PhD scholarship in Craft, Technology and Entrepreneurship

Copenhagen Business School invites applications for a PhD fellowship in the craft, technology and entrepreneurship at the Department of Business Humanities and Law.

The PhD position is a 3-year full-time contract connected to the Horizon 2022 research project “Hephaestus: Heritage in EuroPe: New tecHnologies in crAft for prEserving and innovaTing fUtureS”.

The envisioned starting date of the position is April 1, 2023.

The goal of the project is to research, preserve and, at the same time, innovate craft sectors to deliver a cutting-edge, creative, and sustainable technology-driven economy based on cultural heritage. On the one hand we open up new dimensions and opportunities of using digital technology for the preservation and restoration of cultural goods; on the other, provide opportunities for innovating business models to produce new and high-quality products, contributing to the creation of new markets, novel forms of entrepreneurship, and collaborations between crafts and cultural and creative industries. We selected five regional ecosystems that have a long tradition of craft: Dals Långed, Venice area, Bornholm, Bassano del Grappa territory, and Faroe Islands, in which we will conduct R&I activities and put in place strategies for creating long-term impact. These activities integrate concepts including design-driven innovation, social innovation, creativity, sustainability, entrepreneurship, circular economy, digital and cutting-edge technologies, and the New European Bauhaus.

Candidates are expected to do a two-fold contribution to the Hephaestus project. First, the candidate is expected to participate in the R&I activities at Bornholm, which will include mapping and analysing controversies in craft ecosystems. Second, the candidate is expected to participate in the R&I activities on Bassano del Grappa which will include mapping and analysing the creation and use of digital archives of craft. Hence, some familiarity with ethnographic studies and/or archival studies is considered qualifying for the position.

Participating in these two work-packages of the Hephaestus project will provide the candidate with ample opportunity to develop their own independent research project. We invite candidates from different disciplinary backgrounds in the humanities, social sciences and business studies, such as art studies, history, philosophy, sociology, political science, entrepreneurship, innovation management and organisation studies. In their application, candidates are required to draft a theoretically grounded research proposal with a clear empirical focus.

Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

• Archival studies of craft
• Archival ethnography and ethnography of archiving
• Science and Technologies Studies mapping and analysing controversies in craft ecosystems
• Analysis, comparison, of business models in circular economy businesses
• Entrepreneurship processes in creative organizations
• Developing art-based research as methodology for understanding craft processes and craft ecosystems
• Craft and technology
• How aesthetics and economy relate to craft as part of cultural and creative business
• Challenges with growth in craft businesses

The Department of Business Humanities and Law is dedicated to an integrated approach to the contemporary challenges facing business and society drawing on the humanities, interdisciplinary social sciences and law. It emphasizes both problem-oriented research to understand those challenges and learning to build the life-long capabilities necessary to address them. Faculty within the Department of Business Humanities and Law have research backgrounds in all areas of law, politics, sociology, philosophy, history, anthropology, literature, theology, aesthetics, design and innovation, tourism and leisure management, cultural economics, leadership and strategy, pedagogic study, and other areas.

The position will be affiliated with the Entrepreneurship, Ethics & Leadership Unit. What unites faculty is an overriding concern for the organization of the human within its multiple environments and, by implication, a research interest in the interdisciplinary ‘conversation’ between humanities and social sciences. BHL also participates in numerous interdisciplinary cross-CBS activities. In line with this concern, the PhD should demonstrate a capacity to bridge across several of these environments.

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 the PhD student is expected to participate in international research conferences and to spend time at another research institution as a visiting scholar. 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 the department’s research here: www.cbs.dk/bhl .

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 above) for the master’s thesis according to the Danish 7-point grading scale (https://eng.uvm.dk/general-overview/7-point-grading-scale )
• 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 of 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. 
• have an educational background in the humanities or social sciences. 
• 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 research proposal of three to five-pages. 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:

• 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)
• documentation for English language skills

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 .

Employment and salary
A PhD scholarship runs for a period of three years, and includes teaching obligations equivalent to six months’ work (840 work hours). The scholarships are fully salaried positions, according to the national Danish collective agreement. The monthly salary is currently approximately DKK 28,365 up to DKK 34,256 depending on seniority and a pension contribution totalling 17.1%. 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 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.

For further information please contact: Associate Professor Marta Gasparin, email: [email protected] ; or Head of Department Professor Mitchell Dean, e-mail: [email protected] . Information about the department may be found at www.cbs.dk/bhl .

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

Closing date: 24 February 2023.

Apply online

CBS is a globally recognised business school with deep roots in the Nordic socio-economic model. We have a broad focus on business and societal challenges of the 21st century. As such we have a full portfolio of high-quality disciplinary and interdisciplinary research and education that has equipped generations of professionals and leaders in the private sector and beyond.

Located at Frederiksberg, Denmark, the school has approx. 21.000 full and part-time students, 760 full-time faculty members, 210 PhD students and 680 administrative staff, and a full portfolio of Bachelor, Master’s, MBA/EMBA, PhD and Executive programmes delivered in English and Danish.

Our global profile carries the obligation 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 organization, and we encourage all regardless of gender identity and expression, ethnicity, religious beliefs, LGBT+ status, cultural background etc. to apply.
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