U N I V E R S I T Y O F A A R H U S

Political science | Psychology

Economics and management | Law

PhD Graduate School of Social Sciences

University of Aarhus. Denmark

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 List of contents
Page 3: Dean's welcome
Pages 4-7: Graduate School of Social Sciences
Pages 8-9: Department of Political Science
Pages 10-11: School of Economics and Management
Pages 12-13: School of Law
Pages 14-15: Department of Psychology
Pages 16-17: Campus
Pages 18-19: Selected dissertation work in progress

University of Aarhus
The University of Aarhus is ranked among the top 200 universities worldwide and offers
broad and internationally recognized high-capacity research, forming an attractive des-
tination for many students. The university has a rich tradition of collaborating with some
of the most esteemed universities in the world and has an especially strong profile within
fields such as economics and management, life sciences, nanoscience, information
technology, natural resources, corporate and societal development as well as culture
and communication. The University of Aarhus encompasses 8 faculties, 35 departments
and schools and 70 research centres. At the moment, approximately 30,000 students
and 1,000 PhD students are enrolled.
Dean’s welcome
Talented PhD students are crucial for a dynamic and innovative A PhD from the Graduate School of Social Sciences will be recog-
academic climate. This is why the Graduate School of Social nized as a candidate trained in the latest, most advanced research
Sciences aims at attracting a greater number of highly qualified methods, thereby giving access to inspiring positions in academia
international PhD students. worldwide, or a fulfilling career in consulting and management in
the public or private sectors, where demand for highly specialized
PhD students at the Graduate School of Social Sciences are knowledge continues to grow.
­offered access to a rich repository of knowledge and intellectual
­capacity; highly qualified enthusiastic faculty and strong internation- If you are interested in a challenging, stimulating and rewarding PhD
ally recognized research environments. programme, I encourage you to apply.

PhD students receive strong research support in the form of the

latest computing facilities, comfortable office surroundings, access
to excellent library facilities and data bases that are second to
none, as well as funding for participation in conferences worldwide
and a long-term stay abroad at a well-reputed international research Svend Hylleberg
institution. Dean
Faculty of Social Sciences

Published by : Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Aarhus

Editors: : Aase Bak, Lone Niedziella, Henrik Friis Bach, Rune Gamborg Hansen
Photos : Lars Kruse, Søren Kjeldgaard/AU-foto
Design : Kirk & Holm Designcompany
Published : 2007

