项目介绍

2026年5月14日

The Department of Political Science and Public Management, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, invites applications for a three-year full-time PhD scholarship for the project Reconciling ownership and democracy within land-use transformations (ROOT), with employment starting from 15 August 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. The place of employment will be in Odense. 

The project—funded by SDU Climate Cluster—examines how the green tripartite agreement shapes land use and ownership, showing how property rights influence democratic decision-making and landscape outcomes. The project combines historical analysis, fieldwork, and political theory to trace its roots in past land reforms and future impacts while studying interactions between municipalities, landowners, and civil society. The goal is to offer insights and institutional solutions for more democratic, climate-conscious land governance. The project is led by Professor Klaus Petersen and Professor Lars Tønder.

The PhD Student will work closely together with the two senior researchers and colleagues from the Department of Political Science and Public Management as well as the SDU Climate Cluster. The PhD project will particularly focus on (1) how to conceptualize property rights as dynamic and historically situated, and (2) how existing property regimes enable or constrain the Green Tripartite Agreement, identifying key historical, economic, and cultural conditions. Ideally, these issues should be addressed through a combination of political theory, historical analysis, and ethnographic fieldwork. 

Motivated applications are invited from candidates holding a master’s degree in relevant fields – for instance, history, political science, or anthropology. Applications must include a research proposal of no more than three pages addressing the issues outlined in the above. The proposal is expected to describe the theoretical, methodological and analytical approach.

Expectations and key responsibilities

The ideal candidate has displayed a high academic level, and has a good grasp of research designs and academic methods. 

The PhD Student is expected to: (please also consult the Scholarly Qualification Matrix):

• Be curious and have a strong desire to generate new research ideas.
• Be able to work independently and, in consultation with the PhD supervisor, prioritize the different aspects of the PhD plan, including participation in PhD courses, teaching and supervision of undergraduate students. 
• Have good interpersonal skills.
• Be interested in engaging with the national and international research community (your supervisor and the department will support you in this), i.e., participate in conferences and present own work.
• Be interested in engaging with relevant societal actors including news media and the public.
• Prioritize being present and taking part in the daily academic and social environments at the department.

Requirements and program structure

The PhD Student will follow an individual PhD plan including course work, conference participation, and teaching. PhD Students typically spend one semester at another research institution, often abroad, but alternative arrangements can be made in special cases. The scholarship carries a monthly salary including pension plus office facilities and financial support for conference travels and research visits abroad. 

For further information about this project, please contact PI Lars Tønder tel. 6550 1710, e-mail ltoe@sam.sdu.dk. 

For further information about the PhD program, please contact PhD coordinator, Associate Professor Romana Careja, tel. +45 6550 2216, e-mail rca@sam.sdu.dk.

Application 
An application must include:

• Application form. 
• A motivated application.
• A maximum three-page research proposal (see above).
• A detailed CV (max 2 pages).
• A copy of your master’s degree certificate including all examination results.
• Information on experience with teaching, dissemination, or scientific publication, if applicable.

All non-Danish documents must be translated into English, and all documents must be in pdf format, no more than 5 MB per file.