PHD - Blockchain Economics Innovation and Empowerment

A strong and internationally competitive Blockchain industry is emerging in Denmark. Strong academic research and knowledge dissemination is a critical part in that development. To strengthen the position in research and education further, and to counter talent and knowledge shortage hindering the industry to mature further, two PhD positions on Blockchain economics, innovation and empowerment have been created at the European Blockchain Center at IT University in Copenhagen.

The positions will be instrumental in Blockchain education and competencies development, as well as in developing Blockchain incubation and acceleration models to support innovative economic models.

The two open PhD positions are embedded in Blockchain projects with private and public partners, financially supported by the Danish Industry Foundation:

• The Blockchain Business Bridge will introduce China's blockchain drive and focus to Danish companies and policy makers to increase awareness of the potential of the technology. As part of it, we will identify opportunities for Danish businesses in China, which is one of the biggest and fastest growing Blockchain markets. The PhD project will work with Blockchain entrepreneurs and startups in Denmark and China and will analyze Blockchain business models.
• The Blockchain Academy Network will provide an opportunity to work with C-level decision makers from different industries in Denmark. As part of research on information systems education, a Blockchain education curriculum is to be developed and empirically tested empowering knowledge workers in Blockchain to be successful. As part of it, an executive Blockchain economics course will be developed and tested The PhD project will develop a scientifically grounded and empirically evaluated Blockchain curriculum.

Both projects are intertwined, and PhD students are supposed to work together. The projects require the application of a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative research methods to achieve a deeper analytical understanding of the implications that the rise of Blockchain poses for organizing economic activity and value.

The applicant is expected to have a strong academic background in Information Systems field and should aim for publishing his or her research in internationally leading journals. Besides making a theoretical contribution, the applicant is also expected to add value to society through research that is not only rigorous, but also relevant.

Qualification Requirements
The following qualifications are required:

• 3 year programme: candidates should have an MSc (or equivalent)
• 4 year programme: candidates should have a BSc

Application
The application must be in English and must include:

• A cover letter;
• A statement of purpose, which provides evidence of independent thinking, novelty and originality, and a state of the art grasp of the targeted research field matching the project description above;
• Documentation of academic degree(s); grade transcripts that documents outstanding academic achievement;
• Curriculum Vitae, which must include two professional/academic references;
• Applications may also include a relevant scientific publication written by the applicant, or the applicants master thesis. Letters of recommendation can also be included in the application

Applications without the above-mentioned documents will not be assessed.

It is understood that even highly qualified applicants will satisfy these requirements to varying degrees, for example because of differences in publication cultures in various research fields.

Applications without the above-mentioned documents will not be assessed.

Early contact with our faculty staff is strongly encouraged.

General information
The IT University of Copenhagen (ITU) is a teaching and research-based tertiary institution concerned with information technology (IT) and the opportunities it offers. The IT University has more than 160 full-time Faculty members. Research and teaching in information technology span all academic activities which involve computers including computer science, information and media sciences, humanities and social sciences, business impact and the commercialization of IT.

Successful applicants will be employed and enrolled at the ITU University for a period of 3 or 4 years depending on the university degree level of the applicant.

Salary
Appointment and salary will be in accordance with the Ministry of Finance's agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC).

Application procedure
You can only apply for this position through our e-recruitment system. Apply by pushing the button "Apply for position" in the job announcement on our website: http://en.itu.dk/About-ITU/Vacancies

Please read the guidelines for applicants carefully before filling in the application form. You can see the guidelines through this link: https://en.itu.dk/research/phd-programme/available-phd-positions/guidelines-for-applicants

Applications must be written in English. All other documents, such as transcripts must be accompanied by a translation in English or Danish.

Questions about the positions can be directed to Roman Beck, IT University of Copenhagen, tel. 7218 5323 or e-mail romb@itu.dk. Questions related to the application procedure may be directed to HR, Kristina Køj-Udsen, kuds@itu.dk.

The applicant will be assessed according to the Appointment Order from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of 13 March 2012.

The IT University may use shortlisting in connection to the recruitment process. I In case of shortlisting, the Chair of the hiring committee selects applicants for assessment in consultation with the hiring committee after the application deadline. All applicants are notified whether their application has been passed for assessment. The shortlisting of candidates for assessment is based on the criteria in the job posting.

Application deadline: 31 March 2020 at 23:59 CET.

Applications/enclosures received at ITU after the application deadline will not be taken into consideration. If you submit an application, it is your responsibility to ensure that it arrives before the deadline so please allow sufficient time for upload of publications and other documents.

The IT University invites all qualified researchers regardless of age, gender, religious affiliation or ethnic background to apply for the positions.

Apply here