DIGNITY’s Talent Programme Autumn 2026

About the Talent Programme

DIGNITY’s Talent Programme is specifically designed for ambitious students in the master’s phase of their education who are seeking an internship opportunity as part of their academic program or planning to write a master’s thesis on torture or related topics.

The Talent Programme follows the academic year, and DIGNITY is opening for applications for the autumn semester starting on 1 September 2026.

The Programme offers an inspiring and intensive environment at the intersection of theory and practice. As a DIGNITY talent you will have the opportunity to develop and contribute to knowledge production and to creating a better world together with other DIGNITY talents under qualified supervision and mentorship from experienced DIGNITY staff.

DIGNITY is a bilingual organisation (Danish and English), and as the Programme typically includes both Danish and international students, all joint meetings are conducted in English.

Key areas of work

Collaboration is possible within the following key areas:

1. Prevention of torture
2. Health aspects of torture including methods of torture and consequences
3. Public policy and advocacy
4. Human rights and international criminal law
5. Justice for human rights violations
6. Public health/biostatistics and data science
7. Climate change and conflict (more information here)
8. Rehabilitation including MHPSS for survivors of trauma, torture, and violence
9. The Confined Lives project, focusing on a case study of migrant families’ experiences of mobility, confinement, freedom and connection to their homeland (more information here)
10. MEAL (Monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning), data analysis, and data visualization (e.g. dashboards)
11. Research in mental health and psychosocial programming for populations affected by violence and adversity in low- and middle-income countries
12. Repression and resistance – the role of social movements and the arts.
13. Clinical mental health research with a focus on trauma, PTSD, and refugee populations
14. Analysis and dissemination of quantitative data about refugees in Denmark

We are also seeking a psychology student for an internship in the Rehabilitation Clinic:

15. specialising in trauma-focused interventions and psychotraumatology.

In the application form you will be asked to specify which key area(s) you are interested in.

You and your profile

As an applicant you must:

• be enrolled in an academic programme with an internship option or plan to write a thesis within one of DIGNITY’s key areas (listed above)
• have strong English skills
• for internships at DIGNITY’s Rehabilitation Clinic in Copenhagen, fluency in Danish is required

Being selected for the Talent Programme is an opportunity to contribute to DIGNITY’s work against torture and violence and collaborate with experienced senior researchers and senior advisors on ongoing projects either as a thesis student or an intern. DIGNITY emphasises approaches to understanding and addressing the complex challenges of torture prevention and rehabilitation. A key element of the programme is learning from colleagues with diverse professional backgrounds—particularly through a series of meetings where talents can interact with the wide range of professional groups within DIGNITY.

Especially for Masters’ thesis students:

• Master’s thesis positions are available for 4-5 months. When writing a thesis in collaboration with DIGNITY, you will have the opportunity to work academically with issues related to the causes, consequences or contexts of torture and violence.
• You will work on your thesis with co-supervision from a relevant and qualified DIGNITY staff member in addition to your primary supervisor at your university.

Especially for internships:

• Internships for one semester are offered by our International Programme Department as well as the department for National Rehabilitation and provide a unique opportunity to engage with and learn about human rights, torture rehabilitation, and torture prevention in practice.
• Internships at the Rehabilitation Clinic last a maximum of one semester, where you work with traumatized refugees under the guidance of a qualified psychologist. You will participate in clinical work, interdisciplinary teams, and neuropsychological assessments. The content of tasks in autumn 2026 will depend on the possibility of being physically present at DIGNITY’s premises due to a renovation of our office facilities.

The Talent Programme is an educational programme and is therefore unpaid, regardless of whether you are an intern or a thesis student. DIGNITY does not reimburse general expenses incurred during the programme. Participants are therefore responsible for all expenses, such as transportation, insurance, housing and living costs.

Important Information for Autumn 2026

Due to the renovation of DIGNITY’s office facilities we unfortunately cannot guarantee a physical workspace for interns and thesis students throughout the entire programme. Participants in the autumn programme must therefore be aware that a workspace at our premises may not be available during parts of the programme. This applies regardless of whether you are an intern or writing a thesis.

If you have questions

If you find this opportunity interesting and have specific academic or content-related questions, you are welcome to contact the manager responsible for the area(s) you are interested in.

Regarding key work areas 1–6 in the overview above, you are welcome to contact Deputy Director & Medical Director Marie Brasholt at mbr@dignity.dk.

Regarding key work areas 6–12 in the overview above, you are welcome to contact Head of International Research and Learning Tomas Martin at tm@dignity.dk.

Regarding key work areas 13–15 in the overview above, you are welcome to contact Research Manager Linda Nordin at ln@dignity.dk.

For general questions about the Talent Programme you are welcome to contact HR-specialist Julie Weng Haar by email at juwh@dignity.dk.

How to apply

The deadline for applications for the autumn semester is Monday 20^th April 2026. Please send us your application via the link, and note that the application must include the following documents:

• A letter of motivation on approximately 500 words in which you describe your motivation for participating in the Talent Programme, your specific academic areas of interest, and which of the mentioned key work areas you wish to work with. Additionally, you must specify whether you are applying for an internship or a Master’s thesis collaboration.
• Curriculum Vitae
• Grade report from your educational institution
• If you wish to apply for an internship, you must also submit written documentation of the requirements for the internship from your educational institution.
• An example of your written work in English (preferably bachelor assignment or equivalent)