Careers in context. Figuring out thirty years of Flemish PhD's in history

The number of history PhD's in Flanders has significantly increased in the last three decades. Yet little is known about the impact of this evolution on the degree itself. Many reports have argued that the decreasing chances of pursuing an academic career lead ever more young researchers towards employment that has little to do with the university, a trend that this article confirms for the discipline of history in Flanders. By discussing the actual amount of new doctorate holders and their later careers, it is shown that the amount of Flemish history doctors who continue to do in-depth academic research will soon reach historically low levels, dropping from nearly one in two to potentially about one in ten. Several scenarios for handling this change are discussed, ranging from a 'status quo' approach, to an increased focus on transferable skills, and to the possible inclusion of new types of applied research.