In January 2006, the Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), through the Rectoral Council (CRef), signed the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.
The signature set in motion a process of analysing our HR practices and implementing actions aimed at aligning them via a range of tools:
- Jobs and Funding
- Career Development
- Information and Assistance
- Partnering
- Worldwide
HR Excellence in Research label
UCLouvain has been received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research label, which recognises the quality of the various action plans put in place to improve recruitment, working conditions, careers and services for researchers. The label enables our university to promote itself as a provider of a stimulating and favourable working environment for researchers and to facilitate the administrative procedures required to obtain certain funding.
Enhanced process
Regular assessments (every three years internally and every six years externally) lead to the renewal of the HR Excellence in Research label:
- 2016: internal evaluation;
- 2019: external evaluation (two experts visited UCLouvain);
- 2023: internal evaluation;
- 2026: next external evaluation expected.
At present, UCLouvain can continue to hold the HR Excellence in Research label and use it to promote and facilitate researcher mobility and career development. The aim? To contribute to the establishment of scientific research excellence in Europe.
EURAXESS HRS4R at UCLouvain
UCLouvain received the HR Excellence in Research label because, in collaboration with its researchers, it adopted, via EURAXESS, the European Commission’s Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) and thus developed its own human resources management strategy to promote a favourable environment for research, training and career development.
UCLouvain’s 2011-14 EURAXESS strategy included 20 actions divided into four areas:
- ethical and professional aspects;
- recruitment;
- working conditions and social security;
- training and careers.
UCLouvain’s 2018-21 EURAXESS strategy included 21 actions divided into four areas:
- welcoming international researchers;
- recruitment;
- working conditions;
- training and careers.
UCLouvain’s 2020-26 EURAXESS strategy includes 24 actions divided into five areas:
- HRS4R action plans;
- internationalisation;
- recruitment;
- working conditions;
- training and careers.
OTM-R: Open transparent and merit-based recruitment
With clear strategic guidelines, UCLouvain is pursuing its continuous improvement process, incorporating the recommendations set out in the “enhanced HRS4R process” recently defined by the European Commission.
The university has also carried out an in-depth analysis of its recruitment practices:
- applying the OTM-R (open, transparent and merit-based recruitment) checklist to each category of researcher working at UCLouvain;
- finalising an OTM-R policy.
UCLouvain work environment
UCLouvain is strongly committed to equality, integration and work-life balance. It has progressively strengthened these policies at institutional level via:
- rigorous plans, such as the Gender Equality Plan;
- charters, such as the Work-Life Balance Charter;
- by providing concrete resources (structural teleworking/right to disconnect/variable working hours, etc.);
- a variety of training courses, such as cross-cultural and “psychosocial risk management” training.
Doctoral path
UCLouvain takes particular care to provide an appropriate and harmonised framework for doctoral studies, whether through high-quality training and supervision, the implementation of clear and transparent procedures, or by ensuring that all our doctoral students are treated fairly.
Researcher status
Researchers, whether or not they hold a doctorate, may carry out research at UCLouvain under different statuses. These are defined according to personal circumstances.
Social security
Subsidised doctoral students, researchers and teachers with an employment contract must contribute to social security.
Deontology, ethics and intellectual property
UCLouvain has a duty to society to guarantee the integrity of its researchers and to offer them a respectful and honest framework for their work, conducive to confident and harmonious development.
In order to promote and ensure respect for ethics in research practices within the university, it has over time set up a series of structures, mainly at sector and institute level, to comply with legal requirements for ethics committees and/or to respond to needs in the field.
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