PhD Scholarships in Operations Management at Copenhagen Business School Copenhagen Business School in Denmark

Copenhagen Business School (CBS) invites applications for a number of PhD scholarships at the Department of Operations Management. The positions begin on 1 February 2027 and are based in Frederiksberg, Denmark.

The call covers two closely related research directions. One project examines public-private cooperation in the Danish maritime sector, with a focus on security and preparedness in a changing geopolitical environment. This track is especially suitable for candidates with strengths in qualitative research, including interviews and ethnographic methods, and with interests in management control, public policy, and decision-making. The second project focuses on the managerial and organizational implications of AI and autonomous systems. Candidates for this area should have programming and quantitative skills, for example process-oriented coding, machine learning, or simulation.

The Department of Operations Management is a broad business studies department with research and teaching in supply chain management, management accounting/performance management, innovation management, operations management, and managerial economics. CBS encourages interdisciplinary proposals that connect multiple research areas, and applicants who can bridge areas such as management accounting, managerial economics, operations management, and supply chain management will have an advantage. The department also highlights themes such as generative AI in supply chain and operations management, performance evaluation and reward systems, sustainable supply chain, and supply chain responsiveness and resilience.

The PhD programme is a three-year programme with teaching obligations corresponding to 416 work hours. The scholarship is fully salaried under the Danish collective agreement, with a monthly salary of approximately DKK 31,000 to DKK 37,000 depending on seniority, plus a pension contribution of 18.07%. The scholarship also includes tuition fees, office space, and course and travel costs. Students are expected to participate in international research conferences and spend time at another research institution as a visiting PhD student.

Eligibility requirements include a master’s degree (3+2 Bologna equivalent), a master’s thesis grade of 10 or equivalent under the Danish 7-point scale, completion of the master’s programme before starting at CBS, and high-level academic English in both writing and speaking. The department gives priority to applicants with high grades, and values applied or interdisciplinary experience, including work in EU-funded projects, research institutes, or industrial collaborations.

The application must include a five-page project description with an original research question, initial theoretical framework and method, proposed empirical material, and a three-year work plan, plus a cover letter, diplomas and transcripts, evidence of top-40% ranking if needed, CV, publication list if relevant, and one writing sample such as a master’s thesis. Applications must be submitted through CBS’s electronic recruitment system by 27 October 2026 at 23:59 (Europe/Copenhagen).

For questions, contact Head of Department Carsten Ørts Hansen at [email protected]. More information about the department and the PhD programme is available on the CBS website.