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 Graduate School of Social Sciences
– a joint PhD programme within the fields of
Political Science, Economics and Management,
Law and Psychology
Active Research Environment
The heart of the Graduate School of Social Sciences is its resident
faculty, who are among the top in their fields. Faculty members are
committed to research at the highest international standards and
recognize the importance of an active research environment made
up of stimulating courses, seminars given by renowned visiting
lecturers and the day-to-day exchange of intellectual ideas.
The PhD degree programme at the Graduate School of Social
Sciences is a crucial part of this research environment. PhD
students are fully integrated in the daily activities of the resident
faculty. The Danish university environment is largely characterized
by an organizational structure with few levels, which creates an
informal, yet professional, environment among our students and
faculty. Traditionally, there is a strong sense of solidarity among our
PhD students.
Two types of grants
Highly qualified students are invited to apply for admission to
the PhD degree programme at the Graduate School of Social
Sciences. Financial aid is automatically considered with the
­application for admission. If you qualify for admission, you may
apply for either:
Three-year PhD fellowships:
– The grant amounts to approximately DKK 305,000 per annum
and is awarded for a period of three years in total. degree programme, courses corresponding to 60 ECTS credits
Four-year PhD scholarships:
– The grant amounts to DKK 116,000 per annum during the
first two years. In addition, you will receive approximately DKK
25,000 per annum for undertaking teaching assignments. A
PhD fellowship of approximately DKK 305,000 per annum is
awarded for the following two years.
PhD students may also be self-funded. The tuition fee for an entire
PhD degree programme presently amounts to DKK 270,000.
4 5
Two types of PhD degree programmes
The Graduate School of Social Sciences offers 3-year or 4-year
PhD degree programmes in either Political science, Economics
and management, Law, Psychology or Social sciences. Upon suc-
cessful completion of the PhD degree programme, the candidate
is awarded an internationally recognized degree.
In the assessment of your application, admission is primarily based
upon:
– Your academic qualifications as measured by your educational
background
– Your academic aptitude for completing the outlined PhD project
– Your outlined project description.
Three-year PhD programmes:
At the time of enrolment, you must:
– hold, or expect to hold prior to the beginning of the PhD degree
programme, a relevant Master’s degree, or
– provide documentation verifying that you have gained adequate
fundamental knowledge of the prevailing theories and methods
within the given field.
Four-year PhD programmes:
At the time of enrolment, you must:
– hold a relevant Bachelor’s degree and have completed, or
expect to have completed prior to the beginning of the PhD
(European Credit Transfer System) of a relevant Master’s degree
programme.
Please note that you must complete Part A (the first two years of the
four-year programme) in a satisfactory way in order to continue your
studies at Part B (the last two years of the four-year programme).
The Master’s degree is conferred upon the completion of the first “Highly qualified
students are
two years (Part A). The PhD degree is conferred upon satisfactory
completion of the following two years (Part B), including the submis-
sion of a satisfactory PhD dissertation followed by a successful oral
defence.
invited to apply
for admission”
 Graduate School of Social Sciences
– a joint PhD programme within the fields of
Political Science, Economics and Management,
Law and Psychology
General structure of the PhD degree programme
The PhD degree programme consists of four main components:
– T he dissertation; the most important element through which
you demonstrate your ability to work independently and
­advance the body of scientific knowledge. Candidates are
given guidance on all aspects of the dissertation, including
research methods, public presentation, and scholarly writing.
– Teaching; all candidates obtain valuable teaching experience
disseminating knowledge in the classroom by teaching at
Bachelor’s or Master’s level.
– Courses at PhD level, corresponding to at least 30 ECTS
credits.
– A stay in a high-quality research environment outside of
Denmark.
For further information on specific fields, please refer to pages 8-15.
Top-quality advising
The Graduate School of Social Sciences offers efficient and top-
quality advising by some of the best researchers within their fields
of expertise, which is crucial to a successful graduate programme.
In order to ensure this, the graduate school has worked out the
following guidelines:
– Each PhD student is assigned two advisors: a main advisor
and a co-advisor
– The main advisor and the PhD student must sign an agree-
ment (PhD plan) laying down mutual expectations to the
advising process and requirements for satisfactory academic
progress
– Relevant teaching courses may form part of the individual PhD
plan. PhD students may also receive support and guidance on
teaching issues from the Centre for Learning and Education
at the Faculty of Social Sciences, which offers educational
courses in teaching for university employees
– The main advisor must also offer support, advice and encour-
agement to the PhD student in connection with preparation of
teaching commitments.
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“Social science
PhD graduates are
high in demand”
Additional benefits
– Office facilities including PC, Internet access and phone
– Financial support for books within your academic field
– Access to excellent libraries
– Secretarial support
– Financial support for participation in conferences and courses
during the programme.
Our expectations of you
Because the Graduate School of Social Sciences is committed
to the highest educational standards, the admission process
is very selective, admitting only the best-performing students.
Once admitted, you are expected to be dedicated and well-
disciplined with a sure focus of completing the degree. Our PhD
degree programme is largely based around the PhD student’s own
research project, but PhD students are also encouraged to coop-
erate with senior researchers on other research projects.
PhD graduates in social sciences are high in demand
Job prospects for PhD candidates from the Graduate of School of
Social Sciences are very good, and practically no unemployment
exists. Graduates are high in demand in academia and other re-
search institutions, and many are recruited by top research institu-
tions around the world, such as the Bank of England, UC Berkeley,
Cornell University, Purdue University and Cambridge University.
Application forms
For further information on assessment criteria and download of
