A part-time (0.4 FTE) Tenure-Track Associate Professor in One Health and Sustainable Development in Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Namur, Belgium

Responsabilities

The University of Namur's mission is to educate students and researchers to become responsible members of society. It encourages them to engage in extracurricular projects with social, civic, and humanistic purposes, enabling them to contribute to the development of a democratic, pluralistic, and supportive society (https://univers-2025.unamur.be/). Located in the heart of Namur’s historic city center, the University benefits from excellent amenities, including housing, shops, leisure facilities, and public transportation. It actively contributes to the vibrancy, development, and prominence of the city, the capital of Wallonia. Namur has more than 110,000 inhabitants and offers a pleasant living environment at the confluence of the Meuse and Sambre rivers, dominated by a vast citadel redesigned in the 17th century by the renowned military architect Vauban.

In pursuing its research mission, the University of Namur prioritizes themes that combine academic excellence with societal relevance. It places particular emphasis on interdisciplinarity and carefully considers the human and social implications of science and technology. NARILIS (https://www.narilis.be/) is one of UNamur's eleven research institutes and brings together more than 150 researchers active across various fields of the life sciences.Its mission is to stimulate and support interdisciplinary collaborations, particularly between hospitals and universities (CHU UCL Namur and the University of Namur).

The Faculty of Medicine is one of the University’s seven faculties and provides education to more than 2,000 students in medicine, pharmacy, and biomedical sciences. Teaching is primarily delivered by members of the Departments of Medicine, Pharmacy, Biomedical Sciences, and Psychology. Research activities are supported by the NARILIS research institute and are conducted within the Departments and the Faculty's research units.

Implementing the sustainable development goals in healthcare is now a major challenge for medical schools. Healthcare institutions have a direct impact on the environment, people's quality of life, and equitable access to care. Integrating sustainability principles into training prepares future professionals to address these challenges. By adopting more responsible practices, the (bio)medical and pharmaceutical sectors can help prevent environmentally related diseases, reduce inequalities, and strengthen the resilience of healthcare systems in the face of health crises.

Educating students on these issues equips them with the tools to improve the quality of care while safeguarding the health of future generations. Our Faculty is committed to advancing this vision.

For more information: https://www.unamur.be/universite (brochure; available in French and English)

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for the following tasks

• Teaching

o Courses in various bachelor's programs at the Faculty of Medicine (including One Health, Sustainable Development and Transformation Education Days (JEDDT), the Interuniversity Certificate in Sustainable Healthcare, and Acting for Transformation)

o Teaching will be delivered in French and/or English, possibly in multi instructor courses.

o The selected candidate will ensure that the course content and teaching methods are adapted to the different study programs.

o The course portfolio is likely to evolve over the course of the candidate's career.

o The successful candidate will coordinate the implementation of sustainable development teaching across the Faculty's various programs.

• Research o The selected candidate will develop research projects specifically focused on sustainable development/One Health in the field of health, within the NARILIS research institute.

• Supervision of doctoral and master's students

o The selected candidate will be responsible for supervising doctoral theses, master's theses, and/or end-of-cycle projects in line with their expertise.

• Service within UNamur

o The selected candidate will be actively involved in the bodies of the Faculty of Medicine and the University and will contribute to service activities. They will be responsible for promoting sustainable development and the One Health approach within the faculty.

Profile

Degree, training, and experience:

• You hold a master's degree in Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Public Health, Veterinary Medicine

AND

• You hold a doctoral degree with a thesis in the field of Life Sciences related to the disciplines taught in the Faculty of Medicine (Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences).

AND - You have experience in one or more of the following areas :

o Participation in sustainability projects in hospitals, such as waste reduction, energy optimization, responsible purchasing, eco-responsibility in operating rooms, etc.

o A role in quality, risk, or environmental safety management in a healthcare facility.

o Involvement in public health initiatives related to environmental determinants (e.g. pollution, climate, exposure).

o Research or expertise in environmental health, One Health, or Planetary Health.

o Participation in environmental impact studies or projects assessing the carbon footprint of healthcare facilities.

o Contribution to interdisciplinary research programs linking human health, the environment, and society.

o Coordination of institutional ecological transition projects in the field of health.

o Participation in the development or implementation of public policies related to sustainability and health.

o Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams (healthcare professionals, engineers, environmental specialists, logistics managers, etc.).

