PhD scholarship in sociolinguistics, discourse analysis and/or ethnology at “TRANSITION – Center for Changing Urban and Rural Lives”, University of Copenhagen
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PhD scholarship in sociolinguistics, discourse analysis and/or ethnology at “TRANSITION – Center for Changing Urban and Rural Lives”, University of Copenhagen
The Center of Excellence TRANSITION – Center for Changing Urban and Rural Lives, based at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen, invites applications for a PhD scholarship in sociolinguistics focusing on contemporary rural–urban tensions. We welcome applications from candidates with backgrounds in Danish or Scandinavian studies, linguistics, or ethnology.
The successful candidate will be enrolled at the PhD School at the Faculty of Humanities, affiliated with the Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics (NorS). The scholarship is for 3 years, full-time, starting 1 May 2026.
We are looking for a motivated PhD candidate who will join TRANSITION – Center for Changing Urban and Rural Lives, a new Center of Excellence that opened on February 1, 2025. It is funded for up to 10 years by the Danish National Research Foundation and represents a collaboration between the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Copenhagen and the National Museum of Denmark.
TRANSITION – Center for Changing Urban and Rural Lives
Worldwide, the transition from predominantly rural to urban-centric societies marks one of the most significant shifts in human history, with profound implications for culture, language, and identity. This transition has fostered a longstanding narrative of opposition between rural and urban life, influencing social cohesion, democracy, and sustainability. At TRANSITION, we work interdisciplinary by combining studies in language, literature, and history to explore these developments. The aim of the center’s research is to uncover and understand the cultural history and lived experiences of people from 1870 to the present, exploring, among other themes, life courses, experiences of living in new contexts, and the transformation of rural and urban places.
The Position
Applicants are responsible for drafting a preliminary project description (cf. details below), which will be further developed in dialogue with the supervisor and the TRANSITION core team in case of employment. The PhD project must be empirically grounded, preferably employing discourse and/or narrative analysis. We are looking for projects that focus on how rural–urban tensions are enacted, represented, and negotiated in a contemporary Danish context. Data may be collected through quantitative and/or qualitative approaches such as ethnography, surveys, or interviews, or through media sources, social media, or other relevant sources. The candidate is expected to actively engage in and contribute to the center’s interdisciplinary research environment, including participation in joint data sessions and collaborative activities.
The main supervisor of the successful candidate will be the director of the center, professor Pia Quist. For more information about TRANSITION and the work package the PhD project is a part of, please contact Pia Quist pia.quist@hum.ku.dk
Qualification requirements
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to master’s level related to the subject area of the project. Furthermore, applicants must have a good knowledge of modern cultural history, and experience and/or knowledge of working with empirical data.
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 abroad, 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. The empirical data is in Danish, for this reason the successful candidate must hold skills in Danish or another Scandinavian language.
To be awarded a PhD scholarship the applicant has to enroll as a PhD student at the Faculty of Humanities, cf. the rules of the Danish Ministerial order No 1039 of 27 August 2013.
The PhD program is a study program, which aims at training PhD students, at an international level, to undertake research, development, and teaching assignments. These qualifications open a window of opportunity to a variety of careers within the private and public sectors. The program includes the drafting of a PhD thesis, active participation in research networks, PhD courses and knowledge dissemination. The standard duration of the PhD program is three years of full-time studies, which equals 180 ECTS credits.
For further information about the guidelines for PhD studies at UCPH, please refer to: PhD Programs - Guide to studies and admission – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
For further information about the structure of the PhD programme, please refer to: Structure of the PhD programme – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
How to apply
Applications must be submitted online. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of this advertisement to submit an application. The application must be written in English or a Scandinavian language, and include the following enclosures in PDF or Word format:
On the website of the PhD School, you will find information about the enclosures to include with your electronic application: Admission requirements and application procedures – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
The recruitment process
The following criteria are applied when assessing PhD applications:
For further information about the application procedure, please refer to the University of Copenhagen website: Recruitment process – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
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.
Terms of employment
PhD students are paid a salary in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately DKK 31.200 / approximately EUR 4,100 plus 18,07% pension. The PhD student has a work obligation of up to 840 hours over the 3-year period without additional pay. The work obligation can include for instance teaching.
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:For international researchers at the University of Copenhagen – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
Contact information
Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, Sarah Lund HR-Soendre@adm.ku.dk - please refer to 211-2321/25-2H #2
If you have any questions about the academic content of the position, please contact the Director of Center, Professor Pia Quist, pia.quist@hum.ku.dk
The deadline for applications is 11 January 2026, at 23:59 (CET).