application forms, please refer to
www.socialsciences.au.dk/phd
Application deadlines are 15 November and 15 May.
 Department of
Political Science
The Department of Political Science at the University of Aarhus is
one of the most productive departments in Europe with regard to
academic publications, placing the department in the European
and global top of political science departments. The department
has approximately 50 faculty members, 25 PhD students in
residence and 1,600 full-time students and hence constitutes the
biggest research community within the field of political science in
Northern Europe. The department has a broad academic profile
covering comparative politics, international relations, political soci-
ology, public administration and public policy.
Collaboration with University of Washington
For many years, the department has maintained a close collabora-
tion with the Center for American Politics and Public Policy at the
University of Washington. This long-running and successful col-
laboration has recently been further strengthened with the appoint-
ment of adjunct professor Bryan D. Jones, director of Center for
American Politics and Public Policy and one of the world's leading
researchers in agenda-setting and political decision-making.
Short-term stays at prestigious international universities
Apart from University of Washington in Seattle many of the PhD
students have also spent terms at the University of California, San
Diego, or other prestigious American universities such as Princeton
University, Harvard University and Indiana University.
Career opportunities for PhD candidates
The objective of the PhD programme is to prepare candidates for
a career in university research and teaching, but also for careers
in public administration, international organizations, private-sector
businesses and other educational institutions. Most graduates hold
research-related positions at Danish universities, while others com-
bine academic prowess with hands-on challenges by pursuing a
career in the public service.
Solid training in all areas of political science
The PhD programme offers solid training in political theory as well
as social science methodology and application, including the
­following fields of study:
– Political science and the history of ideas
– International relations
– Comparative politics
– Danish politics
– Political sociology
– Public administration
– Public policy.
Courses at Department of Political Science
Four research method courses are offered, targeting in particular
PhD students:
– A course in research design and analytical strategies
– A basic-level course in quantitative research methodology
– An advanced-level course in quantitative research metho­dology
– A course in qualitative research methodology.
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The first two courses are offered each spring term and the last
two are offered each autumn term. You must complete a minimum
of three of these four courses in the four-year programme, and
two if enrolled in the three-year programme. The first course is, “Office sharing
however, compulsory for all PhD students, while the other three
are elective. promotes succesful
Danish Political Science Research School
The Danish Political Science Research School is a network con- integration”
sisting of a number of political science institutions in Denmark.
Many courses are offered through this research school.
Political science workshops
The Department of Political Science organizes a number of meet-
ings in more specialized research areas at which faculty and PhD
students participate. Research projects and current dissertations
are presented and discussed at meetings in the department or in
the individual research groups, just as controversies on key inter-
national and Danish projects are debated.
Participation in international conferences
PhD students at the department are encouraged to participate in
international workshops and conferences, such as the annual joint
sessions of workshops organized by the European Consortium for
Political Research. Faculty as well as PhD students participate in these
workshops at which each paper is thoroughly discussed. Participation
in these specialized workshops allows PhD students to gain valuable
insight into the latest international research within their field.
Other possibilities could be conferences and workshops
organized by:
– The Nordic Political Science Association (NOPSA)
– The American Political Science Association (APSA)
– The International Political Science Association (IPSA).
Positive and friendly working environment
PhD students at the Department of Political Science meet for
Stian Skår Ludvigsen (Norway)
lunch on Wednesdays and breakfast on Fridays. Traditionally, Department of Political Science
PhD ­students participate when other PhD students present their PhD project: Post-Mortem of the
research projects. Most PhD students share an office, which VP-function? An Examination
promotes a friendly and intellectual research environment. Women
Through the Worst-Case Scenario
students have established a network and meet once a month for
dinner to discuss academic as well as other issues.
Our department encourages us to share offices at the PhD
level, which I find very positive. It is very good to have some-
one who has been here a bit longer than yourself when you
Application for admission move in. It is great for social life and the integration into the
You apply for admission through the Graduate School of department. A large group of PhD students working together
Social Sciences. For further information on application proce- means that there are always people around you. In Norway,
dure and salary, please refer to pages 4-7. you can take a PhD at a college, a regional college, and your
advisor might not even work at the same college. Here there
The PhD programme in Political Science is carried out at the are organized lunches, the PhD students dine together once
Department of Political Science. For general information on a week, we have rolls and coffee on Friday mornings and
the Department of Political Science, please refer to: various other things like that.
www.ps.au.dk
 School of Economics
and Management
The School of Economics and Management has approximately 50
faculty members, 30 PhD students in residence and 1,100 full-time
students. Traditionally, the School of Economics and Management
educates PhD candidates at a very high international level, many of
which receive job offers from some of the best American universi-
ties such as UC Berkeley. Recently, the School of Economics and
Management was ranked among the best European schools in
placing their PhD candidates at top departments around the world.
The School of Economics and Management is especially strong
in macroeconomics, theoretical and empirical labour economics,
finance and time-series econometrics. Recently, Professor Dale T.
Mortensen of Northwestern University was appointed “Niels Bohr
visiting professor” at the school, and for the next five years he will
