PhD Scholarship in Forgetting and Secrecy in the Age of AI – University of Copenhagen

The University of Copenhagen describes the PhD programme as an international research-training programme in which PhD Fellows conduct independent research under supervision, undertake research training and contribute to academic activities. The standard PhD programme lasts three years and corresponds to 180 ECTS credits.

The PhD candidate will be affiliated with the Section for Information, Technology, and Connections (INTER) within the Department of Communication. The section provides an interdisciplinary research environment focused on theoretical, methodological and empirical research concerning digital society.

The candidate will also be expected to participate in the academic life of the department and contribute to research activities and events connected with the project. Scientific publication is an important part of the position, and the successful applicant is expected to publish research articles within the context of the project.

The position is a salaried employment rather than an unfunded study place. The official University of Copenhagen vacancy states that the salary starts at approximately DKK 31,800 per month, equivalent to approximately EUR 4,200, in addition to an 18.07% pension contribution. The exact salary is governed by the applicable Danish collective agreement.

During the three-year employment, the PhD Fellow is required to carry out departmental tasks corresponding to 840 working hours, equivalent to approximately six months of work spread across the three-year employment period.

Applicants who obtained their qualifications outside Denmark can apply. The university states that international applicants must have a master's degree equivalent to a Danish two-year master's degree or, under the stated conditions, a bachelor's degree equivalent to a Danish bachelor's degree together with professional qualifications assessed at master's level.

Applicants must also demonstrate a high level of written and spoken academic English. Where necessary, the university may request documentation of English-language proficiency.

The application process requires several documents. Applicants must submit a maximum one-page CV, a maximum one-page cover letter, diplomas and transcripts, a description of the grading scale, a project abstract of no more than 1,200 characters including spaces, and a project description of no more than 12,000 characters including spaces and excluding the bibliography.

The project description is especially important because the selection process evaluates the quality, originality and feasibility of the proposed PhD project. The assessment also considers the applicant's research qualifications, knowledge and competencies in relevant research fields and academic performance in previous bachelor's and master's studies.

The application must be submitted online through the official University of Copenhagen recruitment portal. The application must be written in English. Applicants with qualifications from universities where the working language is neither English nor a Scandinavian language must provide appropriately translated and verified academic documents as specified in the vacancy notice.

The application deadline is October 5, 2026 at 23:59 CEST. Applications or additional material submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

This opportunity is particularly valuable for candidates interested in the intersection of artificial intelligence and philosophy, ethics, privacy, information studies and digital society. It provides an opportunity to undertake doctoral research within an internationally oriented research environment while receiving a salary and pension as a PhD Fellow.

Eligibility:

1. Applicant must have qualifications corresponding to master's level in a subject related to the research project.
2. Relevant academic backgrounds include philosophy, philosophy of technology, philosophy of information, information ethics, intelligence studies, information studies or closely related disciplines.
3. Applicants with relevant qualifications from other closely related fields may be considered where their proposed research is appropriate to the project.
4. Applicants with qualifications obtained outside Denmark may apply if their degree is equivalent to the required Danish qualification level.
5. Applicant must demonstrate a high level of written and spoken academic English.
6. Applicant must be capable of developing an independent and original PhD research project related to the themes of the ForSe project.
7. Applicant should demonstrate relevant research knowledge and competencies in the proposed area.
8. Applicant should demonstrate strong academic performance at bachelor's and master's level.
9. Applicant must be prepared to undertake a full-time three-year PhD programme.
10. Applicant must submit the required application documents in English.
11. The proposed research should have clear relevance to artificial intelligence, forgetting, secrecy, privacy, information practices or related philosophical and ethical questions.
12. International applicants are eligible provided they meet the university's qualification and documentation requirements.

Benefits:

1. Fully funded three-year PhD employment at the University of Copenhagen.
2. Monthly salary starting at approximately DKK 31,800.
3. An additional 18.07% pension contribution.
4. Enrollment in a three-year PhD programme corresponding to 180 ECTS.
5. Opportunity to conduct independent doctoral research under academic supervision.
6. Membership of an internationally oriented interdisciplinary research environment.
7. Affiliation with the Section for Information, Technology, and Connections (INTER).
8. Opportunity to contribute to research concerning artificial intelligence, secrecy, forgetting and digital society.
9. Opportunities to publish scientific research.
10. Participation in research activities, academic events and scholarly discussions.
11. Opportunity to develop advanced research and academic skills.
12. International research and professional networking opportunities.
13. Opportunity to contribute to an internationally relevant research project examining major ethical and philosophical questions created by AI.
14. Access to the wider academic environment of the University of Copenhagen.
15. Pension benefits as part of the employment package.

Application Information: Applicants should prepare their application carefully because the University of Copenhagen places substantial emphasis on the quality, originality and feasibility of the proposed PhD project.

The application must contain a CV of no more than one page and a cover letter of no more than one page. Applicants must also provide bachelor's and master's diplomas and transcripts together with a description of the grading scale.

Applicants must prepare a project abstract of no more than 1,200 characters including spaces and a project description of no more than 12,000 characters including spaces, excluding the bibliography.

The proposed project should demonstrate a clear connection with the research themes of the ForSe project and should show how the applicant would contribute an original research perspective to the project's investigation of forgetting, secrecy and artificial intelligence.

Applicants should ensure that academic documents are complete and properly translated where required. Applicants whose previous university education was conducted in a language other than English or a Scandinavian language must follow the university's requirements for translated and verified documents.

The application must be submitted online through the official University of Copenhagen vacancy page.

The application deadline is October 5, 2026 at 23:59 CEST.

Employment is scheduled to begin on February 1, 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter.