, Food Technology and Molecular Biotechnology, Ghent University Global Campus, Korea)
Degree: Master s degree in environmental technology and other major directly relevant to the topic.
Contract: 1 year (renewable subject to performance).
Occupancy rate: 100%
Vacancy Type: Assistant Academic Staff (AAP)
Last application date: December 20, 2026
Starting date: January 1, 2027 (negotiable)
Scientific Supervisor: Prof. dr. ir. Di Wu (di.wu@ghent.ac.kr)

Job Position

SEELab is planning to recruit 1 researcher at the level of Research/Teaching Assistant (PhD study) in the field of environmental biotechnology and photocatalytic wastewater treatment in the Centre for Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology at Ghent University Global Campus, starting from February 1, 2026 (open to negotiation).

The candidate is expected to conduct research in the area of Environmental Biotechnology and Photocatalytic Wastewater Treatment.

This project will develop and evaluate an integrated system that combines a microbial membrane bioreactor, photocatalytic membrane, and membrane distillation. The candidate will investigate how the biological and photocatalytic processes remove nutrients and organic contaminants in semiconductor wastewater, while producing ultra-pure water from semiconductor wastewater. The central part of the research will be development of photocatalytic membranes for microbial membrane bioreactors and membrane distillation, and assessment of the stability and treatment performance of the microbial photocatalytic membrane bioreactor and photocatalytic membrane distillation. The assessment of the microbial photocatalytic membrane bioreactor includes microbial growth, nutrient and organic matter removal, biomass production and effect of photocatalytic treatment on microbial community, while the assessment of the photocatalytic membrane distillation includes effect of photocatalytic activity on membrane fouling, water flux, and membrane wetting behavior, recovered water quality. The research will involve membrane fabrication and characterization, lab-scale reactor operation, wastewater analysis, comparative lifecycle assessment and technoeconomic analysis with conventional treatment system.

The candidate should also collaborate with the supervisor to (1) execute research projects and apply for research grants at the national and international levels, and (2) teach undergraduate courses (i.e. Organic Chemistry Green Chemistry, Water Treatment Technology and/or Microbial Reuse Technology).

Job Qualification (Profile of the Candidate)

Hold, or expect to hold a Master degree (for PhD) in one of the following disciplines: Environmental Science and Technology and/or Bioengineering/Chemical Engineering.
Have solid and relevant lab experimental or policy experiences in the research area of environmental technology; and/or have top-tier journal publication(s) in environmental science and technology.
Have an excellent command of English, and good academic writing and presentation skills GUGC s working medium is English, working fluently in English is a must.
Team spirit and an inquisitive, self-motive attitude, as well as independent learning/research ability, are essential; can take leadership among team members.

Job Description

Conduct research in the area of environmental biotechnology and photocatalytic wastewater treatment.
To assist his/her supervisor(s) with tasks in ongoing and future R&D projects and research-led educations (e.g. Master/Bachelor/Highschool student(s) teaching activities).
The detailed working plan will be explored based on the background and interests of the individual candidate (e.g., supporting fellowship application, transferring technology for application and commercialization).

Selection Criteria

Scientific background and knowledge
Working experiences

Application Documents

A Motivation Letter
Full resume (CV), including at least 2 references contacts
Research statement and vision (within four pages)
Others (subjected to the requirement)

The documents shall be merged into a single PDF file (< 10MB) and sent to Di.wu@ghent.ac.kr (Subject line: SEE_PhD2027_Surname). Please note that only the selected candidate(s) will be contacted for the next step.

Application Process and Interview

Interviews (in-person or online) will take place in stages from the first available time.

Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately, as the position will be filled upon finding the right candidate.

We reserve the right to hold applications on file for potential future job openings.

For submission of your file and any inquiries, please contact us via e-mail: Di.wu@ghent.ac.kr

Selection Process

CV Screening -> Interview(s) (including oral evaluation and/or written evaluation) -> Internal committee -> Approval -> Acceptance Notice to the candidate selected.

Compensation & Benefits for the candidate selected.

Standard package of Ghent University Global Campus