spend 5 months each year at the school, thereby strengthening
further the field of labour market economics in Denmark.
Centre of excellence
The School of Economics and Management has recently estab-
lished the Centre for Research in Econometric Analysis in TimE
Series (CREATES) in order to bring together some of the leading
time-series and financial econometrics experts in the world, plac-
ing Aarhus as an international centre of excellence in the field. The
School of Economics and Management has a long tradition of
producing econometricians who have later appeared as recognized
researchers on the international research scene. CREATES' interna-
tional collaborators and associated researchers encompass Nobel
laureate Clive W. Granger of the University of California and Nobel
laureate Robert F. Engle of Stern School of Business, New York
University. Both are members of the advisory board of the centre.
The School of Economics and Management is the most success-
ful in obtaining research grants and external funding among the
social science departments in Denmark.
The PhD degree programme
The PhD programme provides solid training in modern theories of
economics and management as well as quantitative methods and
their applications. In particular, the PhD programme offers special-
ized courses and research training in the following areas:
– Accounting and management accounting
– Marketing and strategic management
– Organizational theory and service management
– Finance
– Macroeconomics
– Microeconomics
– Econometrics.
Career options for PhD candidates
The PhD programme is designed to prepare students for academic
positions involving research and teaching, as well as for careers
in business, government and non-governmental agencies. Job
prospects for PhD graduates are very good. Recent PhDs have
become employed at a variety of locations, such as the IMF,
the Danish Central Bank, the Central Bank of Iceland, the
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Confederation of Danish Industries, McKinsey Consulting, the
Bank for International Settlements, the Aarhus School of Business,
the University of Southern California, the University of Copenhagen,
Cambridge University, the University of Aarhus, the University of “A PhD degree is
Iceland, the University of California at Berkeley, Purdue University,
HEC Montréal, and Cornell University. a benefit whatever
career you decide
Courses at School of Economics and Management
The School of Economics and Management offers a variety of PhD
courses, some of which are carried out in collaboration with other to pursue”
Danish universities. Currently, core courses in Macroeconomics,
Microeconomics, Econometrics, Mathematics and Empirical Finance
are offered. Through the Danish Doctoral School of Finance (DDSF),
courses in Asset Pricing and Corporate Finance are available as
well. The future plan is to offer similar courses in other fields of eco-
nomics and management, like in Accounting, Marketing, Strategic
Management and Organization. PhD students should take at least
four of these courses, unless they can document to have completed
similar courses already in the first year of their Master's degree
programme.
Specialized courses and workshops
Students are encouraged to follow specialized courses of shorter
duration and workshops that are closely linked to their PhD
project. These courses and workshops may be organized by
the School of Economics and Management or by PhD networks
like the Danish Graduate Programme in Economics (DGPE), the
Danish Doctoral School of Finance (DDSF), the European Institute
of Advanced Studies in Management, the European Institute's
Doctoral Education Network, (EDEN) and the Doctoral programme
in Organisation and Management (DOME).
Time abroad
In recent years, students have attended Princeton University,
Harvard University, MIT, UCSD, Northwestern University, Cornell
University, University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Duke
University, UC Berkeley, LSE, University College London, Tilburg
University and the University of Amsterdam.
Yu Wang (China)
Close working relationship among PhD students School of Economics and Management
At the School of Economics and Management, most PhD students
share an office with another PhD student, which allows for academic
PhD project: Economic Analysis of
sparring and provides a sociable and friendly working environment. Open Source Software
For me, as a person, it’s perfect to do research work. I hope
to find a job at a university, or in another research institution,
Application for admission so a PhD is necessary for my future career goals. Even if I
You apply for admission through the Graduate School of should decide to pursue a career in a company, a PhD will
Social Sciences. For further information on application proce- give me a higher starting salary – so it’s a benefit whatever I
dure and salary please refer to pages 4-7. choose to do. I chose my subject because I saw the potential
value of knowledge that was just waiting to be discovered.
The PhD programme in Economics and Management is Very few people are working with this topic, so it may be
carried out at the School of Economics and Management. easier for me to achieve something new, which will be a ben-
For general information on the School of Economics and efit for me in my future career in research and help me get an
Management, please refer to: interesting position when I have finished my degree.
www.econ.au.dk
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 School
of Law
The School of Law has approximately 50 faculty members, 20 PhD
students in residence and 1,900 full-time students. The mission of
the school is to maintain and strengthen the academic standards
at a high international level. Research at the School of Law is
characterized by a tenuous balance between, on the one hand,
the need for maintenance and strengthening of basic dogmatic
disciplines and, on the other hand, the urgent desire to develop
more specialized disciplines such as EU law, environmental law,
tax law along with other business-oriented disciplines.
The PhD degree programme
The School of Law offers the largest Danish PhD programme
­environment in law. The main objective of the programme is to edu-
cate researchers of the highest standard and to meet the demands
of business life for highly qualified experts.
The PhD programme offers training in all disciplines within the legal
areas, for instance in:
– Law of property
– Administrative law
– Criminal law
– Jurisprudence.
Network with leading research institutions in Europe
The School of Law participates in an international cooperation
referred to as the Strategic Alliance of Research Faculties of Law
(SARFaL), a group of research-intensive law faculties committed to
facilitate and enhance international research co-operation. This in-
cludes joint research projects by senior researchers and PhD can-
didates, participation in joint conferences, cross-border reviews of
