Vrije Universiteit Brussel


Newsletter for Junior Researchers

December 14th , 2011

 

General

 

General activities and info sessions

 

Human Sciences

 

Natural Sciences and (Bioscience) Engineering

 

Life Sciences and Medicine

 

Funding, Travel and Conference grants, Prizes

 

 

About this Newsletter

You have received this newsletter because you are a registered PhD student of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, or because you have expressed your interest in the past. If you do no longer wish to receive this newsletter, send us an e-mail at phd@vub.ac.be . If someone passed the newsletter on to you and you would like to receive it directly, you can also send us an e-mail, at the same address.

 

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PhD Defences in December

These are the PhD defences of December, which have been announced to this day. Good luck and congratulations to the candidates! For more details and updates (time, location, abstract): list with defences.

Vrijdag 23 december 2011 Sylvia DE BACKER Faculteit: WE
Donderdag 22 december 2011 Mahdi ZAKYANI ROUDSARI Faculteit: IR
Donderdag 22 december 2011 Tim FIEVEZ Faculteit: WE

Titel: Chemical Reactivity Concepts from Density Functional Theory: Theoretical Developments and Application to Supported Metal Oxide Catalysts
Woensdag 21 december 2011 Rik VOSTERS Faculteit: LW
Dinsdag 20 december 2011 Mohamed Abdelhamid Mohamed BARAKA Faculteit: GF

Titel: Determinants of medication use in multi-ethnic population of pregnant women.

Dinsdag 20 december 2011 Aloyce HEPELWA Faculteit: IR
Vrijdag 16 december 2011 An NUYTIENS Faculteit: RC

Titel: Small numbers, big problems. Het levensverhaal en (jeugd)delinquente traject van vrouwelijke gedetineerden.
Vrijdag 16 december 2011 Werner VANDERMEIREN Faculteit: IR
Donderdag 15 december 2011 Kris HARDIES Faculteit: ES
Donderdag 15 december 2011 Feras Fayez ABDELLATIF ALBATTAH Faculteit: GF

Titel: Contribution to the isolation and hepatic differentiation of postnatal stem/progenitor cells from human adipose tissue

Donderdag 15 december 2011 Farhod KARIMOV Faculteit: ES

Titel: Trust in B-to-C Electronic Commerce Interactions: The Retailers' and Consumers' Perspectives

Dinsdag 13 december 2011 Thi Huong Giang DUONG Faculteit: WE

Titel: Structural features and properties for the short pentraxins and carbohydrate-binding IgMs from the serum of Vietnamese striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophtalmus)

Vrijdag 9 december 2011 Didier CALUWAERTS Faculteit: ES

Titel: Confrontation and Communication. Experiments on deliberative democracy in linguistically divided Belgium
Dinsdag 6 december 2011 Muzaffarjon AHUNOV Faculteit: ES

 

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Ombudsperson for PhD Students 2011-2012

The Board of Directors of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has decided to appoint two new ombudspersons for PhD students for the academic year 2011-2012:

  • Prof. dr. Jenneke Christiaens
  • Prof. dr. Karin Vanderkerken, substitute (and liaison at campus Jette)

More information on the function of the Ombudsperson can be found here http://www.vub.ac.be/phd/english/ombudsENG.html

 

 

Renewal of AAP-mandates

Academic staff appointed by the VUB whose mandate needs to be renewed, need to apply at least 9 months prior to the end of their contract. Those whose mandate finishes on September 30th 2012 need to apply before the end of 2011! The HR department provides a special form here (in Dutch, VUB login required).

 

 

Workshop 'Networking skills'

Who you are and who you know in your professional environment becomes increasingly important. New opportunities can present themselves through a network, just by knowing the right people who can make it happen for you. This workshop hands you the tools to increase your social capital. You will learn how to build your network and how to maximize your relations. Tips on how to confidently make new contacts and sustain your existing professional connections. The workshop also addresses the growing importance of online networking.

Practical

 

 

Workshop Project management

The workshop "Project Management" is designed to help academically trained people to cope with temporary assignments and projects and focuses mainly on a systematic approach and organised cooperation. The workshop is interactive, participants shall not only provide examples from their own experiences but they will be asked to apply the workshops' concept and techniques on their own work or project.

The course start with a knowledge test on a couple of core terms concerning working on a project. At the end of the course the participants shall take this test for the second time. The workshop "Project Management" covers the entire lifecycle of a project, from initiation (project proposal) to transferring the projects' results (close out report).

Practical

 

 

Communication Trainings 2012

Learn to communicate more efficiently with the outside world: the media, corporations, people. Do you want your work or scientific article to receive more media coverage? Did you ever refuse a radio or TV-interview out of threshold fear? Are you incapable of delivering your message satisfactorily? Each year the R&D-cell Science communication (Wetenschapscommunicatie) organises a series of trainings to sharpen your communicative skills. Two of them are also offered in English: Media training (radio and TV) and Presentation Techniques. Each training consists of 2 sessions of half a day on Campus Etterbeek.

The Media Training course focuses specifically on the skills needed when communicating with the media. A hands-on approach takes scientists with a basic knowledge of the media and increases their skill and confidence in preparing for radio and television interviews.

The Presentation Techniques course is designed to help researchers ameliorate their fluency of speech and confidence. The course focuses on maximizing speaking practice through discussion and negotiation, giving short presentations, explanations and descriptions in both formal and informal situations.

