Two 4-Year Full-Time PhD Research Positions in Finance and Macroeconomics

PROJECT

The University of Namur invites applications for two 4-year full-time PhD positions as part of the French-speaking Belgian Community ARC-funded research project entitled "The Impact of Climate Change on Economic Expectations and Behavior: Evidence and Implications for Macro-Finance Models" (I(CE)2IB), focusing on climate risk, economic expectations, and macro-financial stability.

This interdisciplinary project explores how climate change—through physical, transition, and liability risks—transforms investor behavior and macroeconomic outcomes. By combining empirical analyses and theoretical macro-financial models, the project aims to contribute to the design of more resilient policy frameworks for the climate and green transition.

The research team includes four senior researchers. Doctoral researchers will also interact with a dedicated postdoctoral fellow and be embedded in two active research institutes: the Institute of Development, Finance and Public Policies (DeFiPP), and the Namur Institute for Complex Systems (naXys), representing a working environment of over 30 active researchers in economics, finance, and complexity science.

The project also benefits from strong international academic partnerships and collaborations with global institutions.

RESEARCH FOCUS

We are hiring two complementary PhD profiles: 

PhD 1 – Finance / Empirical Finance:

Explores how climate-related risks affect investor expectations and market behavior.

PhD 2 – Macroeconomics / International Macroeconomics:
Explore primary commodity market shifts in multi-sector general equilibrium macroeconomic models to better capture the complex dynamics of climate mitigation policies and their implications for macroeconomic policy in both closed and open economies

Both projects are interconnected and aim to bridge empirical insights and theoretical modeling in macro-finance.

JOB

• Conduct doctoral research and prepare a thesis in Finance or Macroeconomics
• Contribute to the ARC project “I(CE)2IB” (e.g., peer-reviewed publications, international conferences)
• Participate in research team activities (internal workshops, events)
• Teach up to 30 hours per academic year

• Tutor and supervise students where appropriate

  PROFILE

• Two-year Master’s degree (or equivalent) in economics, finance, or econometrics (a research master is a plus)
• Having at least ‘cum laude’ (honors) during your initial master years
• PhD 1: Interest in empirical research, financial markets, climate finance, and data analysis
• PhD 2: Strong background in macroeconomic and general equilibrium analysis
• Excellent quantitative and analytical skills
• Fluency in English (spoken and written)
• Familiarity with tools like Stata, R, Matlab, or Python is a plus 2

OFFER

• A full-time 4-year PhD position
• Competitive monthly salary (per Belgian university standards)
• Close supervision within a dynamic, interdisciplinary research environment
• Access to office space, computing resources, and data infrastructure

• Opportunities to follow academic and career training courses, summer schools, and conferences

  APPLICATION PROCEDURE

  Send the following documents in a single PDF file to:

  jean-yves.gnabo@unamur.be and romain.houssa@unamur.be Subject line: Application ARC PhD – [Finance or Macro]

  Documents required:

  • Motivation letter specifying your preferred research track (Finance or Macro) • Curriculum Vitae
  • Academic transcripts (Master level)
  • Writing sample (e.g., Master’s thesis)

  • Name and contact details of at least one referee (optional but recommended)