written material, research visits abroad by senior researchers and
PhD candidates and exchange of research-oriented and talented
students. At present, SARFaL consists of universities in Aarhus,
Barcelona, Bologna, Galway, Geneva, Heidelberg, Leiden, Leuven,
Oslo, Oxford, Poitiers, Prague and Uppsala. The school also has
close contact to a number of PhD advisors in primarily Scandinavia
and Germany.
Career options for PhD candidates
The PhD programme targets not only an academic career at a
university, but may also be the starting point for a number of other
highly desirable positions. The School of Law has a very close part-
nership with many major law firms, but candidates are also often
recruited by e.g. international organizations. In many of the highly
complicated areas of the public and private sectors, a Master's
degree is not a sufficient scholarly background for legal counsel.
Profound insight and specialization, which is obtained through the
PhD programme, will therefore often be a necessary condition for
solving highly complicated judicial problems in the best possible
way, e.g. within tax law, environmental law, company law, competi-
tion law or EU law.
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Courses at School of Law
The School of Law offers a number of courses. Compulsory
courses for PhD students are:
“Independence
– Legal information search and scientific research in practice
– Method and principle in legal theory
– Judicial policy, legal history and the sociology of law.
and a great deal of
Specialized courses are offered in cooperation with other schools working discipline”
of law in Denmark, e.g. a research school including all legal re-
search environments in Denmark.
Other courses and workshops
PhD students at the School of Law may also participate in courses
offered by other legal institutions in Denmark and by the network
NordForsk, a Nordic cooperation on research and research train-
ing. PhD students are also encouraged to participate in a number
of international meetings and conferences.
PhD student network
PhD students have their own network and meet frequently to
discuss current issues and hot topics in connection with the PhD
programme. The network also organizes events of a more casual
and social nature, such as the traditional annual Christmas party
and the summer get-together.
Application for admission
You apply for admission through the Graduate School of
Social Sciences. For further information on application proce-
dure and salary, please refer to pages 4-7.
The PhD programme in Law is carried out at the School
of Law. For general information on the School of Law,
please refer to: Stinne Richter Berg (Denmark)
www.jura.au.dk/en
School of Law
PhD project: Legal Consequences of
Null and Void Contracts
I chose my own subject, and I define the perspective and the
delimitations of my own dissertation. It can be characterized
as a basic research project, allowing me to go into a wide
range of issues. It is also my own decision how I organize the
working process. Freedom is altogether a keyword for the
PhD student. I really appreciate this independence, not least
because I am the mother of two children, which also requires
time and flexibility. On the other hand, you have to be able to
control this freedom, which is why you also need a great deal
of working discipline. It is often said that life as a PhD student
is lonely, but for me it is what you make it. The work in itself
is lonesome, I agree, and you have to enjoy working like that,
but that does not mean that you should exclude yourself from
having any other social relations.
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 Department of
Psychology
The Department of Psychology has approximately 40 faculty mem-
bers, 25 PhD students and 1,100 full-time students.
The research environment at the Department of Psychology is
characterized by a broad academic profile, which is centred
around the following topics:
– Social and personality psychology
– Psychology of cognition and learning
– Development psychology
– Working and organizational psychology
– Clinical psychology and
– Pedagogical psychology.
The scope of the academic profile is demonstrated by the fact that
faculty members carry out basic as well as applied research. In
order to strengthen the research in man-technology interaction, the
Department of Psychology has entered into a research agreement
with the Danish company Bang & Olufsen, effectively affiliating a
PhD student and an assistant professor with the R&D department
of B&O.
The PhD degree programme
The objective of the PhD programme is to prepare candidates for a
university career within research and teaching, but also to meet the
need for highly qualified psychologists outside academia. Please
note that you may still pursue an authorization to practice psychol-
ogy when enrolled at the four-year programme.
The PhD programme at the Department of Psychology offers train-
ing within the following areas:
– Studies in organizational participation and corporation
– Applied basic research in memory and cognition
– Health psychology
– Man-technology interaction
– Psychotherapy research
– Psycho-traumatology
– Development of qualitative methodology
– Apprenticeship learning
– Anthropological psychology
– Neuropsychology
– Applied social psychology with special attention towards
children and adolescents
– Psychology of aging.
The Department of Psychology actively works with integrating
PhD students into the academic environment, research-related
net­works and other activities to strengthen the quality of the PhD
programme.
Career options for PhD candidates
The Department of Psychology educates highly capable research-
ers with the skills required for success in research and academic
careers. Many PhD candidates are employed at the Department of
14
Psychology or at other research institutions, but PhD graduates are
also highly qualified for careers outside of academia, and ­candidates
tend to get significant job responsibility and a competitive salary. One
of our recent PhD candidates entered the job market as head of “I have benefited
a Danish Alcohol Counselling Service with 70 ­subordinates, and
another was recruited as an HR manager by Maersk Group. A PhD
degree may also be an entry point for a number of other attractive
greatly from
jobs, e.g. in hospitals, departments of occupational medicine, psy-
chiatry, alcohol counselling services, company medical services or intellectual sparring
with colleagues
clinical sexology/sexological counselling.
Danish Research School of Psychology
Together with other Danish educational institutions in psychology,
the department participates in the Danish Research School of
in my group”
Psychology. Activities include general courses in quantitative and
qualitative research methodology and the philosophy of psychol-
ogy. PhD students are encouraged to participate in a number of
courses and conferences, such as the Nordic cooperation on
