PhD Opportunity: Religious Education, Legal Consciousness and Social Cohesion in Post-Imperial Islamic Societies – University of Southern Denmark

PhD Opportunity: Religious Education, Legal Consciousness and Social Cohesion in Post-Imperial Islamic Societies – University of Southern Denmark

• Institution: University of Southern Denmark (SDU)

• Department: Department of Law

• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences

• PhD School: SDU Business School and Faculty of Social Sciences

• Position: Fully Funded PhD Position

• Project: Religious Education, Legal Consciousness and Social Cohesion in Post-Imperial Islamic Societies

• Doctoral Network: MINARET – Islamic Legal Cultures in Post-Imperial Contexts

• Funding Framework: Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network

• Job ID: 4357

• Appointment Type: Full-Time PhD Fellowship

• Duration: 3 Years

• Location: Odense, Denmark

• Expected Start Date: September 1, 2027, or by agreement

• Application Deadline: January 31, 2027 at 23:59 CET/CEST

• Salary / Remuneration: According to the applicable Danish collective agreement and MSCA provisions; exact amount not specified in the source

Overview of the Opportunity

The Department of Law at the University of Southern Denmark invites applications for a fully funded three-year PhD position within the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network MINARET – Islamic Legal Cultures in Post-Imperial Contexts.

The doctoral project examines how constitutional and legal frameworks governing religious education shape citizenship, legal consciousness, and social cohesion in Indonesia and Morocco.

The successful candidate will conduct comparative empirical research while participating in international supervision, training, fieldwork, secondments, workshops, and conferences within the MINARET network.

Research Focus

The project explores how:

• Constitutional values are translated into educational practice.

• Religious identities interact with civic norms.

• Religious education influences democratic participation.

• Educational institutions shape perceptions of rights and duties.

• Religious education affects social integration and belonging.

• Legal norms, religious values, and civic identities intersect in everyday life.

The research contributes to:

• Sociology of Law

• Legal Consciousness

• Citizenship Studies

• Comparative Constitutionalism

• Religion and Law

• Islamic Legal Cultures

The candidate is expected to develop an original research design within the overall project framework.

Supervision

The doctoral candidate will be supervised by:

• Professor Ole Hammerslev, University of Southern Denmark – Principal Supervisor

• A co-supervisor from the MINARET consortium

Additional mentoring and supervision will be provided through the international MINARET network.

Fieldwork & International Mobility

The position includes substantial international mobility.

Fieldwork is expected in:

• Indonesia

• Morocco

The candidate will also undertake:

• One academic secondment at a partner university.

• One non-academic secondment with a relevant partner organisation.

• Network-wide training events.

• Workshops.

• Summer schools.

• Conferences.

Participation in these activities is mandatory.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

• Conduct independent doctoral research.

• Develop and implement an original comparative research design.

• Participate actively in the MINARET Doctoral Network.

• Undertake international fieldwork.

• Complete academic and non-academic secondments.

• Complete required PhD courses and training activities.

• Contribute to the Department of Law research environment.

• Participate in teaching and related activities in accordance with Danish PhD regulations.

Essential Qualifications

Applicants must hold a relevant Master’s degree or equivalent in areas such as:

• Law

• Sociology

• Political Science

• Anthropology

• Religious Studies

• Education

• Related Social Science disciplines

Applicants must also:

• Meet the admission requirements of the SDU PhD School.

• Not already hold a doctoral degree.

• Meet the MSCA mobility rule.

• Have excellent English-language skills.

MSCA Mobility Requirement

Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Denmark for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately preceding the recruitment date.

This requirement applies under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network rules.

Preferred Qualifications

Preference may be given to applicants with experience or strong interest in:

• Sociology of Law

• Legal Consciousness

• Citizenship Studies

• Religion and Law

• Islamic Legal Cultures

• Qualitative Research

• Comparative Research

• Fieldwork-Based Research

Knowledge of any of the following languages is considered advantageous but is not required:

• Arabic

• Bahasa Indonesia

• French

• Other relevant languages

Assessment Criteria

Applicants will be evaluated on:

• Academic qualifications.

• Quality and feasibility of the proposed research project.

• Methodological competence.

• Motivation for international and interdisciplinary research.

• Suitability for the MINARET network.

• Ability to contribute to the objectives of the doctoral project.

Funding & Employment Conditions

The position offers:

• 3 years of full-time employment as a PhD Fellow

• Enrolment in an internationally recognised PhD programme

• Participation in a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network

• International supervision

• International training

• Research mobility

• Academic and non-academic secondments

• Salary and employment conditions governed by Danish collective agreements and MSCA provisions

The exact starting salary is not stated in the source and will be communicated during the recruitment process.

Application Checklist

Applicants must submit:

1. Motivated Application

2. Detailed Curriculum Vitae

   • Education and work history specified by month and year

3. Certified Master’s Degree Certificate

   • Including transcripts of examination results

   • Or expected Master’s completion date

4. Application Form

5. PhD Project Description

   • Maximum 5 pages

   • Up to 2,400 characters per page including spaces, notes, appendices, and bibliography

6. Project Abstract

   • Maximum 250 words

7. Up to 2 Publications, if available

8. Information on Teaching Experience or Other Academic Communication

Documents not in Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish must be translated into English.

All files must be submitted in PDF format and must not exceed 5 MB per file.

Important Dates

• Posting Date: October 19, 2026

• Application Deadline: January 31, 2027 at 23:59 CET/CEST

• Expected Start Date: September 1, 2027, or by agreement

The Oracle portal displays an apply-before timestamp of February 1, 2027 at 04:29, but the vacancy text explicitly states the deadline as January 31, 2027 at 23:59 CET/CEST, which should be followed.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted through the University of Southern Denmark career portal.

Job ID: 4357

Application Link:
https://fa-eosd-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1001/job/4357/

For academic questions:

Contact: Professor Ole Hammerslev
Email: ohv@sam.sdu.dk

For technical application issues:

Email: hcm-support@sdu.dk

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