Doctoral student in European Law and AI

The Department of Law invites applications for a PhD position in European Law and AI, funded within the research programme WASP-HS. The PhD student will be employed by the Department of Law and will be admitted to the doctoral programme leading to a Doctor of Laws degree.

Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a comprehensive research-intensive university with a strong international standing. Our ultimate goal is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to make a long-term difference in society. Our most important assets are all the individuals whose curiosity and dedication make Uppsala University one of Sweden’s most exciting workplaces. Uppsala University has over 54,000 students, more than 7,500 employees and a turnover of around SEK 8 billion.

Field of Research
Uppsala University is building a strong and dynamic environment for legal research relating to artificial intelligence and has a leading position in Sweden and the Nordic region.

The Department of Law invites applications for a PhD position in European Law with a focus on AI.

The position is affiliated to the national research program Wallenberg AI, Automonous Systems and Software Program - Humanity and Society (WASP-HS) and the research cluster The Rule of AI - AI, Regulation, and Society. The vision of WASP-HS is to foster novel interdisciplinary knowledge in the humanities and social sciences about AI and autonomous systems and their impact on human and social development. WASP-HS enables cutting edge research, expertise, and competence building in the humanities and social sciences. The research cluster is led by Uppsala University, Örebro University, and Stockholm University and studies how AI transforms regulatory processes, focusing on the design of, oversight over and compliance with rules. The PhD student will be part of the cluster and be placed at the Department of Law but will design and conduct their thesis project independently.

Duties
An employed doctoral student must primarily devote his or her time to his or her own doctoral research (4 years full-time). Other duties may be included, such as teaching students, working in teaching teams, and administration (no more than 20% of the position) in which case the position may be extended to a maximum of 5 years. Rules governing doctoral students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7, in Uppsala University's rules and guidelines, and in the general study plan for doctoral studies at the Faculty of Law, Uppsala University.

Requirements and assessment
In order to be admitted to doctoral studies, the applicant is required to meet the following qualifications. To qualify as an applicant with the Department of Law, the applicant must either

1. in Sweden, have completed a Master of Laws degree or completed a law programme, or
2. in Sweden or abroad, have acquired knowledge equivalent to the degrees mentioned in 1
   
   

In evaluating whether the knowledge is sufficient, consideration must be given to what is required to successfully benefit from the doctoral programme in the specific subject.

Applicants must have adequate knowledge of Swedish or English.

The overall purpose of the doctoral studies is to provide future newly qualified doctors of laws with good prospects for a successful career within or outside of higher education. This includes in-depth knowledge of the chosen subject in the field of research, a capacity for independent and critical thinking, proficiency in scientific methods and modes of working, an ability to identify interesting and researchable issues, teaching skills and the ability to express himself or herself well both orally and in writing, an ability to operate in an international context and an ability to understand and deal with ethical issues concerning research.

Admission is based on an evaluation of the applicant’s capacity to successfully complete the doctoral studies. The evaluation is primarily focused on the project description as well as the scientific written material (published or not published). Analytical ability, the ability to structure the material and to independently work on the proposed project, and the project’s news value, are paramount. In addition to the written material, other merits, such as grades, diplomas, completed courses, etc., may also be of importance in the assessment. Further, the applicant’s capacity to cooperate in different ways, e.g. with teaching colleagues, may be taken into consideration. 

The application shall include:

• Personal letter (required document)
• CV in Swedish or English (required document)
• Relevant diploma with grade transcripts (required document) and other relevant certificates in Swedish or English
• Project description with time plan in Swedish or English (required document) The project description should include the research question(s) of the proposed research, the relationship between the research topic and the relevant area of research, research already undertaken in this field, a reflection upon material and method, a time plan, and the possible scientific value and contribution of the proposed project. The project description should include considerations on how the project will fit into the interdisciplinary cluster. The project description must comprise no more than 35,000 characters including spaces (approximately ten A4 pages).
• Popular summary in Swedish or English (required document). The project summary must include a brief popular summary in Swedish or English, no longer than 2,000 characters including spaces.
• Written scientific work (electronic copy of books, articles, undergraduate essays, manuscripts, etc.)
• Letter of recommendation and/or references (e.g. a university teacher or employer)
• Application forms for admission to doctoral studies, and employment as a doctoral student. 

Decisions on admissions to the doctoral programme are made by the Research Committee at the Faculty of Law. As part of the admission procedure, references may be taken and interviews may be held with a limited number of applicants.

Only complete applications will be taken into consideration. Applications must be submitted as described in this advertisement.

Employment
The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7. Extent of employment 100%. 

Salary: according to local agreement for doctoral students.

Starting date: 2026-02-01 or as agreed.

Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position and the doctoral programme: Please contact Director of Research Studies Rebecca Söderström, email: rebecca.soderstrom@jur.uu.se and, for information about the focus of the research and the underlying project, Project Leader (Uppsala) Katja de Vries email: katja.devries@jur.uu.se.

Please submit your application, including the required documents, no later than 6 October 2025!