­research and research training, NordForsk, or the International
Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS).
Time abroad
PhD students at the Department of Psychology have various
­opportunities for short-term stays at international universities or
other research institutions. The choice of institution is closely
­related to your particular area of specialization. Former PhD
students have been staying at a number of American and European
universities, such as: Harvard University Medical School, Institute
of Psychiatry, Kings College, University of New Hampshire, Oxford
University, Linacre College and Mount Sinai Hospital.
Social network among PhD students
At the Department of Psychology, the PhD students have a mail-
ing list where various topics are discussed and experience with
teaching among other things is exchanged. The PhD students also
meet for lunch every three weeks for lively discussions of various
subjects. A number of informal workshops are organized at which
senior faculty are also invited for discussion of research-related Thomas Jønsson (Denmark)
issues. Every now and then, the PhD students hang out in town Department of Psychology
or meet privately. PhD project: The Relationship
between Power and Social Identity in
Organizations
Application for admission The advisor is of major importance during a PhD degree pro-
You apply for admission through the Graduate School of gramme because you can draw on his knowledge and expe-
Social Sciences. For further information on application proce- rience with research projects, teaching, international contacts
dure and salary, please refer to pages 4-7. and understanding of the research communities. He or she
can help and guide you when you make decisions about how
The PhD programme in Psychology is carried out at the to do your project and your teaching in the best possible way.
Department of Psychology. For general information on the Here at the department, we are divided into groups according
Department of Psychology, please refer to: to research topics. This organizational model offers many op-
www.psy.au.dk/en portunities for seeking help and assistance during the study,
and I have benefited greatly from intellectual sparring with
colleagues in my group.
15
 Campus
The core of the University of Aarhus is campus, which is located
in the centre of Århus, the second largest city in Denmark with a
population of approximately 300,000. The social science stud-
ies are situated in this close environment, only a short walking
distance to the centre of town, cultural life, forests and beaches.
The University of Aarhus also has departments in other parts of
Denmark, including Copenhagen.
The buildings at the University of Aarhus are predominantly char-
acterized by the distinctive Bauhaus style; yellow bricks and a
stringent, functionalistic style of architecture. At campus you will
find student halls, as well as The State and University Library.
The university offers a wealth of activities and resources, such as
sporting activities, the annual sailing contest, interesting lectures, a
film club, libraries and parties.
Faculty of Social Sciences
The Faculty of Social Sciences is one of eight faculties at the
University of Aarhus. The faculty is characterized by strong
­research environments and well-reputed educations. Graduates
are high in demand in the job market; the unemployment rate is
very low, salaries are high, and candidates face numerous career
options. In total, the Faculty of Social Sciences has around 7,500
students and more than 400 permanent full-time employees as
well as a large number of part-time employees. Currently, almost
100 PhD students are enrolled at the Graduate School of Social
Sciences.
The faculty is home to:
– School of Economics and Management
– School of Law
– Department of Psychology
– Department of Political Science
– Danish Centre for Studies in Research and Research Policy
– Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research
– National Centre for Register-based Research
– Centre for Learning and Education
– Institute of Business and Technology.
An internationally recognized university
The University of Aarhus ranks among the top 200 worldwide
and is characterized by internationally recognized high-capacity
research, thus forming an attractive destination for many students.
The University of Aarhus has a rich tradition of participating in
networks with some of the strongest universities in the world.
The University of Aarhus recently merged with, among others, the
Aarhus School of Business, providing an internationally attractive
research and education environment in the area of commerce
and a highly reputable, extensive collaboration with the Danish
business community. The university has a highly visible profile, in
particular within fields such as economics and management, life
sciences, nanoscience, information technology, natural resources,
corporate and societal development as well as culture and com-
munication. The University of Aarhus comprises eight faculties, 35
departments and schools and 70 research centres.
Two sides of the same city
Århus is a modern vibrating city pulsating with life and a growing
cultural energy. At the same time, Århus has a welcoming atmos-
phere characterized by intimacy and a sense of security. While the
official language of Denmark is Danish, most Danes speak English
quite fluently. Being the second-largest city in Denmark, Århus of-
fers a wide range of leisure and sporting activities and a wealth of
different cultural activities to suit any taste. Night life is character-
ized by the many residing students. You can reach the beach by
bike, and the city is surrounded by beautiful parks and forests. The
distance between the university and the cafes and shops of the
centre of town is no further than a walk of 15 minutes.
Accommodation in Århus
Several thousand students have settled in Århus to complete their
higher education. Add to this, a number of young people who
are completing educations outside of academia. Accommodation
in Århus is in great demand, in particular rooms and flats in the
centre of town, and you have to take an active role if you want to
live near the very centre of town. One possibility is the numerous
student halls, most of which are administered by the so-called
“Kollegiekontoret i Århus”. Other possibilities are independent stu-
dent halls and the private housing market.
The Danish welfare system
– In Denmark, everybody, regardless of nationality, is entitled to
hospital care free of charge in the event of sudden illness and
accidents
– Many non-Danes experience improved quality of life and a
good balance between family and work in Denmark
– Many foreign residents also appreciate the feeling of security
they experience in Denmark
– The welfare system ensures that many core services are free.
further information
For further information on Denmark and conditions for foreign
researchers in Denmark, please refer to:
www.workindenmark.dk
www.studyindenmark.dk
www.kollegiekontoret.dk

