项目介绍

2025年4月26日

Applications are invited for a PhD scholarship at the Department of English German and Romance Studies. The chosen candidate will be employed and enrolled at the Faculty of Humanities under the PhD School at the Faculty of Humanities.

The scholarship is for 3 years starting on 1 September 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

As part of the funded project ‘Nordic Exceptionalism: Perspectives on a European Periphery’ this PhD position offers an opportunity to analyse nineteenth-century Anglophone travel narratives using digital humanities methods. The successful candidate will focus on how Denmark was portrayed by English-speaking travellers, while contextualising these accounts within broader Anglo-American cultural frameworks of the period. The PhD student will be able to define their own thesis within this framework. We are seeking a candidate with digital text analysis skills and an interest in nineteenth-century studies. Experience with digitised corpora is considered an advantage.  

Introduction
PhD studies consist of research programmes at the highest international level that qualify students for independent research, knowledge dissemination and teaching. The main emphasis is on PhD students organising and conducting their own research project (under supervision). The programme culminates in the submission of a PhD thesis, which the student must defend in public. The programme is prescribed to 180 ECTS credits, corresponding to three years of full-time study.

A PhD degree opens a range of career opportunities in academia and elsewhere. As well as writing a thesis, PhD students work in active research environments in Denmark and abroad. They contribute to the academic environment, take research training courses, and convey the results of their research in teaching, at academic conferences and to the public.

Qualification requirements
Applicants must have a two-year master’s degree (120 ECTS) or equivalent and, as minimum, have submitted a master’s thesis for which they have received pre-approval at the time of application.

The qualifications of applicants with non-Danish Master’s degrees will be assessed to ascertain whether they correspond to the Danish level. For further information, please refer to the website of the Ministry of Education and Research: https://ufm.dk/en/education/admission-and-guidance.

Applicants must possess skills in written and spoken academic English at a high level. Fluency in Danish language is required for conducting fieldwork and analysis of data. If deemed necessary, the department may request that applicants document their language skills.

For further information about the guidelines for PhD studies at UCPH, please refer to: https://phd.ku.dk/english/.

For further information about the structure of the PhD programme, please refer to: https://phd.humanities.ku.dk/phd-programme/structure/.

Application 
All applications must be submitted online via the link “Apply now” at the bottom of this page. The application must be written in English or Danish, and include the following enclosures in Adobe PDF or Word format:

1. Cover letter (max. one page detailing your motivation and background for applying with the specific PhD project).
2. CV   
3. Diploma and transcripts of records (bachelor’s and master’s degree)   
4. Other information for consideration, e.g. list of publications, documentation of English language qualifications (if relevant).

On the website of the PhD School you can find information about the enclosures to include with your electronic application: https://phd.humanities.ku.dk/how-to-obtain-a-phd-scholarship/admission-requirements/.

Applicants with a degree from a university where documents are not issued in English, or a Scandinavian language must provide a translation of their diploma and transcript of records verified by the issuing university. The documents must be translated into English, Danish, Norwegian or Swedish. In addition, you must enclose an official description of the grading scale in question (for instance diploma supplement).

Assessment criteria
The following criteria are applied when assessing PhD applications:

• Research qualifications as reflected in the project description. 
• Qualifications and knowledge in English studies and digital text analysis.
• Performance (grades obtained) in graduate and post-graduate studies. 
• Experience with computational methods for textual analysis is an advantage (for example, Python, Voyant and similar tools).

Please note that only a few scholarships are awarded at each call for applications and that the competition is intense.

The recruitment process
After the deadline for applications, the Head of Department considers advice from the appointment committee and then selects applicants for assessment. All applicants will be notified whether they have been shortlisted. After this, the Head of Department sets up an expert assessment committee to assess the shortlisted applications. The selected applicants will be informed who is serving on the committee. Each shortlisted applicant will be offered the opportunity to comment on the committee’s assessment of their application before the appointment is announced.

For further information about the recruitment process, please refer to the University of Copenhagen website: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Enrolment
It is a prerequisite for employment that successful applicants enrol at the PhD School of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Copenhagen.

For further information about the structure of the PhD programme, please refer to: https://phd.humanities.ku.dk/phd-programme/structure/.

For further information about the guidelines for PhD studies at UCPH, please refer to: https://phd.ku.dk/english/.

Salary and terms of employment
Terms of appointment and salary will be in accordance with an agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). The salary range starts at approx. DKK 30,800 (approx. EUR 4,100) + a 17.1 % contribution to the pension scheme.

According to the agreement, the PhD Fellow is required to carry out tasks at the relevant department to an extent corresponding to 840 working hours (6 months) without additional pay. The work obligation can include teaching, for instance.

An equal opportunity workplace
University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the diversity of society, and welcomes  applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their personal backgrounds. For more  information on the diverse working place environment at the university and the university’s  participation in the HRS4R, please see: https://employment.ku.dk/working-at-ucph/eu-charter-for-researchers/.

International applicant?
The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about these services as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here: www.ism.ku.dk.

Contact information
For further information about the structure and rules of the PhD programme, please contact the PhD Administration at South and City Campuses, email: phd@hrsc.ku.dk.

Information about the recruitment process is available from HR South and City Campuses, email: hr-soendre@adm.ku.dk. Please refer to case number: 211-2130/25-2H #2.

If you have any questions about the academic content of the PhD programme, please contact PhD Coordinator Christian Benne, email christian.benne@hum.ku.dk.

For information about the project, please contact Professor Robert W. Rix, email: rjrix@hum.ku.dk.

The deadline for applications is 11 May 2025 at 23:59 (Central European summer time).

Any applications or additional material submitted after the deadline will not be considered. However, changes may be made to the submitted application right up until the deadline.Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.