Mahdi Fazeli

A PhD opportunity is available in Computer Engineering at Halmstad University, Sweden, focusing on hardware security and trustworthy AI. The research will address the secure implementation of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standards such as ML-KEM (Kyber) and ML-DSA (Dilithium) in real hardware. The project will apply machine learning and explainable AI to hardware verification, aiming to identify and prevent security vulnerabilities early in the design process. Key research themes include hardware security verification at RTL and gate level, the use of graph neural networks for modeling hardware designs, explainable AI for interpretable vulnerability analysis, and exploring security–performance–energy trade-offs in hardware design. The PhD student will be supervised by Associate Professor Mahdi Fazeli at Halmstad University, with joint supervision and collaboration with Lund University within ELLIIT, Sweden’s strategic research environment in ICT. The position offers regular research exchanges, collaboration with a PhD student at Lund University, and strong opportunities for high-quality joint publications. Applicants should have a strong background in hardware design, computer architecture, or hardware security. Experience with machine learning, explainable AI, or hardware verification is desirable. A relevant degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field is required. No specific funding or deadline information is provided in the post. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Mahdi Fazeli directly or share the post with potential applicants.