PhD scholarship opportunities in law at Copenhagen Business School

Copenhagen Business School invites applications for two vacant PhD scholarships within the field of law. The expected start date is 1 October 2026.

Core re­search themes of the De­part­ment of Busi­ness Hu­man­it­ies and Law (BHL) in­clude entrepreneur­ship, busi­ness eth­ics, lead­er­ship, gov­ernance, cul­ture, learn­ing, busi­ness his­tory, and law from com­mer­cial and so­ci­et­al per­spect­ives. It is the ambition of BHL to tackle the big ques­tions shap­ing busi­ness and so­ci­ety today. Through high-qual­ity re­search and teach­ing groun­ded in the hu­man­it­ies, so­cial sci­ences, and law, BHL researchers ex­plore what it means to be hu­man in a world driv­en by en­ter­prise and un­cer­tainty.

The De­part­ment is or­gan­ized with three aca­dem­ic units closely re­lated to as­pects of our edu­ca­tion­al of­fer­ings and our re­search. The two offered PhD positions are anchored in the Law Unit (CBS LAW). Foun­ded in the in­ter­na­tion­al and na­tion­al leg­al frame­work for busi­nesses in a glob­al­ised world, CBS LAW’s re­search fo­cuses on busi­ness law from a so­ci­et­al and com­mer­cial per­spect­ive. Con­sequently, the re­search con­cen­trates on the con­tent of and in­ter­play between in­ter­na­tion­al law, EU law and na­tion­al law. You can read more about CBS LAW's research profile here: https://www.cbs.dk/research/departments/department-business-humanities-and-law/cbs-law

Teaching responsibilities of CBS LAW include undergraduate and graduate teaching in law courses across CBS. As most of the law courses are in Danish, it is considered an advantage if the PhD student can teach in Danish.

Applicants for the PhD scholarships in law should submit a research proposal that identifies a topic and one or more research questions. A relevant topic can for example be:

• Settlement of commercial disputes, such as litigation, arbitration and mediation.
• Recent CJEU judgments and the proposed “Buy European” policy under the Industrial Accelerator Act redefine EU public procurement as part of the Union’s external commercial policy, limiting automatic access for third-country operators. This shift raises significant and uncertain legal and practical implications.
• Legal implications of various issues under VAT and tax law.
• Supply chain liability and business resilience from an interdisciplinary perspective with the outset in legal doctrinal analysis and in law and economics.
• Contracting under uncertainty and systemic risk from an interdisciplinary perspective with the outset in legal doctrinal analysis and in law and economics. Recent crises, from pandemics and climate change to geopolitical conflicts, have revealed the fragility of contractual relationships when risks are systemic, correlated, and unpredictable.
• Legal developments in EU law.

These topics are only suggestive, and applications that address other topics within the scope of the CBS LAW’s research profile will also be considered.

The three-year PhD programme at CBS gives you the opportunity to conduct research under the supervision of CBS’s associate professors and professors, supported by research related PhD courses. The programme is highly international, and you are expected to participate in international research conferences and to spend time at another research institution as a visiting PhD student. See the CBS homepage for more information about the PhD programme, https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/phd-programme.

CBS PhD graduates are held in high esteem not only in academia and research institutions but also in government and business where their research qualifications are in high demand.

CBS is committed to ensuring excellence, transformative and relevant teaching and research. Candidates who wish to join us must be interested in working in an organisation of this type and it is expected that the applicant shows an interest in joining the department's research environment. You can read more about BHL's research profile here: https://www.cbs.dk/research/departments/department-business-humanities-and-law

Application and admission requirements

The department will give priority to applicants with high grades from their universities.
To be considered the applicant must

* have a basic education at master's level (corresponding to the 3 + 2 Bologna process)

* have received the grade of 10 (or equivalent) for the master's thesis according to the Danish 7-point grading scale(https://ufsn.dk/english/education/the-danish-education-system/grading-system/)

* 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.

* have a relevant educational background in relation to the research topic and CBS LAW’s research profile, e.g. m masters degree in law, commercial law, or auditing

* have completed the master's programme before starting the PhD programme at CBS

* master academic English at a high level in writing and speaking

The application (see link below) must include a five-page project description. The project description must include:

• a presentation of an original research question
• a description of the initial theoretical framework and method
• a presentation of the proposed empirical material
• a work plan for the three years

More 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:

• cover letter
• 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)

The PhD student is enrolled in the CBS PhD School. Further information about PhD scholarships and the PhD programme can be found at https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/phd-programme.

For further information please contact Director of CBS LAW, Professor Peter Koerver Schmidt, email pks.bhl@cbs.dk. Information about CBS LAW can be found at https://www.cbs.dk/research/departments/department-business-humanities-and-law/cbs-law

Employment and salary

A PhD scholarship runs for a period of three years, and includes teaching obligations corresponding to 416 work hours. The scholarships are fully salaried positions, according to the national Danish collective agreement. The monthly salary is currently approximately DKK 29,691,75 up to DKK 36,180 depending on seniority and a pension contribution totalling 18,07 %. 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 procedure

The Recruitment Committee shortlists at least two-five applicants to be assessed by the Assessment Committee. Applicants are informed whether their application has proceeded for assessment.

Applicants selected for assessment will be notified about the composition of the Assessment Committee and will receive their personal assessment later. Selected applicants will be invited for an interview. Please note that a positive assessment does not automatically result in an interview. Once the recruitment process is completed each applicant will be notified of the outcome of their application.

The application must be sent via the online link below.

Copenhagen Business School must receive all application material, including all appendices (see above), by the application deadline.

Details about Copenhagen Business School are available at www.cbs.dk/en.

Apply for position

WE TRANSFORM SOCIETY WITH BUSINESS

CBS is a globally recognised business school with deep roots in the Nordic socio-economic model. Our faculty has a broad focus on societal challenges, and we have earned a reputation for high-quality disciplinary and interdisciplinary research and education.

We are located at Frederiksberg and have approximately 20,000 full and part-time students, 800 full-time faculty members, 200 PhD students and 700 administrative staff, and a full portfolio of bachelor, master, MBA/EMBA, PhD and executive programmes taught in English and Danish.

Our global profile carries the obligation to address critical challenges in our research and to develop the transformational capabilities of students, graduates and business leaders via our educational activities and opportunities for lifelong learning. Complex challenges call for joint action, and therefore our strategy focuses on strengthening current and starting new partnerships with other sciences, the business community, authorities and civil society.
CBS is working continuously on becoming a diverse and inclusive organisation, and we encourage all regardless of gender identity and expression, ethnicity, religious beliefs, LGBT+ identity, cultural background etc. to apply.Reach out to us if you need assistance in the application or recruitment process, if there is something we should know, or if as a person with disability you wish to make use of your preferential access.

 

INFORMATIONER OM STILLINGEN:

- Arbejdspladsen ligger i:

Frederiksberg Kommune

-Virksomheden tilbyder:

-Arbejdsgiver:

Copenhagen Business School, Solbjerg Plads, 2000 Frederiksberg

-Ansøgning:

Ansøgningsfrist: 15-06-2026;

Se mere her: https://job.jobnet.dk/find-job/402e9558-59f4-4c33-a308-d325697f438f