PhD Courses in Denmark

Department of Anthropology UCPH in collaboration with the Department of Anthropology AU

Date and time: 4 September 2025, from appr. 11 AM to 5 PM (precise time will depend on the number of participants).

Course objective: This workshop gives newly enrolled PhD students in Anthropology at Aarhus and Copenhagen Universities the opportunity to present their research projects for critical and constructive discussion, aiming to turn a successful research proposal into a viable fieldwork project. Projects will be considered in terms of research design, the operationalising of theories and concepts, fieldwork approaches, research ethics, and ensuring openness to the unexpected. The challenges of working in different settings will be examined and compared. The workshop runs over 1 day and will bring together the most recent cohort of PhD students and a seasoned field researcher from each of the two anthropology departments.

Preparation for the course: No later than 15 August 2025, participants are asked to send the organisers:

 1. A short (2-3 pages) project description focusing on research design
 2. A short (2 pages) reflection paper focusing on methodological, practical and analytical possibilities, challenges, surprises and dilemmas as encountered or expected in the project

The project descriptions and reflection papers will be distributed to all participants and are expected to be read in advance. Each participant will be asked to prepare in-depth feedback for one or two other participants. 

Course organisers:
 - Tine Gammeltoft, Head of PhD programme and Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Copenhagen.
 - Martin Demant Frederiksen, Associate Professor, School of Culture and Society, Department of Anthropology, Aarhus University.

Venue: The course will be held in Aarhus or Copenhagen.

Max. number of participants: 7

ECTS: 2

Target group: The course is primarily offered to PhD students from the Departments of Anthropology at Copenhagen and Aarhus Universities. If there are vacant seats, PhD students from other research schools may participate. All participants must have a background in anthropology or a related discipline, and it is a requirement that the planned project include ethnographic fieldwork.

Course fee: The PhD School at the Faculty of Social Sciences participates in Denmark’s national network for PhD courses. This course is free of charge for PhD students enrolled at one of the participating PhD schools (PhD students enrolled at a Danish University, except Copenhagen Business School). Other PhD students will be charged a course fee of DKK 1,200 per ECTS for participation in the course (PhD students enrolled at Copenhagen Business School or a University outside Denmark).

Registration: Please register via the link in the box no later than 1 August 2025.

Further information: For more information about the PhD course, please contact the PhD Administration (phd@hrsc.ku.dk) or the course organisers.