PhD scho­lars­hip in In­ter­na­tio­nal Bu­si­ness at CBS

Copenhagen Business School invites applications for a PhD scholarship at the Department of International Economics, Government and Business (EGB). The expected starting date is February 1, 2027.

EGB is a multidisciplinary department that conducts high-quality research in the fields of international business and political science that has direct relevance to business, policymakers and the broader public whilst also addressing contemporary societal challenges.

Research call: Scaling high-technology ventures in an era of geopolitical rivalry

Project framework

The transition from domestic high-technology venture to international competitor is among the most critical and most precarious moments in a firm’s lifecycle. For firms from small, open, technology-intensive economies such as Denmark, the domestic market is too small to sustain scale, yet the move to international operations demands simultaneous transformation across organisation, management, business model, and innovation processes. It is precisely at this moment that most firms fail. Geopolitical rivalry between major powers now adds a further and undertheorised layer of complexity to this already demanding transition: export controls, foreign direct investment screening, and deliberate technology decoupling are fragmenting the international ecosystems, capital markets, talent pools, technology partnerships, and R&D alliances on which high-technology scaleups depend.

Research focus

The project takes the scaling of high-technology ventures as its central object of inquiry. Scaling is understood as the organisational and managerial transformation through which innovative firms move from domestic operations to distributed, multi-country organisations. This involves decisions about the international location of R&D and value-chain activities, subsidiary roles, alliance partnerships, and the coordination of innovation across borders. Existing research has focused predominantly on large, established multinationals, leaving the scaling challenges of innovative ventures from small economies comparatively underexplored.

The project further examines how geopolitical rivalry and techno-nationalist policies shape these scaling decisions. Export controls, investment screening, technology restrictions, and geopolitical alignments can influence where firms locate R&D, which subsidiaries they empower, which alliances they form, and which markets they enter. These pressures are particularly consequential for high-technology ventures whose competitive advantage rests on strategically sensitive knowledge, intellectual property, and frontier technologies.

Research Approach

The call is open to research projects utilizing large-scale quantitative analysis. We also welcome research proposals combining quantitative analysis with in-depth qualitative case research. Applicants should have proven competence in quantitative methods; experience with qualitative case research is an advantage. To learn more about the structure of the research proposal, please read the section below on The project and the application.

To learn more about the research and teaching profile of the department, please visit the departmental webpage here. You should also consult the EGB PhD page here. Applicants should consider the overall contribution that they themselves can make to the department’s research environment.

The three-year PhD programme at CBS gives candidates the opportunity to conduct research under the supervision of CBS faculty, supported by research-related PhD courses. The programme is highly international, and you will be expected to participate in international research conferences and research visits abroad. Applicants should also be ready to undertake a range of teaching activities. See the CBS homepage for more information about the PhD programme, here. You may also wish to consult the CBS PhD Handbook.

CBS PhD graduates are not only highly regarded in higher education and research institutions but also in government and business where their research qualifications are in increasing demand. Recent EGB graduates have secured positions in leading universities, consultancies and government agencies.

Application and admission requirements 

To be considered the applicant should:

• have a weighted grade point average of at least 8.2 on the Danish 7-point grading scale for the bachelor's and master's degree combined or alternatively a weighted grade point average must be at least 9.5 for the master's degree alone. If the grade point average is not met, documentation for being in the top 40% of the class is also accepted. In rare cases, the grade requirement can be waived. The department will give preference to applicants with excellent grades from their universities.
• have received a grade of 10 (or equivalent) for the Master's thesis according to The Danish 7-point Grading System
• have a Master's degree corresponding to the 3 + 2 Bologna process (120 ECTS points / 2-year M.Sc. requirement)
• have completed the Master's programme before starting the PhD programme at CBS. Please note: the applicant may apply for enrolment before the completion of the Master’s degree. In this case, enrolment will be conditional upon the Master’s degree having been successfully completed by the time of enrolment.
• have an educational background in the social sciences 
• have a command of academic English at a very high level. If the applicant’s Master thesis was written in English this will be considered as sufficient evidence of this.

The project and the application  

Applicants are invited to submit research proposals for potential PhD projects. The research proposal, which may not exceed five pages, should be structured around specific research questions. It should, furthermore, incorporate a brief explanation of the aims of the project, a positioning of the project in an appropriate research field, a description of the research literature already published within that field and the ways in which the project will add to that literature, an outline and explanation of the theories and conceptual frameworks that could be included, an outline and explanation of the research methods that might be used and a brief plan of the work plan to be undertaken which describes the main phases in the project. Further information can be found here

In addition to the project description, copies of the following must be included:

• diploma for bachelor's and master's degree or other certificates at an equivalent level as well as the grade transcripts
• documentation for being in the top 40% of the class (if grade requirements are not met)
• a concise curriculum vitae (CV)
• a list of articles and publications (if applicable)
• one example of a selected written work (e.g. master's thesis)

Following an offer of employment, the successful applicant has to be enrolled in the CBS PhD School and the offer is conditional upon this. Further information about CBS PhD scholarships and the PhD programme can be found here

Employment and salary

A PhD scholarship runs for a period of three years and includes teaching obligations corresponding to 416 working hours. The scholarships are fully salaried positions, according to the national Danish collective agreement. The monthly salary is currently approximately DKK 30.264 up to DKK 36.877, depending on seniority, and a pension contribution totaling 18.07%. The scholarship includes tuition fees, office space, course and travel costs (according to the current CBS agreement). 

Salary level and employment take place in accordance with the Ministry of Finance's agreement with the Academics' Central Organization.
 

Recruitment procedures

The Recruitment Committee shortlists selected applicants whose applications are then considered by an Assessment Committee. Applicants are informed whether their application has proceeded to this stage. Those whose applications are submitted to the Assessment Committee will be notified about its composition and will at a later stage be sent a copy of the assessment that has been made.

A number from those assessed as qualified for the position will then be invited to an online recruitment interview.

Applicants will be kept notified of their status and the eventual outcome during the recruitment process. Please find guidelines and further information on scholarships and the Doctoral Programme here
 
The application must be sent via the electronic recruitment system, using the link below.  
Copenhagen Business School must receive all application material, including all appendices (see items above), ahead of the deadline, 15 October, 2026.
 

For further information on the call please contact Associate Professor Evis Sinani (es.egb@cbs.dk). You are also welcome to contact EGB’s PhD Coordinator Eddie Ashbee, (ea.egb@cbs.dk) although you are asked not to submit unsolicited documentation.

Details about Copenhagen Business School and the department are available at www.cbs.dk