PhD Programmes
The Institute of Development Policy and Management (IOB ) offers a multi-disciplinary Doctoral Programme, leading to a  PhD in Development Studies administered by IOB and granted by the University of Antwerp. It in addition cooperates with the Faculty of Applied Economic Sciences (FAES) and the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences (FPSC) at the university of Antwerp to offer disciplinary PhD programmes in the field of development.
The IOB PhD programme is strictly related to the research agenda of IOB which is managed in four thematic groups (TG).  These TG are the following: IOB will only accept PhD candidates if the submitted PhD project represents a promising contribution to the hypothesis-driven research programmes of one of the TG. The TG verifies that it can assure adequate high quality academic supervision and non-financial support for the candidate. Inevitably,  IOB can only offer high quality guidance to a limited number of PhD-students and therefore adheres to a strict policy in considering and accepting applications.

Many PhD students have institutional links with IOB (e.g. as an alumnus of an IOB Master’s programme or as a researcher from a partner institute, or as a collaborator of a development agency that has commissioned research from IOB), and are invited by the TG to join the research team on this basis. IOB will however also consider applications from other candidates provided they have already secured the (self)finance for their PhD and provided they convince us that their research project fits with the research agenda of a TG. Occasionally, a TG may organize an ‘Open Call for PhD students’ on specific topics and then assist successful candidates to secure funding. From this it follows that spontaneous applications from students without previous relation to the IOB and without funding for their PhD project will not be considered

PhD candidates who feel they qualify for application on the basis of the above description should contact the TG-convenors and submit their research proposal (see links above).
 For additional information, contact Dr. Johan Bastiaensen, Chairman of the IOB Doctoral Commission, at:  johan.bastiaensen@ua.ac.be.
PhD Scholarship
Students from development countries

1) Each year the Flemish Inter-University Council (VLIR UOS) grants 10 ICP PhD scholarships to promising graduates of VLIR-sponsored post-graduate programmes, among them the 3 IOB Master programmes. The scholarship is awarded for 4 years (2x2), for research topics relevant to development. Students conduct research both at their local institution (2/3) and at the Flemish university (1/3) (“sandwich” principle).

You can apply for the scholarship:

  • If you have graduated from one of the 15 VLIR-sponsored Master programmes offered at different Flemish universities (including the 3 English Master programmes offered at IOB) less than 5 years before the start of the scholarship

  • If you have graduated with at least the grade of distinction

  • If you are a national of a developing country on the VLIR UOS country list (attached) and resident in a developing country on the day of application

  • If you are not more then 40 years old on the day of submitting the application

  • If you have not received a PhD scholarship in the past

More information (application procedure, eligibility criteria, forms,..) : Inge Caenen (ICOS) – International Relations office – inge.caenen@ua.ac.be - 03/220 4800 or http://www.vliruos.be/ or www.ua.ac.be/international.

 PhD VLIR Call

2) BTC is the Belgian agency for development cooperation. Belgian Technical Cooperation manages the scholarships and the traineeships granted by the Directorate-general for Development Cooperation (DGDC).

Each year, the DGDC awards a number of scholarships, and this exclusively in the partner countries and to the exclusion of any other country.  The DGDC does not award scholarships to Belgian citizens who wish to study abroad.
The scholarship files are selected in the field; therefore all candidates interested by a scholarship should send their application form directly to the Attaché for Development Cooperation or to the Embassy of Belgium in the partner country. Only these authorities can deliver the necessary application forms.

More information (application procedure, eligibility criteria, forms,..) can be found on the BTC website.

European students

All information on VLADOC scholarships can be found on the following website (information only available in Dutch).


IOB PhD regulations

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IOB PhD reglement

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Inhoudsverantwoordelijke(n) : joelle.dhondt katrien.desmet