PhD Positions in Law (Lund University)

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universities. The University has around 47 000 students and more than 8 800 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition. Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset. Lund University has recently established a university-wide centre for research, collaboration and education on total defence: the Centre for Preparedness and Resilience at Lund University (LUPREP). The overall objective of LUPREP is to create the conditions for the development of interdisciplinary research of the highest scientific quality in the field of total defence. This work will be carried out in collaboration with the research community and existing collaborations between the university, government, industry and relevant international organisations. To ensure long-term development in this area, an interdisciplinary graduate school will be established in conjunction with LUPREP. The graduate school offers very good opportunities to contribute to the research frontier in areas of both urgent and increasing societal relevance. The following areas are of particular interest: Communication, disinformation and psychological defence Governance of communities, agencies, other public activities and enterprises with a focus on security and crisis preparedness Organisation and management of critical societal activities and organisational dependencies Critical infrastructures and security of supply Geopolitics and security policy Subject description The Faculty of Law now invites applications for two PhD positions in law with a specialisation in total defence, preparedness and resilience. The research project can be linked to any of the research environments within the faculty. The project can, for example, concern jurisprudence, labour law, banking law, private law, EU law, fiscal law, public international law, administrative law, international environmental law, private international law, comparative law, constitutional law, environmental law, human rights, public law, civil and criminal procedure, law and economics, legal history, social and welfare law, or criminal law. Job assignments According to Chapter 5, Section 2 of the Higher Education Ordinance (Högskoleförordningen), those appointed to doctoral studentships shall primarily devote themselves to their studies. Those appointed to doctoral studentships may, however, work to a limited extent with educational tasks, research and administration. Before a doctorate has been awarded, however, duties of this kind may not comprise more than 20 per cent of a full-time post. The researchers and teachers at the Faculty are expected to contribute to a dynamic research environment as well as to other Faculty activities, and to perform work primarily in the workplace provided by the Faculty of Law in Lund. In addition to the Faculty of Law's research school, the doctoral students are also expected to take an active part in LUPREP's activities, and thus also be physically present in Helsingborg at least once a week. Eligibility/Entry Requirements Only those who are or have been admitted to third-cycle courses and study programmes at a higher education may be appointed to doctoral studentships. (Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 5, Section 3.) A person meets the general entry requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if he or she: has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad. (Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7, Section 39) The special requirements are fulfilled by those who have completed a law programme and obtained the degree Master of Laws (juris kandidatexamen/juristexamen). The special requirements may also be fulfilled by those who can demonstrate other educational or particular professional experience where this is judged to provide the necessary qualification for doctoral studies comparable to that provided by the degree of Master of Laws (juris kandidatexamen/juristexamen) regarding both the subject for doctoral study and general legal education of importance for that subject. The applicant must have obtained the degree of Master of Laws or the equivalent no later than 22 September 2025. Basis of Assessment For regulations concerning employment of Doctoral Students etc, see Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 5 Sections 1-7. For regulations concerning admission to third-cycle courses and study programmes, see Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7 Sections 34-41. Admittance of a doctoral student is based on an assessment of the candidate’s ability to benefit from third-cycle studies (Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 5 Section 5, Chapter 7 Sections 35, 41). The applicant’s ability to benefit from third-cycle studies and research will be assessed with reference to the following selection criteria stated in the general syllabus for third-cycle studies at the Faculty of Law, which are given in no particular order of importance. The applicant’s general competence: quality and content of the applicant’s previous written work, such as a master’s thesis ability to participate actively in the faculty’s research environment relevant educational background and grades/grade average relevant work experience The scientific quality of the project description: ability to describe, question and discuss the current state of research sufficient clarity and logical coherence in the formulation of the aim and the research questions stringency of legal reasoning and analysis adequate selection of methods and theory capacity for creativity and innovation in the formulation of the research questions and approaches linguistic comprehensibility and formal aspects Appointment Procedure The application should be submitted through Varbi Lund University job application portal. Your application should contain a curriculum vitae, grade transcripts, project description, a master thesis or similar degree projects, one or two references (manager, supervisor etc.) and other documents that you wish to submit. The project description, enclosed in the electronic application, must not exceed 15 000 characters including spaces, footnotes, list of references etc. (any text that exceeds the limit will not be considered) and must be written in English, Swedish, Danish, or Norwegian (see Guidelines for Project description) The Committee on Doctoral Education will call a limited number of candidates to interviews to be held on 12 November 2025, either by personal or digital meetings. Notification regarding who will be called for an interview is given no later than 17 October 2025. The interview will be based on the project description and is intended to deepen the committee’s knowledge of the applicant and the applicant’s ability to complete doctoral education. Type of employment Limit of tenure, four years according to Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 5 Section 7. The Faculty of Law is one of Lund University´s four founding faculties. The Faculty has approximately 2 000 students enrolled in first and second-cycle courses and programmes, around 160 staff members including 40 doctoral students. Information about the faculty can be found at www.jur.lu.se. We kindly decline all sales and marketing contacts. If you apply for this position please say you saw it on Socioloxy

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universities. The University has around 47 000 students and more than 8 800 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset.

