The Department of Computer Science at The Technical Faculty of IT and Design invites applications for PhD stipends on one of the topics of Digital Twins and Hierarchical Multi-Agent Safe Reinforcement Learning. The stipends are open for appointment from January 1, 2026. or soon hereafter. The duration of the position is three years.

The stipend is within the DEIS group and supervised by Professor Kim Guldstrand Larsen. Within DEIS the group has developed the award-winning tool UPPAAL (www.uppaal.org) supporting modeling, validation, performance evaluation, synthesis and learning of controllers for real-time and cyber-physical systems. In particular, the tool  has been applied to learning controller in domains ranging from traffic control, water management as well as energy-aware building.

Your work tasks
  The stipend will address challenges related to Sustainable Water-based cooling in Mega-cities.  Research questions include “how can digital twins of buildings a number of specified critical properties (temperature, cooling load demand, energy consumption, potential leaks, etc.) be used for online monitored such that warnings will be made as soon as the probability of given threshold values are exceeded and becoming critically high”.  In addition, “how can the digital twins be used to provide on-line predictions as to the future expected evolution of these critical properties as the basis for safe reinforcement learning (RL) for on-line optimal control”.  In particular, the stipend will investigate enhancement of RL controllers in multi-agent settings and by incorporating optimization techniques such as multi-objective optimization. Overall, the stipend will contribute to overall optimization minimizing CO2 emissions and overall cost.’ 

Your competencies

We are looking for a team member who immediately can contribute to the two specific topics. Applicants should have a background (MSc and BSc degrees) in Computer Science, Software Engineering or Control Theory and a demonstrated ability to work independently as well as in a team. Mastering of adequate modelling tools and programming languages e.g. UPPAAL, MATLAB, MODELICA, C++, Phyton, and machine learning is necessary as well as excellent communication skills in English. Applicants with experience in digital energy, and if possible, co-simulation frameworks such as FMI/FMU, will be preferred.

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. 1124 of September 19, 2025 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    

According to the most recent US News and World Ranking, Aalborg University ranks 3rd in Europe and 27th in the world within Best Universities for Engineering. According to a 2018 MIT report, Aalborg University is considered to have the 4th best engineering program in the world. According to the recent Times Higher Education Impact ranking, Aalborg University ranks 9th in the World for UN SDG Impact.

Department of Computer Science at Aalborg University is highly regarded among researchers, students, and external partners because of our leading research, education, and collaboration. The department currently has more than 170 scientific staff, 20 administrative staff, and 1,100 students, which are based on AAU's problem-based learning model. You can read more on www.cs.aau.dk, and you can read more about the TECH faculty here.

The Distributed, Embedded and Intelligent Systems (DEIS) group at Aalborg University, led by Professor Kim G. Larsen, is worldwide renowned for advancing formal methods and the UPPAAL tool suite for modeling, verification, and synthesis of cyber-physical systems. Combining strong theoretical foundations with industrial collaboration, DEIS applies UPPAAL-based techniques to real-world domains such as energy, water, and intelligent infrastructure, ensuring trustworthy, efficient, and sustainable system operation.

How to apply

Your application must include the following:

• o Application, stating reasons for applying and qualifications in relation to the position,
• o Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• o Diplomas (bachelor and master's degree diploma)
• o Project description: Applicants are required to submit, along with their application documents, a one-page statement, indicating their vision for research to be conducted in relation to the project topics outlined above. 
• o 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.

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

Read more about our recruitment process here  

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.