Professor at the College of Europe in Bruges since 1992. Director of Economic Studies at the College of Europe from October 2001 to July 2012. Senior Fellow at CEPS, Brussels.
Holder of the Chair 'Business & Europe' at the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School from April 2007 until October 2009.
Member of the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) in The Hague from January 2001 until June 2007.
Associate Fellow (between 1990 and early 2001 he was Senior Research Fellow) at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels.
Professor for European Economic Integration at the University of Maastricht between 1992 and July 2002.
Former associate Professor of Economics at the European University Institute in Florence (1979-1982) and former Professor of Economics at the European Institute of Public Administration in Maastricht (1982 -1989).
Former Research Director at the European Institute for Asian Studies in Brussels, after setting up the Institute (1995/1996).
Former Visiting Professor in a number of universities (recently in Basel and Rennes-I) in Europe and the U.S and at the College of Europe at Natolin (1998-2001).
Former Consultant to the ASEAN, OECD, UNIDO, UNDP, UNCTAD and the EC Commission.
Author of many publications on various aspects of European economic integration and on international trade policy and investment.
Jacques Pelkmans’ research interests include internation trade policy [regionalism, especially ASEM, APEC, ASEAN/AFTA & TTIP], liberalisation and regulation of network industries in the EU single market, mutual recognition, "better" ( i.e. more efficient and effective, but goal-driven) EU regulation, economic aspects of standards, subsidiarity.