Professor in Unsupervised and Manifold Learning for Biotechnology applications

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world-class, open, pluralistic and socially engaged university. Our credo is 'Dare to Think': we are a haven for courageous thinkers. 

With one of the most progressive career models for academics in the world, Ghent University evaluates its scholars not only by the length of their publication list but also by the impact they pursue, what they achieve and how they collaborate. 

Are you a good ‘fit’ with our university? Discover here our vision on education and research.

ASSIGNMENT

In many areas of science, technological advances allow measuring increasingly large and complex datasets.  A primary example is the domain of biotechnology where methods such as single-cell omics, proteomics, metabolomics and high-throughput screening result in massive amounts of data that offer huge challenges for interpretation and analysis.

Unsupervised learning offers a powerful set of tools to extract structure, reduce dimensionality, and uncover hidden patterns in such data without relying on labeled data.  Key techniques such as manifold learning, self-supervised and contrastive learning are especially valuable for data-driven exploration, visualization and interpretation of complex, high-dimensional spaces. These methods empower researchers to uncover hidden biological structures, generate hypotheses, and accelerate innovation in areas ranging from single-cell omics to precision medicine.

This vacancy focuses on the algorithmic aspects of these techniques.

We are seeking to recruit a strong researcher with a background in computer science.  The ideal candidate can provide computer science education in the field of data structures and algorithms and  is able to attract computer science students for both master's theses and PhDs. This position aligns with the computer science research conducted in several research groups within the WE02 department.

Academic education

You contribute to teaching in computer science education.  You will be responsible for teaching a course related to algorithms in the bachelor program computer science, as well as a more advanced course on AI algorithms related to your research in the master program in computer science.  You will be offering topics for master's theses for, among others, computer science students and be responsible for the supervision of these master theses.

Academic research

You conduct innovative and internationally recognized research in the field of unsupervised learning, with a focus on self-supervised, contrastive and manifold learning.

Institutional and societal engagement

Based on your expertise and experience, you will contribute to the university's operations and/or take on external assignments. 

PROFILE

More information: profile text

• You have a strong academic CV with international visibility in the requested field:

• You have the profile of a computer scientist who can lead a research group where the development of new machine learning techniques serves as an important basis for tackling challenging biotechnological issues.
• Your achievements in the field of research and education contribute to the development of the scientific domain (e.g. publications, presentations, or other academic output);
• You are capable to initiate and supervise educational and research projects and to acquire the necessary funding for this;
• You are didactically skilled to teach university students to develop academic competences;
• Mobility is recommended (e.g. education, research, economic, or societal).  

• You work in a collaborative way and integrate smoothly into the department/faculty. You look for opportunities inside and outside the university and actively use your network to do so.
• You show leadership potential/have leadership experience. More information about leadership at Ghent University. 
• If you don't know Dutch, you are willing to learn it. This will be assessed during the selection interview. When taking up a teaching assignment, you must master the language of instruction of the course. More information about the language requirements and appropriate language guidance at Ghent University.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

We offer you a permanent appointment in the starting grade full professor or senior full professor, without prejudice to the possibility of a temporary appointment. 

This is a full-time position at Ghent University with responsibilities and activities carried out both at Ghent University and VIB.

The recruitment is from 1 February 2026.

OUR OFFER

Ghent University has developed a new inspiring career model for professors. Academic freedom and academics' responsibility, talents and ambitions act as a natural drive to advance their careers, as part of teamwork. 

Ghent University is specifically committed to guiding international professors in the process of coming to Ghent. At Ghent University, our view is as broad as possible, because internationalisation creates synergies within and outside the institution.

We offer you a wide range of employee benefits. The basic teacher training and courses in 'Dutch' and 'English' for foreign-speaking lecturers are just a few of our wide range of courses and training. 

Candidates who are newly appointed at Ghent University with an appointment of at least 50% receive a Starting Grant of € 240,000to contribute towards the personnel, operating and/or equipment costs. Furthermore, professors who meet the conditions may be eligible for Basic Research Funding.

DIVERSITY

Ghent University pursues an equal opportunities policy and values everyone's talent, regardless of gender, age, philosophy of life, skin color, sexual orientation, migration background or disability. We encourage everyone to apply.

Interruptions in research careers and/or atypical career paths (e.g. relevant experience outside the academic sector) will be taken into account when assessing the application.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

The selection committee will carry out an initial, substantive screening of the admissible applications on the file. This assessment takes into consideration both the candidate's merits and potential.

Ghent University emphasizes the qualitative assessment of academic performance. Therefore, candidates are asked in the application form to mention their most important academic or non-academic achievements with the most impact.

For shortlisted candidates, the following steps in the selection procedure shall consist of at least:

-   a selection interview in which the vision and planning regarding education, research, and institutional and societal engagement as well as the embedding in the bigger picture are discussed

-     a trial lesson on a subject in the relevant field 

-     a screening of leadership and interpersonal skills 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• You hold a thesis-based doctorate or a diploma or certificate that is recognized as equivalent. 
• You have at least two years of postdoctoral experience on 1 februari 2026. This term of two years is determined by the date mentioned on the required diploma.
• Your application meets the formal requirements (submitted on time, complete: with a completed application form and a copy of the diploma, delivered via e-recruitment).

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late or incomplete applications, or applications that are not sent through the online system.

Your application must include the following documents:

• In the field ‘Application form’: the application form + any attachments merged into one pdf file. Additional documents may be requested from shortlisted candidates.
• In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of your doctoral degree. If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
• In the field ‘Certificate of equivalence’: only for diplomas awarded outside the European Union: certificate of equivalence (NARIC) (if already in you possession). For diplomas awarded in the UK before January 31st of 2020, a certificate of equivalence is not required.

Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.

MORE INFORMATION

For further information regarding this vacancy, please contact Professor Marnix Van Daele (Marnix.VanDaele@UGent.be, +32 (0)9 264 48 09) at the faculty of Sciences, department WE02 (Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics).

Do you have a question regarding the online application process? Please read the FAQ or contact us via selecties@ugent.be or +32 9 264 34 36