项目介绍

2026年7月1日

About the education

Democratizing Refugee Camps (DEMCAMP) is a project that has been awarded a Swedish Foundations’ Starting Grant and is funded by the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond. The PI of the project is Felix Bender.

DEMCAMP asks what an applied ethics has to say with regards to the many refugees who do not live in the Global North, but remain in the Global South and, specifically, in refugee camps. It asks how we can understand and properly react to the vulnerabilities refugees experience in the camps. The project develops 1) a theory that better captures the vulnerabilities experienced by refugees in refugee camps and 2) a normative democratic theory that is capable of responding to these vulnerabilities. DEMCAMP demonstrates that what we can observe in refugee camps is the emergence of economic, legal and political systems that each function according to their own rules and logics and that result in refugees experiencing a set of vulnerabilities that remain unseen if refugees’ vulnerability is externally defined by humanitarian agencies such as UNHCR and only applied to refugee camps thereafter. To properly react to the vulnerabilities that refugees experience, refugee camps need to be democratized. For more information on the project, please visit https://startinggrant.se/researcher/felix-bender/.

The doctoral student will work on the democratization of humanitarian organisations and will work with the PI on the roles that humanitarian organisations ought to play within refugee camp democracies.

Information about doctoral studies at the Joint Faculties of Humanities and Theology can be found at https://www.ht.lu.se/en/education/doctoral-studies/.

The education is carried out in Lund.

Work assignments

Doctoral studies. Departmental work, such as teaching and administrative tasks, can be assigned. 

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for doctoral studies in Practical Philosophy are specified in the general syllabus, available at https://www.ht.lu.se/en/utbildning/forskarutbildning/dina-doktorandstudier/general-syllabi/.

Assessment criteria

The selection process will primarily take into account the applicants’ ability to benefit from doctoral studies. This is assessed against the criteria quality, quantity, progression and relevance.

In addition to the eligibility requirements stipulated in the general syllabus for Practical Philosophy, the following qualifications are required for this doctoral studentship:

Requirements for the position:

• advanced knowledge of political theory and/or political philosophy, or a closely related field,
• ability to read and write academic English.

Merits for the position:

• knowledge of humanitarian organisations, democratic theory, or refugee protection, demonstrated through research or practical experience in these areas,
• experience of interdisciplinary and collaborative work.

Application

Instructions for applying for a doctoral position can be found here: https://www.ht.lu.se/en/education/doctoral-studies/become-a-doctoral-student-at-the-ht-faculties/application-and-admission/. 

The application must include:

• CV / list of qualifications
• cover letter
• records of previous studies
• documentation of language skills
• academic papers / degree projects
• any scholarly publications
• project plan.