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
The successful candidate will be enrolled at the PhD School at the Faculty of Humanities, affiliated with the Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics (NorS). The scholarship is for 3 years, full-time, starting 1 May 2026.
We are looking for a motivated PhD candidate who will join TRANSITION – Center for Changing Urban and Rural Lives, a new Center of Excellence that opened on February 1, 2025. It is funded for up to 10 years by the Danish National Research Foundation and represents a collaboration between the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Copenhagen and the National Museum of Denmark.
TRANSITION – Center for Changing Urban and Rural Lives
Worldwide, the transition from predominantly rural to urban-centric societies marks one of the most significant shifts in human history, with profound implications for culture, language, and identity. This transition has fostered a longstanding narrative of opposition between rural and urban life, influencing social cohesion, democracy, and sustainability. At TRANSITION, we work interdisciplinary by combining studies in language, literature, and history to explore these developments. The aim of the center’s research is to uncover and understand the cultural history and lived experiences of people from 1870 to the present, exploring, among other themes, life courses, experiences of living in new contexts, and the transformation of rural and urban places.
The Position
Applicants are responsible for drafting a preliminary project description (cf. details below), which will be further developed in dialogue with the supervisor and the TRANSITION core team in case of employment. The PhD project must be empirically grounded, preferably employing discourse and/or narrative analysis. We are looking for projects that focus on how rural–urban tensions are enacted, represented, and negotiated in a contemporary Danish context. Data may be collected through quantitative and/or qualitative approaches such as ethnography, surveys, or interviews, or through media sources, social media, or other relevant sources. The candidate is expected to actively engage in and contribute to the center’s interdisciplinary research environment, including participation in joint data sessions and collaborative activities.
The main supervisor of the successful candidate will be the director of the center, professor Pia Quist. For more information about TRANSITION and the work package the PhD project is a part of, please contact Pia Quist pia.quist@hum.ku.dk
Qualification requirements
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to master’s level related to the subject area of the project. Furthermore, applicants must have a good knowledge of modern cultural history, and experience and/or knowledge of working with empirical data.
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 abroad, 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. The empirical data is in Danish, for this reason the successful candidate must hold skills in Danish or another Scandinavian language.
To be awarded a PhD scholarship the applicant has to enroll as a PhD student at the Faculty of Humanities, cf. the rules of the Danish Ministerial order No 1039 of 27 August 2013.
The PhD program is a study program, which aims at training PhD students, at an international level, to undertake research, development, and teaching assignments. These qualifications open a window of opportunity to a variety of careers within the private and public sectors. The program includes the drafting of a PhD thesis, active participation in research networks, PhD courses and knowledge dissemination. The standard duration of the PhD program is three years of full-time studies, which equals 180 ECTS credits.
For further information about the guidelines for PhD studies at UCPH, please refer to: PhD Programs - Guide to studies and admission – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
For further information about the structure of the PhD programme, please refer to: Structure of the PhD programme – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
How to apply
Applications must be submitted online. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of this advertisement to submit an application. The application must be written in English or a Scandinavian language, and include the following enclosures in PDF or Word format:
- Cover Letter detailing your motivation and background for applying for the specific PhD project.
- CV.
- Project abstract (Please fill in the “Project abstract” box in the application form. Must not exceed 1,200 characters).
- Project description (no more than 12,000 characters, not including bibliography). The project description should include suggestions for relevant research questions, theory, and methods.
- Time schedule for the PhD-project.
- Diploma and transcripts of records (Both bachelor’s and master’s degree).
- Other information for consideration, e.g. list of publications, documentation of Danish/Scandinavian and English language qualifications (if relevant).
On the website of the PhD School, you will find information about the enclosures to include with your electronic application: Admission requirements and application procedures – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
The recruitment process
The following criteria are applied when assessing PhD applications:
- Research qualifications as reflected in the project proposal.
- Quality and feasibility of the project.
- Qualifications and knowledge in relevant disciplines.
- Performance (grades obtained) in graduate and post-graduate studies.
For further information about the application procedure, please refer to the University of Copenhagen website: Recruitment process – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
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.
Terms of employment
PhD students are paid a salary in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately DKK 31.200 / approximately EUR 4,100 plus 18,07% pension. The PhD student has a work obligation of up to 840 hours over the 3-year period without additional pay. The work obligation can include for instance teaching.
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:For international researchers at the University of Copenhagen – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
Contact information
Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, Sarah Lund HR-Soendre@adm.ku.dk - please refer to 211-2321/25-2H #2
If you have any questions about the academic content of the position, please contact the Director of Center, Professor Pia Quist, pia.quist@hum.ku.dk
The deadline for applications is 11 January 2026, at 23:59 (CET).
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