PhD Courses in Denmark

Date and time: 10 December 2025 from 9:30 to 15:00

Course description
The course is designed for PhD students who would like to have a broader understanding of how research is being evaluated, how your research can have impact (academically as well as societally), and how you become an academic citizen. The course provides hands-on insights on how write the best possible research, make it impactful meanwhile navigating the requirements of being a good academic citizen.

Regarding excellence, the course supplies PhD students with an outline of the major criteria used when evaluating research, using insights from top journals to funding agencies to PhD assessment committees. In terms of impact, the course provides a map of different opportunities for making your research impactful both within and beyond academia. Finally, it debates academic citizenship in terms of the different ways in which you can provide broader contributions as an academic.

Course objectives
The main objective of the course is to equip PhD students with the necessary set of skills required to carry out excellent research, make it impactful, and become an academic citizen. The first part of the module will introduce students to criteria used to assess research quality, including the core concepts of ‘excellence’ and ‘impact’. Experienced researchers will share their perspectives on how they perceive excellence and impact in legal science and how excellence and impact transpire into their own research. Against this background, PhD participants will be given an opportunity to articulate and discuss what these two concepts imply in the specific context of their individual PhD projects. The second part of the module equips PhD students with tools for making meaningful contributions to their research environment and beyond, and to reflect upon publication strategies. Considering the various roles academics undertake, such as peer reviewing, providing feedback on ongoing research, and serving as discussants on conference panels, the session addresses questions like: What defines a good peer reviewer? What are the best practices for effective discussion? How does one excel as a chair? Junior and senior scholars will share insights and strategies for navigating diverse academic roles, while also inviting PhD participants to contribute their perspectives.

Intended learning outcomes
Upon the completion of the course, the participants will be able to: 
 - Demonstrate an understanding of how research is being evaluated and can be impactful. Moreover, participants will understand how they can use these insights in their day-to-day operation as academics.
 - Critically reflect upon what it takes to produce excellent and impactful research and how this transpires into the different roles that academics are asked to perform. 
 - Identify which approaches to their projects are most suitable for making their research both excellent and impactful.

Course format
The course is divided into two parts:
 - In part I senior scholars will introduce and discuss issues related to excellence and impact, present challenges related to these notions, and share examples from their own studies in these regards. In addition, participants are asked to be actively involved in discussions and draw on their own experiences.
 - In Part II senior scholars will outline the many roles that academics play and the underpinning values of academia in these regards. Participants will participate actively in identifying and discussing how this translates into their own work.

Course instructors
The course consists of presentations and discussions delivered by senior academics based at the Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen.
 - Part I is taught by Professor Mikael Rask Madsen and Professor Henrik Udsen, who will provide different experiences regarding excellence and impact.
 - Part II is taught by Professor Mikael Rask Madsen and Associate Professor Sylvie Cécile Cavaleri who will supply their own experiences with academic citizenship and its many different roles.

Course organisers: Sune Klinge, Rasmus Grønved and Mikael Rask Madsen

Programme

09:30-12:00: Excellence and Impact in Research
Mikael Rask Madsen & Henrik Udsen

12:00- 12:30: Lunch Break

12:30-15:00: Academic Citizenship
Mikael Rask Madsen & Sylvie Cécile Cavaleri

Preparation for the course 
 - Three weeks prior to the course, participants will receive a set of readings, with which they should be familiar at the time of the course.
 - Two weeks prior to the course, the participants shall submit a brief presentation of their PhD projects (½-1 page) together with a description of how they engage the key issues of excellence, impact, and citizenship (1 page). These documents will be distributed among all participants and form the basis for discussions. Please submit the requested by email to phd@hrsc.ku.dk no later than 26 November 2025.

After the course
One week after the course day the participants shall submit a 1-page reflection paper on academic excellence, impact, and citizenship in their PhD project based on experience from the course. Please submit the requested by email to phd@hrsc.ku.dk no later than 17 December 2025.

Language: English

ECTS: 1.5

Maximum number of participants: 35

Registration: Please register via the link in the box no later than 19 November 2025.

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