Lund University has recently established a university-wide centre for research, collaboration and education on total defence: the Centre for Preparedness and Resilience at Lund University (LUPREP).

The overall objective of LUPREP is to create the conditions for the development of interdisciplinary research of the highest scientific quality in the field of total defence. This work will be carried out in collaboration with the research community and existing collaborations between the university, government, industry and relevant international organisations.

To ensure long-term development in this area, an interdisciplinary graduate school will be established in conjunction with LUPREP. The graduate school offers very good opportunities to contribute to the research frontier in areas of both urgent and increasing societal relevance.

The following areas are of particular interest:

Communication, disinformation and psychological defence
Governance of communities, agencies, other public activities and enterprises with a focus on security and crisis preparedness
Organisation and management of critical societal activities and organisational dependencies
Critical infrastructures and security of supply
Geopolitics and security policy

Subject description

The Faculty of Law now invites applications for two PhD positions in law with a specialisation in total defence, preparedness and resilience.

The research project can be linked to any of the research environments within the faculty. The project can, for example, concern jurisprudence, labour law, banking law, private law, EU law, fiscal law, public international law, administrative law, international environmental law, private international law, comparative law, constitutional law, environmental law, human rights, public law, civil and criminal procedure, law and economics, legal history, social and welfare law, or criminal law.

Job assignments

According to Chapter 5, Section 2 of the Higher Education Ordinance (Högskoleförordningen), those appointed to doctoral studentships shall primarily devote themselves to their studies. Those appointed to doctoral studentships may, however, work to a limited extent with educational tasks, research and administration. Before a doctorate has been awarded, however, duties of this kind may not comprise more than 20 per cent of a full-time post.

The researchers and teachers at the Faculty are expected to contribute to a dynamic research environment as well as to other Faculty activities, and to perform work primarily in the workplace provided by the Faculty of Law in Lund. In addition to the Faculty of Law's research school, the doctoral students are also expected to take an active part in LUPREP's activities, and thus also be physically present in Helsingborg at least once a week.

Eligibility/Entry Requirements

Only those who are or have been admitted to third-cycle courses and study programmes at a higher education may be appointed to doctoral studentships. (Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 5, Section 3.)

A person meets the general entry requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if he or she:

has been awarded a second-cycle qualification,
has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or
has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad. (Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7, Section 39)

The special requirements are fulfilled by those who have completed a law programme and obtained the degree Master of Laws (juris kandidatexamen/juristexamen). The special requirements may also be fulfilled by those who can demonstrate other educational or particular professional experience where this is judged to provide the necessary qualification for doctoral studies comparable to that provided by the degree of Master of Laws (juris kandidatexamen/juristexamen) regarding both the subject for doctoral study and general legal education of importance for that subject.

The applicant must have obtained the degree of Master of Laws or the equivalent no later than 22 September 2025.

Basis of Assessment

For regulations concerning employment of Doctoral Students etc, see Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 5 Sections 1-7. For regulations concerning admission to third-cycle courses and study programmes, see Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7 Sections 34-41.

Admittance of a doctoral student is based on an assessment of the candidate’s ability to benefit from third-cycle studies (Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 5 Section 5, Chapter 7 Sections 35, 41).

The applicant’s ability to benefit from third-cycle studies and research will be assessed with reference to the following selection criteria stated in the general syllabus for third-cycle studies at the Faculty of Law, which are given in no particular order of importance.

The applicant’s general competence:

quality and content of the applicant’s previous written work, such as a master’s thesis
ability to participate actively in the faculty’s research environment
relevant educational background and grades/grade average
relevant work experience

The scientific quality of the project description:

ability to describe, question and discuss the current state of research
sufficient clarity and logical coherence in the formulation of the aim and the research questions
stringency of legal reasoning and analysis
adequate selection of methods and theory
capacity for creativity and innovation in the formulation of the research questions and approaches
linguistic comprehensibility and formal aspects

Appointment Procedure

The application should be submitted through Varbi Lund University job application portal.

Your application should contain a curriculum vitae, grade transcripts, project description, a master thesis or similar degree projects, one or two references (manager, supervisor etc.) and other documents that you wish to submit.

The project description, enclosed in the electronic application, must not exceed 15 000 characters including spaces, footnotes, list of references etc. (any text that exceeds the limit will not be considered) and must be written in English, Swedish, Danish, or Norwegian (see Guidelines for Project description)

The Committee on Doctoral Education will call a limited number of candidates to interviews to be held on 12 November 2025, either by personal or digital meetings. Notification regarding who will be called for an interview is given no later than 17 October 2025. The interview will be based on the project description and is intended to deepen the committee’s knowledge of the applicant and the applicant’s ability to complete doctoral education.