PhD position/Full-time Teaching Assistant in Applied Medical Technology – Ghent University Global Campus, Korea

Ghent University Global Campus 
Ghent University Global Campus (GUGC) 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 Global Campus currently offers Bachelor of Science programs in Molecular Biotechnology, Environmental Technology, and Food Technology. Ghent University is one of the top 100 universities in the world (ARWU 74th), and in the Life Sciences subjects taught at GUGC, Ghent University ranks even higher.

Please visit the Ghent University Global Campus homepages to learn more about our organization: http://www.ugent.be/en and http://www.ghent.ac.kr.

Job Summary

Full-time Teaching Assistant – Ghent University Global Campus 
Department: Department of Environmental Technology, Food Technology and Molecular Biotechnology (KR01) 
Degree: Master degree in Science, Biotechnology or Bio-engineering, MSc thesis covering one of the fields: Bioinformatics, Immunology and Molecular Biology. 
Contract: 6 year contract (1 + 3+2) 
Occupancy rate: 100% 
Vacancy Type: Assistant Academic Staff 
Last application date: 30 April 2023 (Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as the position will be filled when there is a right candidate) 
Starting date: 01 September, 2023 (negotiable)

 Job Position 
Ghent University Global Campus, South Korea, has a vacancy for a full-time teaching assistant position, possibly leading to a PhD graduation in the area of Applied Medical Technology, starting from September 2023 (open to negotiation). It concerns a 6-year (maximum) full-time position.

The candidate will work under the supervision of Prof. Radwanska at the Center for Biomedical Research. The selected candidate is expected to teach undergraduate practical courses, as well as design and perform high-quality scientific research at Ghent University Global Campus, South Korea.

The PhD research topic will start focus on the functional understanding of immune cell differentiation and maturation of immune cells in the bone marrow upon infection with a pathogen. As a model system the work at UGent is based on trypanosome infections that affect livestock animals worldwide. The topic will be heavily based on the use of both conventional immunological methods, such as flow cytometer analysis as well as scRNAseq and bulk RNA sequencing, to identify cell populations and mechanisms underlying infection associated pathologies. Bioinformatics data analysis in R will be crucial to the completion of the project. Knowledge of immunological pathways that govern host-parasite interactions is a prerequisite for this work.

Teaching Assistant tasks include: 
Practical course support:

1. Providing oversight for students during exercise sessions and practical courses of Animal Biology and Microbiology and providing support for the courses of Immunology and Molecular Biology.
2. Organization of exercise sessions and practical courses
3. Support and supervision during examination sessions

Research center support:

1. Execution of research center projects
2. Support for laboratory experiments and facility
3. Management of the laboratory stocks and inventories

Required Skills

1. Master degree in Sciences, Biotechnology or Bio-engineering with MSc thesis covering one of the fields: Bioinformatics, Immunology, and Molecular Biology.
2. Background knowledge of Immunology and host-parasite interactions. Knowledge of experimental trypanosome models will be considered to be an asset.
3. Knowledge of scRNAseq technology and bioinformatics data processing pipelines and R will be considered as an advantage.
4. Non-South Korean candidates must have at least 3 years of relevant work experience after the Master's degree (visa requirement Korean government).
5. Strong English communication and presentation skills in both speaking and writing.
6. Knowledge of the Korean language is an asset, as it will enable you to mediate communication with Korean companies, equipment/reagent providers, and outsourcing partners.
7. Excellent service oriented mind and a pro-active attitude with the maturity to deal with stressful situations and a strong sense of responsibility.
8. The ability to work independently, have strong self-learning ability, and maintain an excellent team spirit as well as strong working ethics.
9. Willingness to work flexible working hours from time to time and participate in events outside of regular working hours can be required.

Application Documents

1. Motivation letter and maximum 2 page research plan related to the advertised PhD topic and research conducted currently in the lab.
2. Full resume (CV), including at least 3 references
3. Copy of the BSc and MSc degrees
4. Transcripts (overview of study results)
5. A PDF version of the master’s thesis (on request)

All required documents must be submitted in English. The documents must be merged into a single PDF file and sent to GUGC_HR@ghent.ac.kr and Prof. Dr. Magdalena.Radwanska magdalena.radwanska@ghent.ac.kr  (subject line: Full-time Teaching Assistant). The candidate will receive an e-mail confirming receipt of the application.

Application Process and Interview

1. Interviews will take place in stages from the first available time, possibly via Skype or Zoom.
2. 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.

Selection Process

1. CV Screening -> Interview -> Internal committee -> Approval -> Acceptance Notice to the candidate selected.

 Compensation & Benefits for the candidate selected

1. Basic Term of the Contract

- Initial 1 year-contract term 
(with possible extensions after positive evaluations in every end of the contract terms)

1. Salary

- Starts from Annual Base Salary of 26,500,000 KRW (Monthly Salary of 2,208,333, Gross)

1. Bonuses

- Additional two bonuses in June (92% of monthly salary) and December (100% monthly salary) on a pro-rata basis.

1. Housing unit or Housing Allowance

- A single unit of Dormitory operated by Incheon Global Campus (IGC) is provided for foreigners. 
If the selected candidate is a permanent resident holder or has a Korean nationality, the housing unit shall not be provided by IGC, but the Housing Allowance of 725,000 KRW monthly.

1. Two round-tickets to Hometown (For foreigners only)

- The selected candidate with foreign nationality, shall have two round-tickets to Home town per year (up to 4,000,000 KRW)

1. Severance

- Severance shall be paid when the contract ends and if the candidate works more than one year.

1. Private Health Insurances

- Marsh private health insurance provided, including basic medical reimbursements

1. Extensive annual paid leave and holidays

- The selected candidate shall have 35 days paid annual leave per year. 
- Additional holiday from Christmas (Dec 25) to New Year (Jan 1).