Skills (knowledge, technical and interpersonal skills):

• You have sufficient experience to deliver high-quality teaching in higher education.
• Your excellence is recognized through high-level scientific research and publications, as well as through an established network of collaborations.
• You have the ability to lead an academic team.
• You have the ability to initiate, integrate, and develop collaborative projects in teaching and research.

Applications received must meet the following criteria:

Primary selection criteria:

• The qualifications and knowledge/skills listed above;
• Recognized expertise in the field of human health;
• The quality of the teaching project submitted as part of the application file;
• The articulation and development potential of the research project in alignment with the activities and strategic priorities of the Faculty of Medicine.
• A willingness to contribute to one or more of the Faculty's priority projects (including the development of cross-disciplinary research in primary care, clinical research, and public health; and the integration of teaching and research into a sustainable development approach);
• A postdoctoral stay at a university other than the one where the doctorate was obtained (with a cumulative duration of at least one year) or equivalent professional experience.
• The quality of the lecture and materials presented during the interview with the Recruitment Committee;
• The quality of the research project submitted as part of the application file;
• Significant publications in high-quality journals;
• Fluency in French and English.

The following may be considered assets:

• Pedagogical innovation and its suitability for the target audience
• Past or current success in securing external research funding;

Candidates should list any degrees (theses, specializations, or complementary master's degrees, etc.) that support their application.

Additional information

Before applying, candidates are encouraged to meet with the Dean or the Director of the Vice Dean of the Faculty to learn about the research context and teaching project.

Professor Jean-Michel Dogné (Dean of the Faculty)

Tel: 081/72.43.45 - Email: doyen.medecine@unamur.be

Professor Nathalie Kirschvink (Vice Dean of the Faculty)

Email: vice-doyen.medecine@unamur.be

For any administrative questions, please contact the Human Resources Department: Tel: 081/72.40.40: developpement.rh@unamur.be

Additional information Dean's Office, University of Namur, ASBL Registered office - Rue de Bruxelles 61, B-5000 Namur Tel. +32 (0)81 72 43 53 doyen.medecine@unamur.be

www.unamur.be

Remarks

Contract: this position is awarded for a term of three years if the successful candidate is appointed for the first time as a member of the academic staff at the University of Namur (in accordance with Article 5 of the academic staff regulations). At the end of the three-year term, the candidate will be confirmed and appointed on a permanent basis subject to a positive evaluation by the evaluation committee.

The University of Namur

The University of Namur welcomes more than 7,200 students of nearly 70 different nationalities each year. UNamur consists of:

• 7 faculties,

• 1 interfaculty department,

• 11 research institutes,

• 11 technology platforms,

• and support services.

For more information, visit https://www.unamur.be/universite/jobs .

Salary package and other benefits

Working at UNamur means enjoying:

• Internal and external training

• Full reimbursement of your public transport pass, a bicycle allowance, and free parking (cars/bicycles)

• (Extra)legal leave* and a collective closure between Christmas and New Year

• Insurance:

o private accident

o hospitalization at a preferential rate (paid by the employee)

• A nursery, an after-school care service, and other benefits at preferential rates* -> According to the rules in force at UNamur. More information is available at https://www.unamur.be/universite/jobs/package-salarial

The scales applied at the University of Namur can be consulted on our website: https://www.unamur.be/universite/jobs/baremes

Selection process - Review and selection of applications by the Recruitment Committee

• Interview with the Recruitment Committee, including a presentation of the teaching and research project, as well as a lesson on a topic defined by the committee and communicated to candidates when they are invited to the interview
• HR interview with a representative of the Human Resources Department - Final decision by the UNamur Board of Directors

How to apply

The application, including:

• a detailed curriculum vitae,
• a cover letter,
• the UNamur application form https://www.unamur.be/fr/universite/travailler/formulaires
• a document (between 5 and 10 pages) outlining the teaching project and the research project must be sent to the Human Resources Department by email to candidature@unamur.be and to the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Professor Jean-Michel Dogné, at doyen.medecine@unamur.be, by 17 april 2026 at the latest.

Our human resources management policy is based on respect for equal rights and treatment for all. This commitment to diversity is based on various factors, including gender, disability, origin, beliefs, age, sexual orientation, etc. The University of Namur is also a signatory to the Diversity Charter. UNamur is also committed to adhering to the 40 principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the European Union's Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers in its human resources management (OTM-R policy).