The Department of Electronic Systems at The Technical Faculty of IT and Design invites applications for a PhD stipend in the field of AI security and privacy within the general study programme electric and electronic engineering; as per January 1, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. 

In electronic engineering, Aalborg University is known worldwide for its high academic quality and societal impact. The Department of Electronic Systems employs more than 200 people, of which about 90 are PhD students, and about 40 % of all employees are internationals. In total, it has more than 600 students in its BSc and MSc programs, which are based on AAU's problem-based learning model. The department leverages its unique research infrastructure and lab facilities to conduct world-leading fundamental and applied research within communication, networks, control systems, AI, sound, cyber security, and robotics. The department plays an active role in transferring inventions and results into applications in close collaboration with industrial partners worldwide. You can read more about the department at www.es.aau.dk.

Your work tasks

AI:SECURITY lab is seeking a highly motivated PhD researcher to join our team focusing on advanced trustworthy AI and its application to cybersecurity. This research will explore methods to ensure the privacy, security, and robustness of AI systems, with a focus on designing AI models that are not only effective but also trustworthy in sensitive environments, such as healthcare, finance, and cybersecurity.

The successful candidate will focus on addressing critical challenges at the intersection of AI and cybersecurity, aiming to enhance model integrity, data privacy, and resilience to adversarial attacks. The research will explore methods to secure AI systems in real-world applications, ensuring they remain robust against cyber threats and privacy violations.

Possible research topics can be, but are not limited to:

1. Adversarial Attacks and Defenses: Developing advanced techniques to protect AI systems from cybersecurity threats like attacks (e.g., poisoning, evasion) that manipulate model performance.
2. Privacy-Preserving AI: Designing techniques like federated learning and differential privacy to ensure AI models can process sensitive data without exposing private information.
3. Cryptographic Approaches: Exploring the use of cryptography (e.g., homomorphic encryption, secure multi-party computation) to safeguard data privacy and model security during training and deployment.
4. Deepfake detection: Develop advanced approaches to secure AI-driven media verification systems and prevent the misuse of synthetic data.  

Your competencies

• Master's degree in information Engineering, computer science, cybersecurity, software engineering, or related fields
• Strong programming skills (e.g., Python)
• Strong motivation to contribute to cutting-edge research in AI and cybersecurity.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• The ability to work independently and collaboratively within interdisciplinary teams.
• Background in cybersecurity, machine learning, AI, or large language models (LLM) is advantageous but not a requirement.
  
  

Qualification requirements
PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master's degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1039 of August 27, 2013 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time.

Who we are    
AI:X is an ambitious initiative at Aalborg University that aims to advance AI research and create real-world impact through interdisciplinary collaboration, and five labs will be initiated in 2025 with a total of 20 PhD stipends.

The AI:SECURITY LAB is part of the AI:X initiative with four PhD stipends and is a collaboration between the Department of Electronic Systems and the Department of Computer Science, at The Technical Faculty of IT and Design. The lab is part of a growing research environment broadly in the area of AI Security and is expected to grow to ca. 10 PhD students in the next year.  We address all topics related to (Cyber)Security in AI particularly in Natural Language Processing(NLP).

How to apply
Your application must include the following:

• Application, stating reasons for applying and qualifications in relation to the position
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Diplomas (bachelor and master's degree diploma)
• Project description (maximum 2 pages)
• Other relevant documents

The application must be submitted via Aalborg University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg University's website. 

Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position.

Do you have any questions?     
If you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.

We expect to conduct interviews late November or early December.

Further information  
We recommend that you save a copy of the job posting, as it will be removed once the application deadline has passed.  

The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.
Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline, the head of the department, with the assistance of the hiring committee, will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

Read more about The Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design

Salary and terms of employment
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish). 

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish). 

Aalborg University - Knowledge for the world
Aalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3,700 employees. We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class research results through collaboration between researchers, students, and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights, new solutions to societal problems, and knowledge that changes the world. Our main campus is in Aalborg, but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and Copenhagen.