16 17
 Selected dissertation work in progress
Political science
Morten Brænder, The civil religious justification of the war on terror
– religion and politics in the 21st century
Nina Dadalauri, Post-Revolutionary State-Building and Its Approach to
the Political Elite. The Case of Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan
Thomas Frank, Diffusion and convergence of a management idea
– national and local adaption?
Johanne Vestergaard Glavind, The War on Terrorism and the
International Order
Martin Ejnar Hansen, Parliamentary Voting Behaviour
Line Renate Hanssen Gustafsson, Education, Education, Education
Mads Leth Jakobsen, The Importance of Uncertainty.
An analysis of the impact of ideas, EU-demands, and globalisation on
the processes of liberalisation in the Danish sectors for telecommunica-
tions and electricity
Carsten Jensen, The New Politics of Welfare Services
Stian Skår Ludvigsen, Post-Mortem of the VP-function? An
Examination through the Worst-Case Scenario
Helle Ørsted Nielsen, Shortcuts to pride and profit. A field study of
bounded rationality in decision making
Helene Helbo Pedersen, Intra-party politics and legislative accommo-
dations in the Danish parliament
Rasmus Bruun Pedersen, The Hidden Wars of European Integration:
Explaining National Preference Formation on European Treaty Reforms
Michael Bang Petersen, Patterns in attitudes towards crime and
punish­ment
Svend-Erik Vrede Skaaning, Democracy besides Elections: An
Exploration into the Causes of (Dis)Respect for Civil Libertines in Latin
American and Post-Communist Countries
Anton Jacobsen Skjernaa, International Law's Impact on State
Behaviour
Rune Slothuus, Mass Media Message Flows and Citizens' Political
Opinion Formation
Lene Mosegaard Søbjerg, UN Trusteeships: A tool of order and soli-
darity in contemporary international society
Kim Sønderskov, Social Capital and Collective Action – The Case of
National Environmental Improvements
Marie Østergaard, Redistribution of Solidarity in the Welfare State – an
analysis of pain tolerance in active social policy
Marianne Sandvad Ulriksen, Africanisation of the Democratic State
Jesper Wittrup, Institutional Design in the Public Sector
18
Economics and management
Nisar Ahmad, Dynamic Labour Market Behaviour of Immigrants
Martin Møller Andreasen, Macro Economic Variables in the Term
Structure of Interest Rates
Jesper Bagger, Essays on Earnings Dynamics and Job Mobility
Benjamin Blunck, Value Creation in Mergers & Acquisitions – A
Merger Wave Perspective
Marias Halldor Gestsson, Foreign prices shocks in a smalll open
economy
Jesper Rosenberg Hansen, Strategic management in public organiza-
tions
Mads Peter Pilkjær Harmsen, Three Essays in Behavioral and
Experimental Economics
Toke Hjortshøj Lilhauge, Essays in Corporate Finance
Maria Knuth Humlum, Intergenerational transmission of human capital:
Non-monetary benefits of education
Jens Iversen, Short and Long Run Aspects of Fiscal Policy in a
Monetary Union
Annemette Skak Jensen, The effects of labour market policies on
economic growth
Juanna Schrøter Joensen: Determinants and consequences of
Human Capital Investements
Peter Tind Larsen, Credit Risk and Capital Structure
Agne Lauzadyte, Institutional Approaches to Reduce Income
Disparities between the Regions in Lithuania
Rune Mølgaard, Asset Allocation in Incomplete Markets
Lars Luun Nautrup, Aldersonian Marketing Theory
Frank Steen Nielsen, Fractional Integration, Fractional Cointegration,
and Non-linearities
Torben Beedholm Rasmussen, The Expectations Hypothesis and
Dynamic Models of the Term Structure
Martin Seneca, Economic Policy in New-Keynesian Economics
Niels Skipper, Essays on the Economics of Pharmaceuticals
David Glavind Skovmand, Interest Rate Derivatives: Pricing and
Hedging in the LIBOR Market Model
Jonas Staghøj, Improving Labour Market Efficiency by Implementing
Profiling and Targeting Models
Niels Stender, Essays on Marketing Engineering
Tony Vittrup Sørensen, Essays on conflict, institutions and economic
development
Torben Sørensen, Human Capital and the Labor Market
Rune Majlund Vejlin, Integration of immigrants into the labour market
Yu Wang, The Economic Analysis of Open Source Software
Christian Dahl Winther, Strategic Timing of Product Introduction in the
Information Economy
Jie Zhu, Empirical Analysis on Stock Market/Credit Risk
Jens Erik Boesen, Asset Pricingand Term Structure Dynamics in a
Macro Perspective
Law
Stine Richter Berg, Legal Consequences of Null and Void Contracts
Malene Bechmann Christensen, Public Law Liability
Thue Hagenau, Liability for damages of financial institutions
Thomas Gammeltoft Hansen, The Externalisation of Asylum
– Analysing the Impact of EU on Third Country Asylum Law and Policy
Thomas Obel Hansen, Institutional Building and Transitional Justice
Claus Bohn Jespersen, The VAT Treatment of Financial Services and
Insurances - in a Comparative EU Law Perspective
Birgit Liin, Compensation for Infringement of Intellectual Property
Rights
Lasse Lund Madsen, Criminal Participation in Business Dispositions
