The Graduate School at Arts, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University, in collaboration with Carlsberg Foundation, invites applications for two fully funded PhD fellowships in Locally Crafted Empires (LoCiS): Intersecting identities under Imperial rule in Western Asia as expressed in local portrait cultures (1st c. BCE-5th c. CE) provided the necessary funding is available. These PhD fellowships are available as of 1 September 2026 for a period of up to three years (5+3).
It is expected that the candidates awarded a PhD fellowship will be able to commence the PhD degree programme on 1 September 2026.
LoCiS project investigates the rich but understudied local portrait cultures of ancient Western Asia with the aim of determining how they reflect local and regional entanglements with and responses to different imperial hegemonies. LoCiS aims to reveal new knowledge about intersecting identities on an individual, local and regional level through a long durée perspective with a global historical outlook. The thousands of surviving portraits have not been studied comprehensively – neither diachronically nor in contexts or in cross-regional perspectives. LoCiS aims at offering unprecedented insights into the multilayered narratives of the varied individual experiences in antiquity. The project is headed by Professor Rubina Raja and consists of a team of five post docs and two PhD students. The latter we are looking to recruit to begin 1 September 2026.
We are looking for candidates who are specialised in Classical Archaeology and visual culture with a focus on the eastern Mediterranean regions and the Near East in the period between 100 BCE – 500 CE and who have a solid research profile and demonstrates wide-ranging knowledge of the archaeology (in particular iconography) and history of West Asia – here defined that the region from and including Egypt to Anatolia and from the Tigris to the Mediterranean with a focus on visual culture.
The PhD will be supervised by Professor Rubina Raja and work closely with other project members and contribute to the LoCiS database and other project assignments. The PhD will specifically undertake research on an aspect of locally produced portraits from the region of West Asia from 100 BCE – 500 CE. The more narrowly defined region and topic will be subject to definition together with the project director. Applicants should therefore specify in their application and project description within which region(s) within the study area and aspects of portrait production they believe their strongest competences lie and describe the potential they see in writing a PhD dissertation on this material and/or region.
Candidates are encouraged to contact Professor Rubina Raja before applying.
Enrolment and place of work
The PhD students must complete the studies in accordance with the valid regulations for the PhD degree programme, currently the Ministerial Order of 27 August 2013 on the PhD degree programme at the universities: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/thephddegreeprogramme/
Description of the graduate school’s PhD degree programme: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/phdstudystructure/
Rules and regulations for the PhD degree programme at the Graduate School at Arts: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/thephddegreeprogramme/
The PhD fellows will be enrolled as PhD students at the Graduate School at Arts, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University, with the aim of completing a PhD degree at the School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University.
The PhD students will be affiliated with the PhD programme History, Archaeology and Classical Studies.
The PhD students’ place of work will be the School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University. In general, the students are expected to be present at the school on an everyday basis.
The PhD degree programme is expected to include a lengthy research stay at a foreign institution, cf. Description of the graduate school’s PhD degree programme.
School of Culture and Society’s research programme: http://cas.au.dk/en/research/research-programmes/
5+3 programme
When you apply for a 3-year PhD fellowship (5+3), you must have completed your two year Master’s degree (120 ECTS) no later than 31 August 2026.
The PhD fellows will be employed as PhD students at the Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University. The terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations, as well as with the protocol to the agreement covering staff with university degrees in the state sector (see enclosure 5). The agreement and the protocol including amendments are available online: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/thephddegreeprogramme/
Salary: https://phd.arts.au.dk/4-4-part-b-and-5-3/salary-and-employment
How to apply
The application must include:
Please see a detailed description of the requirements for the application in the guide for the application facility: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/how-to-apply/
Application
If you require professional guidance regarding your application for the PhD fellowship please contact the PhD programme director at History, Archaeology and Classical Studies: http://phd.arts.au.dk/about-us/contact/
For further information, please contact Professor Rubina Raja, School of Culture and Society, rubina.raja@cas.au.dk, Phone + 45 27 18 83 90.
The application must be submitted in English.
All applicants must provide documentation of excellent communication skills in English which are considered essential, and you must therefore be able to read, write, and speak academic English fluently. English language requirement is comparable to a minimum of TOEFL 83 or IELTS 6.5. Please see this page for further information: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/english-test/
Child protection certificate
In accordance with Ministerial Order no. 554 of 23 May 2023, Aarhus University is obliged to obtain a statement of no previous convictions in respect of children in connection with the appointment and employment of staff whose work will involve direct contact with children under the age of 15. If you, in connection with your PhD project, will be in direct contact with children under the age of 15 who are not accompanied by a parent or guardian, childcare professional or teacher, you will be covered by the requirements of the ministerial order.
If you are covered by these requirements and read Danish, please complete the section “Samtykkeerklæring” (declaration of consent) in the police form and upload the file under “Other information to consider” in the application form. You can download the form here: https://politi.dk/-/media/mediefiler/landsdaekkende-dokumenter/straffeattest/brneattest-p274.pdf
If you are covered by these requirements and do not read Danish, please upload a brief statement with the headline “Child protection certificate needed” under the field “Other information to consider” in the application form.
Applications for the PhD fellowship and enrolment in the PhD degree programme can only be submitted via the application form in Aarhus University’s web-based facility.
Deadline for applications: 1 April 2026 at 23.59 Danish time (CET/CEST).
Reference number: 2026-6
During the assessments, Aarhus University can conduct interviews with selected applicants.
