Københavns Universitet - University of Copenhagen
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Vacant PhD scholarship at iCourts, Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen
The Faculty of Law at the University of Copenhagen is inviting applications for a PhD position available from 1 February 2027. The PhD scholarship is fully funded and salaried. The start date is negotiable.
The successful candidate will join the Avant-Courts project at iCourts, Centre of Excellence for International Courts and Governance. The candidate will be part of dynamic, new, interdisciplinary research teams at iCourts, a leading research hub on the empirical study of international courts and legal governance.
About The Projects
Avant-Courts - Decentring Legal Power: Avantgarde Courts at the Frontiers of the Global Economy: The project is led by Professor Mikael Rask Madsen and investigates the transformation of the global legal order caused by the rise of new hybrid courts at the frontiers of the global economy. It focuses on jurisdictional battles and legal knowledge exchanges between Western courts and new challengers, analysing how new litigation hubs are disrupting traditional legal institutions. The project starts out by examining avantgarde courts in three distinct legal spaces: new economic spaces, outer space, and virtual spaces. Other empirical sites may also be considered.
More information about the research project and its aims and methods may be found here: https://jura.ku.dk/icourts/research/avant-courts/
The PhD Programme
The PhD will be part of the wider PhD Programme offered by the Faculty of Law. The goal of the PhD Programme is threefold: to prepare candidates for a continuing career in teaching and research; to educate a new generation of scholars to produce high-quality independent research; and to equip them with the analytical and problem-solving skills required for a successful career in both the public and private sectors.
The Faculty of Law offers supervision by highly qualified academics and provides an excellent opportunity to research contemporary legal issues in an intellectually stimulating environment.
The Successful PhD Candidate Is Required To
- Actively engage in the research environment at the University of Copenhagen; participate in international conferences, courses and meetings relevant to their research project;
- Comply with the formal requirements of the PhD programme;
- Contribute to teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses in Danish or English offered by the Faculty of Law;
- Conduct independent and high-quality research under the supervision of the PI related to their project.
Qualification Requirements
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to master’s level related to the subject area of the project, e.g. [relevant educations]. If you have completed your education in Denmark, you must have a master’s degree covered by the collective agreement for academics in the state sector.
If you have completed your education outside of Denmark, you must either have a master’s degree equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years) or as minimum a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a Danish bachelor’s degree (three years) and be assessed as having professional qualifications at master's level.
If you have completed your education outside of Denmark, we will obtain an assessment of your education from the Danish Research Agency.
Applicants must possess skills in written and spoken academic English at a high level and have
excellent communications skills. Applicants must be able to teach at an academic level in Danish
or English and to follow PhD courses in English. If deemed necessary, the faculty may request that
applicants document their English skills.
Application
Please submit your application online. To apply, please click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of this page. Your application must be written in English and include the following attachments in either PDF or Word format.
We advise you to have the following documents ready before you begin your online application:
- Research project proposal: This should include the following: (1) objective(s) of the research, (2) major research questions, (3) review of relevant literature, (4) methodology to be applied in the research, and (5) a timetable that plans for all course requirements to have been met within three years. The project description must elaborate on the value of the proposed research project in terms of its relevance to existing and future research in the field. It is recommended that the project proposal does not exceed 6 A4 pages (excluding bibliography). The document must be in Times New Roman, font size 12, spacing 1.5 with all margins (right, left, top and bottom) set to 2 cm
- Curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages).
- Diplomas and transcripts: Certified copies of original diploma(s) and transcripts (both Bachelor’s and Master’s degree) in the original language and an authorized English translation if they are issued in other language than English or Danish.
- Grading scale: A certified explanation of grading scale in the original language and an authorized English translation if it is available in another language than English or Danish.
- Letter of motivation: Explain the choice of the Faculty of Law at the University of Copenhagen as a host institution for the proposed project and outline how the project fits within the research priorities at the Faculty (maximum 1 page).
- Documentation of English level: Documentation of English level can for instance be documented by an excellent IELTS or TOEFL test.
Applicants holding a degree from a university where the working language is neither English nor a Scandinavian language must include translated versions of their diploma and transcripts, verified by the issuing university. The documents must be translated into English, Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish. In addition, an official description of the relevant grading scale (e.g. diploma supplement) must be included.
On the website of the PhD School, you can find more information about the attachments your need to include with your application: Admission requirements and application procedures.
The recruitment process
Once the deadline for applications has expired, the Associate Dean of Research will consider advice from the appointment committee and select applicants for assessment. All applicants will be notified whether they have been shortlisted. The Associate Dean of Research will then set up an expert assessment committee to consider the applications. The selected applicants will be informed who is serving on the committee. They will be offered the opportunity to comment on the committee’s assessment of their application before the appointment is announced.
Read more about the recruitment process at UCPH.
As an applicant to the University of Copenhagen, you should be prepared to undergo a security screening related to international research collaboration as part of the recruitment process. The security screening will be conducted in cases where the University deems it appropriate based on an overall assessment.
Enrolment
It is a prerequisite for employment that successful applicants enrol at the PhD School of the Faculty of Law. Follow the links below for further information: PhD Programmes - Guide to studies and admission.
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 our services at: For international researchers at the University of Copenhagen.
An Equal Opportunity Workplace
The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all interested parties regardless of personal background to apply for the position. To learn more about our diverse workplace and our participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Research, please visit HR Excellence in Research.
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 approximately DKK 31,600 (EUR 4,200) + an 18.07 % pension contribution.
According to the agreement, the PhD Fellow is required to carry out tasks to an extent corresponding to 840 working hours (6 months) over the course of the three-year employment.
You can read more about employment as a PhD Fellow here: Employment as a PhD student.
The Faculty does not provide accommodation.
Contact Information
Questions about the Avant-Courts project may be addressed to Mikael Rask Madsen at mikael.madsen@jur.ku.dk.
Contact information
Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, e-mail: hr-soendre@adm.ku.dk, please refer to ID number:
211-2511/26-2H #2
Closing date for applications
The closing date for applications is 15 September 2026, 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.
APPLY NOW
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.
Contact
Mikael Rask Madsen
E-mail: vgs690@ku.dk
Info
Application deadline: 15-09-2026
Employment start: 01-02-2027
Department/Location: iCourts, Faculty of Law
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