PhD at Arts and Cultural Studies
The Department of Arts and Cultural Studies hosts around 20 PhD students, who are enrolled at the Faculty of Humanities' PhD School and employed at the faculty or at one of the faculty's partner institutions, which include museums, libraries and artistic higher education institutions. Every year the department also welcomes a handful of visiting scholars from international partner institutions.

The PhD students' research covers the entire academic spectrum of the department: Musicology, Literature, Art History, Visual Culture, Modern Culture, Theatre and Performance Studies. Many of the projects also contain a practical dimension, including artistic practice, curatorial practice and practice in civil society.
PhD students are enrolled in one to the department’s two PhD programmes: The PhD programme in Arts and Cultural Studies or the PhD programme in Practice-based Art Studies:
The PhD programme in Arts and Cultural Studies
In the programme for Arts and Cultural Studies, the doctoral fellows regularly meet for both academic and social activities. Recurring formats include doctoral research seminars, reading sessions, methodology workshops, seminars on work practices, funding workshops, and informal Friday lunches.
In addition, the programme collaborates with the PhD School at the Faculty of Humanities as well as a range of Danish and international partners to offer a number of doctoral training courses.
At the national level, these include an annual week‑long course held at Sandbjerg Manor, organized in cooperation with Aarhus University and the University of Southern Denmark. The course Cultural Analysis Now is also offered as a nationally coordinated course.
The PhD programme in Practice-based Art Studies
IKK's PhD programme in practice-based art studies brings together students who are conducting research projects that include a practical element, whether in the form of their own artistic and/or curatorial work, or through their affiliation with a museum, kunsthalle, archive or other cultural institution. The group meets at least three times per semester for 'Lunch & Seminar', where discussions and exchanges are based on presentations by invited artists, university professors, curators, and museum professionals with expertise in or recent experience with practice-based PhDs. We read drafts of participants' research work and encourage discussion about both the research and writing processes.
European Network for the Study of Culture
European Network for the Study of Culture
IKK also cooperates with the European Network for the Study of Culture with Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Amsterdam School of Cultural Analysis, University of Leiden, Université de Paris VIII, The Lisbon Consortium, Ljubljana University, Goldsmiths College, University of London and PUC Rio de Janeiro. The network organizes an annual summer school (European Summer School in Cultural Studies) and a number of smaller symposia.
PhD students
| Name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anders Bach Pedersen | PhD Fellow | +4535337748 | |
| Anna Ullman | PhD Fellow | +4535336306 | |
| Anna Kærsgaard Gregersen | PhD Student | ||
| Brenda Amaru Ibarra Olguin | PhD Fellow | +4535327496 | |
| Bror Axel Dehn | PhD Fellow | +4535337766 | |
| Elise Ligaard | PhD Fellow | ||
| Esmee Dylan Colbourne | PhD Fellow | +4535324016 | |
| Esmi Delphine Isadora Thomsen | PhD Fellow | +4535332826 | |
| Fatma Bucak | External, Ph.d Student | ||
| Francesca Astesani | PhD Student | ||
| Giada Dalla Bonta | PhD Student | +4535324575 | |
| Gustav Johannes Hoder | PhD Fellow | ||
| Hanna Louise Grønneberg | PhD Fellow | ||
| Ida Bencke | PhD Fellow | +4535328143 | |
| Ida Hornung Havgaard | PhD Fellow | +4535337615 | |
| Jeannette Pollard Ehlers | External, Ph.d Student | ||
| Jenny-Ann Graf Sheppard | PhD Student | ||
| Julie Edel Hardenberg | External, Ph.d Student | +4535323646 | |
| Kristoffer Raasted | External, Ph.d Student | ||
| Kristoffer Ørum | PhD Fellow | +4535323106 | |
| Magnus Fridal Kaslov | External, Ph.d Student | +4535327441 | |
| Maja Sofie Rasmussen | PhD Fellow | +4535324307 | |
| Nanna Stjernholm Jepsen | PhD Fellow | +4535321533 | |
| Nina Cramer | Enrolled PhD Student | +4535335087 | |
| Oliver Wiant Rømer Holme | PhD Fellow | +4535328909 | |
| Oscar Vindel Schönström | PhD Fellow | +4535329578 | |
| Peter Koch Gehlshøj | PhD Fellow | +4535328728 | |
| Qwin Werle | PhD Fellow | +4535333712 | |
| Ragnhild May | External, Ph.d Student | +4535329867 | |
| Sara Mering | PhD Fellow | +4535326405 | |
| Signe Søndergaard Moore | PhD Fellow | +4535336139 | |
| Sofus Landbo | PhD Fellow | +4535332993 | |
| Thea Møller Jensen | PhD Fellow | ||
| Tinne Zenner | External, Ph.d Student | ||
| Xenia Brown Pallesen | PhD Fellow | +4535336552 |
PhD coordinators
The PhD programme in Arts and Cultural Studies
Devika Sharma
E-mail: sharma@hum.ku.dk
Phone: +45 35 32 92 61
The PhD programme in Practice-based Art Studies
Mikkel Bogh
E-mail: mibo@hum.ku.dk
Phone: +45 35 33 44 93
Activities spring 2026
PhD programme in Arts and Cultural Studies
See the spring programme (pdf).
PhD programme in Practice-based Art Studies
See the lunch and seminar spring programme.
Become a PhD student
Read about how to become a
PhD scholarships at IKK
In 2026, the department will not announce an open PhD call with admission on 1 September.