PhD scholarship in political science and political economy at CBS

Copenhagen Business School invites applications for a PhD scholarship in political science and political economy. It will be based at the Department of International Economics, Government and Business (EGB). The scholarship will be anchored in the study of the relationships between business interests and political processes and the societal implications of these.

The expected starting date is September 1, 2025 (negotiable).

EGB is a multidisciplinary department that conducts high-quality research in the fields of international business and political science / analysis that has direct relevance to business, decision-makers and the broader public whilst also addressing contemporary societal challenges. EGB faculty apply advanced quantitative and qualitative methods. To learn more about the research and teaching profile of the department, please visit the departmental homepage here. You should also consult the EGB PhD page here

The department’s PhD fellows will gain much from our research seminars and other activities. At the same time, applicants should consider the overall contribution that they themselves can make to the department’s research environment. They should also demonstrate relevant experience in higher education, business, and dissemination activities.

The three-year PhD programme at CBS gives candidates the opportunity to conduct research under the supervision of CBS faculty, supported by research-related PhD courses. The programme is highly international, and you will be expected to participate in international research conferences and research visits abroad. Applicants should also be ready to undertake teaching activities. See the CBS homepage for more information about the PhD programme, http://uk.cbs.dk/phd

CBS PhD graduates are not only highly regarded in higher education and research institutions but also in government and business where their research qualifications are in increasing demand. Recent EGB graduates have secured positions in leading universities, consultancies and government agencies.

Application and admission requirements
To be considered the applicant should:

• have a weighted grade point average of at least 8.2 on the Danish 7-point grading scale for the bachelor's and master's degree combined or alternatively a weighted grade point average must be at least 9.5 for the master's degree alone. If the grade point average is not met, documentation for being in the top 40% of the class is also accepted. In rare cases, the grade requirement can be waived. The department will give preference to applicants with excellent grades from their universities.
• have a Master's degree corresponding to the 3 + 2 Bologna process
• have received a grade of 10 (or equivalent) for the Master's thesis according to the Danish 7-point grading scale (https://eng.uvm.dk/general-overview/7-point-grading-scale)
• have completed the Master's programme before starting the PhD programme at CBS Please note: the applicant may apply for enrolment before the completion of the Master’s degree. In this case, enrolment will be conditional upon the Master’s degree having been successfully completed by the time of enrolment.
• have an educational background in business and / or the social sciences
• have a command of academic English at a very high level. If the applicant’s Master thesis was written in English this will be considered as sufficient evidence of this.

The project
Applicants are asked to submit a plan for the potential PhD project. The projects should focus on EITHER (i) the interactions, such as lobbying or consultation processes, between business interests and political actors OR (ii) public attitudes towards large firms, political elites, and experts OR (iii) the character, uses and the dependability of evidence-based decision-making by state actors.
The plans should demonstrate detailed consideration of the proposed data and incorporate an assessment of relevant methodological approaches. They should preferably rely on computational and data-driven approaches (including quantitative text analysis) for measuring political and economic communication, interactions, and opinions. Applicants should furthermore:

• be able to demonstrate excellent quantitative and coding skills
• have a commitment to building on state-of-the art computational methods for larger scale data analysis, and/or the integration of multiple different datasets (such as VDEM, Compustat, BoardEx, WhoGov, ParlEE, etc.) and/or the collection of original data (through for example survey experiments or text coding).
  

The application
The plan constitutes the backbone of the application and should be very carefully prepared. It may not exceed five pages and should include the following:

• a brief explanation of the aims of the project
• an outline of the research question(s)
• a positioning of the project in an appropriate research field
• a description of the research literature already published within that field
• an outline/explanation of the theories to be included
• an outline/explanation of the methods to be used
• an indication of the project’s potential contribution to scientific development
• a work plan (brief) which describes the main phases in the project.

Further information can be found here: https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/phd-programmes/admission

In addition to the project description, copies of the following must be included:

• diploma for bachelor's and master's degree or other certificates at an equivalent level as well as the grade transcripts
• documentation for being in the top 40% of the class (if grade requirements are not met)
• a concise curriculum vitae (CV)
• a list of articles and publications (if applicable)
• one example of a selected written work (e.g. master's thesis)

Following an offer of employment, the successful applicant has to be enrolled in the CBS PhD School. Further information about CBS PhD scholarships and the PhD programme can be found at https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/phd-programme.

Employment and salary
A PhD scholarship runs for a period of three years and includes teaching obligations corresponding to 416 working hours. The scholarships are fully salaried positions, according to the national Danish collective agreement. The monthly salary is currently approximately DKK 28,993 up to DKK 35,015, depending on seniority, and a pension contribution totaling 17.1%. The scholarship includes tuition fees, office space, course and travel costs (according to the current CBS agreement).
Salary level and employment take place in accordance with the Ministry of Finance's agreement with the Academics' Central Organization.

Recruitment procedures
Selected applications will be considered by an assessment committee, which will consider whether the applicant is qualified for the position. A number from amongst those deemed qualified will be invited to present themselves and their project at a departmental seminar and attend an interview. Please note that a positive assessment does not automatically result in an interview. Applicants will be kept notified of their status in the recruitment process.
Please find guidelines and further information on scholarships and the Doctoral Programme at http://uk.cbs.dk/phd.

The application must be sent via the electronic recruitment system, using the link below.
Copenhagen Business School must receive all application material, including all appendices (see items above), ahead of the deadline, 1 May 2025.

There will be online open meetings to provide further information and answer questions about the post. You can obtain details of these from the department’s PhD Coordinator Eddie Ashbee, [email protected]
Details about Copenhagen Business School and the department are available at www.cbs.dk