PhD Student in Computer Science: Privacy-Compliant and Trustworthy AI-Powered Social Robots (Cybercampus Sweden)

Karlstad University, located in scenic Värmland, Sweden, is offering a fully funded PhD position in Computer Science as part of the Privacy and Security research group (PriSec) within the Faculty of Health, Science, and Technology. The university is renowned for its commitment to curiosity, courage, openness, and sustainable development, with a strong foundation in gender equality, diversity, and democratic values. The PriSec group specializes in privacy-enhancing technologies, privacy engineering, network security, and usable security and privacy, providing a vibrant academic environment for research and collaboration. This doctoral position is embedded in the newly established Cybercampus Graduate School, Sweden’s first national PhD school on cybersecurity, which brings together leading universities, industry partners, and public-sector organizations to address critical cybersecurity challenges. The PhD project, titled “Towards Privacy-Compliant and Trustworthy AI-Powered Social Robots,” aims to explore privacy risks and trustworthy AI principles in the use of social robots in homes and institutions. The research will focus on privacy and security mitigation measures, novel human interaction concepts, and interfaces for communicating privacy notices, obtaining consent, and exercising data subject rights, all within a human-centred approach. The project offers interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities, especially with researchers from Jönköping University, who will contribute expertise in usable security, privacy research, Human Computer Interaction (HCI), and AI/Robotics. The PhD student will be primarily based at Karlstad University, with longer research secondments at Jönköping University and regular visits to Cybercampus Sweden in Stockholm. This setup provides access to an extended national research environment and supports broader perspectives through joint research and training activities. The position is co-funded by Cybercampus Sweden and includes mobility funds for secondment research visits and travels. The doctoral appointment is a paid position, offering a combination of studies and work, with a standard salary that progresses according to local collective agreements. The program comprises 240 credits for a Degree of Doctor and 120 credits for a Degree of Licentiate. Teaching and administrative duties may be included up to 20% of the full-time position. The role requires commitment, independence, and the ability to structure work effectively to complete the doctoral thesis. Active participation in departmental and Cybercampus Sweden activities is expected. Entry requirements include a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science or Computer Engineering, or substantially equivalent knowledge acquired in Sweden or abroad. Assessment criteria emphasize academic performance, proficiency in English, and knowledge or experience in cybersecurity, privacy-enhancing technologies, trustworthy AI, HCI, Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), and social robotics. Personal qualities such as initiative, cooperation skills, and communication abilities are highly valued. Experience in interdisciplinary projects, especially HCI/HRI research and user studies, and knowledge of Swedish are advantageous. Applicants should submit a complete application via the university’s web-based recruitment tool, Varbi, by the deadline. Required documents include a cover letter, CV, degree certificate, transcript, Master’s thesis, publications, letters of recommendation, and references. Translations must be provided for documents not in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, or English. Incomplete applications may not be fairly assessed. The position is fixed-term, initially for one year with possible extensions up to five years full-time. Start date is by agreement. For more information, visit the university’s website or contact the supervisors listed in the advertisement. This opportunity offers a stimulating research environment, access to national networks, and the chance to contribute to cutting-edge research in privacy, security, and trustworthy AI-powered social robotics. Karlstad University is committed to fair and transparent recruitment and professional development for researchers, as recognized by the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research award.