PhD student in Computer and Systems Sciences, with focus on Cybersecurity Stockholm University’s Department of Computer and Systems Sciences in Sweden

Stockholm University’s Department of Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV) is offering a PhD student position in Computer and Systems Sciences with a focus on cybersecurity. The position sits within a strong and international research environment at the campus in Kista, north of central Stockholm, where doctoral students work alongside senior researchers and collaborate across Sweden and abroad.

The project, Security, Privacy and Trust in Intelligent and Distributed Systems, addresses the growing cyber threat landscape created by AI, IoT, cloud computing, and next-generation communication networks. The research aims to develop new methods, algorithms, architectures, and evaluation frameworks for securing modern intelligent and distributed systems. It combines cybersecurity, AI, and distributed systems, with an emphasis on rigorous security analysis, mathematically grounded mechanisms, and practical system design and implementation.

Potential research directions include the security, robustness, and privacy of generative and agentic AI systems; trustworthy and explainable AI for critical infrastructures and cyber-physical systems; AI-assisted cybersecurity; security and privacy of cloud, edge, and distributed systems; privacy-enhancing technologies; secure protocols and cryptographic mechanisms; and security analytics based on graph learning and large-scale data analysis. The project may involve theoretical work, formal security analysis, machine learning, data analytics, simulations, prototype implementation, and empirical evaluation in realistic environments.

The successful candidate will join a vibrant academic community with opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, seminars, and scientific exchange in academia and industry. The appointment is a fixed-term doctoral employment for up to four years of full-time doctoral education, with the possibility of limited teaching, research, and administration duties up to 20%. The position includes a competitive salary, wellness benefits, and support for books, conference travel, and professional development.

Eligibility requires a second-cycle degree or equivalent studies totaling at least 240 higher education credits, including 60 credits at second-cycle level. Applicants must also have completed second-cycle coursework in Computer and Systems Sciences totaling at least 60 credits or equivalent, plus a thesis of at least 15 credits. English proficiency equivalent to CEFR B2 is required. Selection is based on research capacity, independence, problem formulation, methodological maturity, communication and cooperation skills, and subject knowledge. Meritorious experience includes theoretical and applied security, strong analytical and mathematical skills, and background in networks, distributed systems, AI, and cybersecurity.

Applications must be submitted through Stockholm University’s recruitment system with a personal letter, CV, and the requested attachments. The application should be complete and submitted before 15 October 2026.