The Department of Communication, Faculty of Humanities at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) is inviting applications for one three-year PhD scholarship starting on 1 January 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The successful candidate will be appointed to the ERC-funded project 'Women in the Nordic Enlightenment (WHENCE). Changing the narratives of early modern philosophy and uncovering women’s contribution to Scandinavian gender equality', led by PI, Associate Professor Sabrina Ebbersmeyer.

The core of this project is to bring to light and critically assess women’s intellectual contribution to the Nordic Enlightenment by examining a text corpus consisting of unpublished material and published texts written by more than a hundred women in Scandinavia. The guiding hypothesis is that the Nordic way of women’s Enlightenment significantly differs from developments prevalent in other regions of Europe, and that women played a decisive role in creating a sustainable identification of the Nordic countries with gender equality.

The PhD student is expected to investigate women’s moral thought in Denmark-Norway and Sweden during the early modern period with a particular focus on the notions of happiness and education.

Introduction
PhD studies consist of research programmes that qualify students for independent and wide-ranging research, development and teaching at international level. 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 points, corresponding to three years of full-time study.

A PhD opens up 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 general public.

Qualification requirements
Applicants must have a two-year Master’s degree (120 ECTS) or equivalent – preferably in philosophy or in a neighbouring discipline - and, as a 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, also Danish and Swedish reading skills are required.

Application
All applications must be submitted online, in PDF or Microsoft Word format, via the link “Apply now” at the bottom of this page.

The application must include:

1. Project abstract (max.1,200 characters with spaces)
    
2. Personal statement (max. one page)
   In their personal statements, applicants are encouraged to:
   • outline how the PhD project relates to other research activities at the department, including the availability of supervisors
   • describe as clearly as possible their competencies and personal qualifications relevant to the PhD programme
      
3. CV
   Applications must be accompanied by a CV (max.one page) and a list of publications, where relevant.
    
4. Documentation (diplomas and transcripts)
   Applicants must upload the following:
   • A copy of their Master’s degree diploma or similar (if this is not available by the application deadline, applicants must document pre-approval of their Master’s thesis)
   • A copy of their Master’s degree transcript
   • A copy of their Bachelor’s degree diploma
   • A copy of their Bachelor’s degree transcript.
      
5. Project description
   Applications must include a detailed project description covering the problem formulation, overall objectives, methodology, design and timetable (max. five pages/12,000 characters, incl. spaces, excl. bibliography).
   
   Applicants who anticipate incurring extraordinary expenses (related to questionnaires, fieldwork, extended stay(s) abroad, equipment, etc.) must include brief comments about this in their project description.
   
   Guidelines and good advice on project descriptions are available here.
    
6. Other relevant material
   Statements of consent, e.g. regarding access to special archives and approval of studies abroad, may be submitted along with the applications. It is not necessary to include commitments from supervisors. Please do not upload or submit recommendations, publications, theses, etc.

Applicants with a degree from a university where the working language is not English or one of the Scandinavian languages must submit a translation of their Master’s diploma and/or diploma transcripts approved by the Danish embassy or consulate in the country where the original document was issued. These documents must be translated into English, Danish, Norwegian or Swedish. An official description of the grading scale (and a diploma supplement where relevant) must also be attached.

Chinese applicants must attach a China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Evaluation Committee (CADGEEC) certificate. Read more about CADGEEC here.

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

• The quality, originality and feasibility of the PhD project
• Research qualifications, as reflected in the attached CV and project description
• Competencies and knowledge of relevant fields of academic research
• Level (grades obtained) of Bachelor and Master’s studies.

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 or not they have been shortlisted. After this, the Head of Department appoints an expert Assessment Committee to assess the shortlisted applications. The selected applicants will be informed who is serving on the committee. Individual applicants 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 application procedure and recruitment process, please see: 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 UCPH.

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

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

Remuneration and terms of employment
Appointment as a PhD Fellow is subject to the collective bargaining agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC).

We seek to reflect the breadth and diversity of society and encourage applications irrespective of personal background.

Contact
Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the PI of the project to obtain a detailed presentation of the research project, Associate Professor Sabrina Ebbersmeyer, e-mail: ebbersmeyer@hum.ku.dk.

If you have any questions about the department, please contact the Deputy Head of Department for Research, Professor Mette Mortensen, e-mail: metmort@hum.ku.dk.

For further information about the structure and rules of the PhD programme, please contact the PhD administration, e-mail: phd@hrsc.ku.dk.

For further information about the recruitment process, please contact HR Staff, Dorthea Andersen at HR South and City Campuses, e-mail: hrsc@hrsc.ku.dk. Please refer to ID number 211-1539/23-2H #1.

The deadline for applications is 24 September 2023 at 23:59 (CEST).

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.