Hans van Baalen Scholarship - Junior Researcher

About the Scholarship

The Hans van Baalen Scholarship honours the legacy of Hans van Baalen, former President of the ALDE Party, parliamentarian and longstanding champion of liberal democracy, human rights and Taiwan’s freedom and democracy. Throughout his career, he contributed to strengthening economic and diplomatic relations between Europe and Taiwan. The scholarship seeks to carry this legacy forward by supporting a new generation of research and policy thinking on the future of EU-Taiwan relations.

The European Liberal Forum (ELF), together with the Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium, is looking for a researcher to take part in a scholarship programme in Taipei and Brussels, with an estimated starting date in January 2027. The scholarship provides an academic and policy-oriented framework to examine the past, present and future of EU-Taiwan relations and to develop new ideas for strengthening this relationship.

The Programme

January-June 2027: Taipei

The scholar will spend six months conducting research in Taiwan. The successful applicant will be responsible for securing a host institution in Taiwan and for organising their own interviews and research appointments.

July-December 2027: Brussels

The scholar will subsequently spend six months working with ELF in Brussels in a hybrid arrangement, partially based at the ELF office.

Research focus

The scholar’s work should contribute to a stronger understanding of EU-Taiwan relations while maintaining a clear connection with European policy debates. We particularly welcome proposals connected to:

• technological advancement and emerging technologies
• the digital agenda
• security and defence
• economic security and resilience
• trade and commercial interdependence
• democracy and human rights
• other areas in which Europe and Taiwan can exchange experiences, lessons and best practices

We are particularly interested in candidates who can connect their own area of expertise to wider European policy debates and contribute to ELF’s broader research work.

Expected outputs

The scholarship combines academic research with practical policy impact. The successful applicant will produce policy-oriented research for publication and will be expected to maintain a clear European policy dimension throughout the project. The resulting publication or publications will be made freely available through ELF.

At the end of the scholarship, the scholar will present their work at a research presentation event organised by ELF and the Taipei Representative Office in the European Parliament.

Terms and Conditions

The scholarship consists of two separate six-month arrangements. The scholarship covers six months in Taipei followed by six months in Brussels. Applications are welcome from both early-career and more senior researchers.

Taipei period (January-June 2027)

• The Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium will pay the scholar a stipend of €1,650 per month for six months, directly to the scholar.
• The Taipei Representative Office will also cover one return economy-class flight between Taiwan and the scholar’s place of residence.
• The scholar is responsible for securing a host institution in Taiwan, arranging their own accommodation, insurance and any necessary visa or administrative requirements, and organising their own interviews and research appointments. The Taipei Representative Office will seek to facilitate relevant contacts and high-level engagement where possible.

Brussels period (July-December 2027)

• ELF is responsible for the scholar’s separate work contract during the Brussels period. For an early-career scholar, the Brussels period will normally take the form of a six-month CIP internship with ELF, with a monthly allowance equivalent to €1,650. This is the standard arrangement for a full-time or near full-time early-career placement. The role is hybrid and requires the scholar to work partially from the ELF office in Brussels.
• If the selected scholar has a more senior professional profile, ELF may use a short-term contract instead of a CIP internship for the Brussels period. The available total budget remains equivalent to six monthly allowances of €1,650, or €9,900 in total. Because an experienced researcher would normally have a higher daily or hourly rate, this amount would cover fewer working hours across the same six-month period.
• Depending on the contractual arrangement and project needs, ELF may also cover relevant work-related costs or provide benefits such as approved travel and the use of a laptop.