Hanne Marie Motzfeldt, Protection of Personal Data within the Public
Administration Area
Carsten Munk-Hansen, Clauses limiting civil responsibility
Line Bune Pedersen, Genetic Tests
Claus Korsholm Rohde, Intertemporal law – with special focus on the
legislation concerning lease of real property
Kasper Steensgaard, Battle of Forms
Trine Balskilde Stoltenborg, The VVM-directive, its Scope and its
Implementation in Danish Law, including its Impact on the Animal
Production
Rikke Gade Trinskjær, Rent tribunal
Malene Værum Vestmark, Public Law Liability
Psychology
Tina Andersen, The lifeworld of young peolpe in transition from a life in
residential care to an independent living
Annette Elisabeth Bohn, The development of life narratives across
late middle childhood and adolescence. At what age do children
develop the ability to create a temporally and thematically coherent
life narrative? What are the cognitive and cultural prerequisites for this
development?
Rikke Holm Bramsen, Attitudes towards rape and rape victims in
Denmark
Signe Maria Schneevoigt Ebbesen, The influence of psychosocial fac-
tors in IVF-treatment: A questionnaire survey examining the relation-
ship between psychosocial factors and aspects of IVF-treatment and
a randomized, controlled intervention study on the effect of expressive
writing on IVF-treatment outcome and psychological distress in cou-
ples undergoing IVF-treatment.
Mette Elmose Eriksen, Autism spectrum disorder from a developmen-
tal perspective: an investigation of risk and protective factors
Anders Chr. Green, Music and Neuroaesthetics – A Brain Imaging Study
Drifa Bjørk Gudmundsdottir, An investigation of risk and resistance
factors for the development of psychological distress and posttrau-
matic stress disorder in Danish parents of chronically ill children
Hjalti Jónsson, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy of Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A comparative study of group therapy
versus individual therapy.
Kim Berg Engersgaard Johannessen, Motivation for weight loss
Mikael Birkelund Johansen, Stress management & Quality of Life an
examination of the effect of a short exercise program.
Osman Kingo, Object individuation and the early concept formation
Rikke Lambek, From Behaviour to Cognition in Disorders of Attention,
Motor Activity, and Impulsivity – A neuropsychological approach to
ADHD heterogeneity
Mathias Lasgaard, An Investigation of Loneliness among young
people in Denmark – Prevalence, Typology, Risk factors, and
Consequences.
Berit Irene Lassesen, Learning strategies among university students
Ellen Barsett Magnus, Participations influence on use and develop-
ment of human resources in work organizations
Kent Jacob Nielsen, FAIS: The culture shaping safety committee
Rune Nørager, An investigation of how programmed technology can
be made compatible with basic human sensory-motor systems and
the impact on ease of use, robust of use and pleasure of use
Maja Kær O'Connor, A quantitative, psychological study of the degree
of traumatization and the impact of personality on the grief reaction in
older bereaved people
Christina Gundgaard Pedersen, The influence of complementary and
alternative treatment for the experienced life quality and symptoms in
patients with breast, lung, uterus and ovary cancer
Anne Scharling Rasmussen, Relations between the directive, the
social and the self function of autobiographical memory and the Five
Factor Model of personality.
Helle Spindler, Psychological determinants of chronic heart failure
prognosis and quality of life: A prospective study
Tea Anegen Ramian Trillingsgaard, Adult attachment, comunication-
patterns and marital adjustment of transition to parenthood
Marlene Flensborg Damholdt, Cognitive impairment in Parkinson's
disease categorised in accordance to motor symptoms – the relation
between cognitive deficits and comorbid psychiatric disorders and
age of disease onset
Kaj Schrøder Hansen, Abuse and alexithymia: an investigation of the
spreading of alexithymia among people with abuse, and an investiga-
tion of therapeutic possibilities
19
"As a PhD student Juanna Schrøter Joensen (The Faroe Islands)
School of Economics and Management
in Denmark, you PhD project: Determinants and Consequences
of Human Capital Investments
get an excellent "As a PhD student in Denmark, you get an excellent salary. It does not match
salary." that of private employment, but obtaining the PhD degree will enable me to
reach an even higher level of income later on and generally gives better career
opportunities than a Master's degree. This is why I consider the PhD a really
good investment, professionally as well as financially."

PhD
Graduate School of Social Sciences
University of Aarhus. Denmark
For further information

Graduate School of Social Sciences

Faculty of Social Sciences
University of Aarhus, building 1327
DK-8000 Århus C

or contact:

Mrs. Jette Hoeg, PhD Administration Officer

Phone: (+45) 8942 1546
E-mail: phd.sam@au.dk

www.socialsciences.au.dk/phd

U N I V E R S I T Y O F A A R H U S