University of Copenhagen
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PhD Fellowship in Cultural Reasoning with Language Models and Natural Language Processing University of Copenhagen in Denmark
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
Three-year full-time PhD fellowship within the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme). Salary, pension, and employment conditions follow Danish academic agreements; monthly salary starts at DKK 31,800/approx. 4,200 EUR (August 2026 level), with possible supplement depending on qualifications, and the employer pays an additional 18.07% to pension. The project is funded by Independent Research Fund Denmark.
Deadline
Nov 8, 2026
Country
Denmark
University
University of Copenhagen

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About this position
PhD fellowship at the University of Copenhagen in Natural Language Processing, Computer Science, and computational humanities, focused on cultural reasoning with language models. The project, CuRe: Cultural Reasoning for Responsible Language Model Development (DFF project 5334-00088B), studies how language models interpret culture, ambiguity, and textual evidence, with literary texts as a demanding testbed.
The PhD candidate will work in the AI Section and CoAStaL research group at the Department of Computer Science, in collaboration with the Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics. Research tasks include building datasets and benchmarks linking literary passages to cultural/historical context, analyzing how language models use cultural knowledge and interpretive strategies, developing methods for grounding interpretations in evidence and uncertainty, and evaluating methods through experiments and studies with literary scholars and readers.
Relevant methods include language model evaluation, probing, retrieval and retrieval-augmented generation, explicit representations of interpretive evidence and uncertainty, data annotation, human-centred evaluation, and multilingual or cross-cultural analysis. The empirical work will primarily use modern Scandinavian literary texts, while aiming for broader generalization beyond literature. A planned research stay at McGill University is included.
Eligibility: applicants need a relevant master’s degree or equivalent, strong programming skills (preferably Python), and experience with machine learning or NLP tools. Excellent English is required; Scandinavian language knowledge or literary analysis experience is an advantage. The position is a three-year full-time PhD fellowship under the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme), with salary and pension under Danish academic agreements. Monthly salary starts at DKK 31,800 (approx. EUR 4,200, August 2026 level), plus pension contributions.
Deadline: 2026-11-08 at 23:59 CET. Apply online via the University of Copenhagen portal and include a motivation letter, CV, diplomas/transcripts, publication list if applicable, and reference letters if available.
Funding details
Three-year full-time PhD fellowship within the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme). Salary, pension, and employment conditions follow Danish academic agreements; monthly salary starts at DKK 31,800/approx. 4,200 EUR (August 2026 level), with possible supplement depending on qualifications, and the employer pays an additional 18.07% to pension. The project is funded by Independent Research Fund Denmark.
What's required
Applicants must have a master's degree or equivalent qualification relevant to the PhD project, equivalent to a Danish master's degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc). Strong programming skills, preferably in Python, and experience with machine learning or natural language processing tools are required. Candidates should know modern NLP and language models and be able to design, implement, and evaluate computational experiments. Advantageous experience includes language model evaluation, retrieval or retrieval-augmented generation, data annotation, interpretability, multilingual NLP, or computational humanities. Applicants should have relevant research experience, publications, thesis work or professional activities, be able to work independently and across computer science and the humanities, and have excellent written and spoken English; knowledge of a Scandinavian language or experience with literary analysis is an advantage.
How to apply
Apply electronically via the APPLY NOW / SØG STILLINGEN link on the University of Copenhagen job portal. Submit the application in English with a motivation letter, CV, diplomas and transcripts, publication list if applicable, and reference letters if available. Apply before 2026-11-08 23:59 CET.
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