Practical

  • For researchers, professors, PhD students and post-docs who wish to improve their communicative skills.
  • The trainings cost only 50 € for PhD students who are member of a Doctoral School at the VUB or at the UGent. Other participants pay € 100.
  • Payment is due within 30 days after registration. If, after 30 days, no payment was received, someone from the waiting list will be contacted to take the spot.
  • Registration is possible until February 15th, 2012 , through this link http://rd-ir.vub.ac.be/en_GB/events
  • Don’t wait too long to subscribe; only 6 participants per training!

 

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Workshop 'Advanced techniques in ANOVA'

The aim of this workshop is to extend the basic knowledge of the participants about ANOVA and to provide practical advice on how and when to use specific techniques in ANOVA.

Competences:

  • understanding the commonalities and differences between ANOVA and regression analysis and when to use each
  • understanding the underlying model comparison approach of the general linear model
  • knowing the model assumptions and ability to evaluate when they are violated
  • use of syntax rules in SPSS
  • to be able to formulate the ins and outs of the controversy about statistical significance testing
  • knowing various measures of effect size, and using G-power for power-analysis
  • working with parametric modifications and/or nonparametric approaches
  • understanding the rationale of post hoc comparisons, and knowing how to apply them in SPSS

Practical

 

 

UBC Interdisciplinary Legal Studies Graduate Student Conference

The theme of the 2012 conference is ‘Law & the Individual’. The conference organizers seek papers that contemplate this relationship, examining it from any interesting angle and in any area of law. They strongly encourage scholars to be creative in their interpretation of the theme, and give it their own individual meaning. Abstracts from scholars in all fields of law, and from all methodologies and theoretical approaches to law are welcome. They also encourage submissions from disciplines intersecting with law (including but not limited to economics, political science, anthropology, history, sociology, gender studies, psychology, cultural studies and philosophy).

Practical

  • When: 10 1 11 May 2012
  • Where: University of British Columbia, Canada
  • Abstract submission deadline: January 23rd, 2012
  • More information in this document

 

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DSh Symposium 'Creativity & Captivity'

Creativity & Captivity is designed as an interdisciplinary event, where arts and literary scholars, philosophers, criminologists, psychologists, sociologists, artists and art therapists meet to exchange views and experiences. Contributors are invited to present case studies and/or address the conference topic from a more theoretical, methodological or ethical perspective.

“Captivity” is understood in its broadest sense as any type of freedom deprivation, be it in prisons, refugee camps, asylum centres, institutions for the mentally ill, or more figurative places of confinement.

Creativity” encompasses all means and products of creative expression, including the creative output of inmates during their imprisonment (e.g. prison diaries, convicts’ art work), accounts of imprisonment (e.g. autobiographical novels, literary explorations of imprisonment, television documentaries), and creative techniques and processes implemented with a therapeutic aim (e.g. stage performance, creative writing courses).

Practical

  • When: 16 December 2011
  • Where: VUB, Campus Etterbeek
  • Register here
  • More information in this document

 

 

Chemistry Conference for Young Scientist

True to our biannual tradition, the youth division of the Royal Flemish Society of Chemistry (Jong-KVCV) together with its sponsors, will organize the "Chemisty Conference for Young Scientists" (ChemCYS 2012). This will be the 11th edition of the conference previously known as "Vlaams Jongerencongres van de Chemie - Flemish Youth Conference of Chemistry" (VJC). We kindly invite you to attend our conference, which will take place at the conference centre "Duinse Polders" in Blankenberge, Belgium on March 1st & 2nd, 2012.

During ChemCYS young academic researchers will have the opportunity to present the results of their research through an oral or a poster presentation in English. The conference topics are organized in parallel sessions with common plenary lectures. The best oral and poster presentation of each session will be awarded by a jury of experts. The focus of this conference is quite broad with its aim to span the whole spectrum of chemistry:

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Biochemistry and Medicinal Chemistry
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Materials Chemistry
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Polymer Chemistry

 

Practical

  • When: 1 & 2 March, 2012
  • Where: Blankenberge, Belgium
  • Abstract submission deadline: January 6th, 2012
  • Website: http://chemcys.kvcv.be/

 

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Symposium 'Cytokines & Cell Trafficking in Immunological Disorders'

The Hasselt University is organising a PhD symposium on 'Cytokines and Cell Trafficking in Immunological Disorders' which will take place on Thursday February 9th, 2012.

Practical

  • When: Tursday February 9th, 2012
  • Where: Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek
  • Abstract submission deadline: January 16th, 2012
  • Registration deadline: February 2nd, 2012
  • More information in this invitation

 

 

FWO travel grants

The FWO stimulates the international mobility of researchers by providing several kinds of travel grants. As PhD student you can apply for example for:

  • grant for participation at a conference abroad
  • travel grant for a short or long stay abroad
  • grant for participation in a workshop or course abroad

The grants cover travel expenses and include in some cases a daily allowance. you can apply any time during the year, but at least 3 months before the start of the conference, stay or workshop.

More information on the FWO website.

 

 

New call ‘Spin-Off in Brussels’ by Innoviris

The Brussels Institute for Research and Innovation, Innoviris, has launched a new call for spin-off projects in Brussels. The deadline for proposals is February 17th, 2012, but the Technology Transfer Interface (TTI) of the VUB has to be involved. TTI will be able to help with the application. Contact Jeremy De Sy before January 10th, 2012. More information can be found on the Innoviris website (in Dutch and French).

 

 

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