Two PhD Positions at the University of Zurich on the Future of Democracy

Do you want to invent the future of Democracy? 

Do you think technology can help make democracies better? 

Then this job ad is for you! 

The Dynamic and Distributed Information Systems Group at the University of Zurich is looking for motivated applicants who are interested in investigating large-scale participation in democratic processes. The two Ph.D. students will work in the context of a new SNSF interdisciplinary project that will address the topics of democratic issue identification, deliberation, and democratic proposal co-creation. The Ph.D. students will investigate hybrid human-machine systems that cultivate, coordinate, and support participants using coordination technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in the context of real-world democratic processes. The two Ph.D. students will work in close collaboration with other Ph.D. students from the disciplines of computer science, political science, and law.  

In the tradition of our research group to explore both the technical and the behavioral dimension of computer science, we are seeking interested Ph.D. students to investigate the traditional computer science approach, as well as human behavior, specifically in the realm of computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW).  

We offer: 
A highly exciting, timely, and societally important as well as meaningful research topic 
A diverse and multi-disciplinary research group of highly motivated colleagues who are passionate about topics at the intersection of computer science, AI, and social science 
Strong support for your professional/career development 
Attractive work environment both within the research group and beyond: the University of Zurich is one of Switzerland's leading universities in the middle of a vibrant, cosmopolitan city that regularly ranks as one of the cities with the highest quality of life in the world. 
Generous support for professional travel and research needs 
Requirements:  
MSc in Computer Science or a related discipline (such as information systems or human-computer interaction); the degree should be attained by the time you start the position  
A passion for discovering new things  
Experience in the areas of AI, semantic web technologies, machine learning, and/or behavioral analyses such as running experiments with human subjects or surveys are considered a plus but are not strictly necessary. 
To apply, please gather your curriculum vitae, all grade transcripts, selected publications (if available), a list of at least three references, and your BSc/MSc theses as PDF files and go to 

 https://www.apply.dsi.uzh.ch/position/9535488

The University of Zurich is committed to enhancing the number of women in scientific positions and, therefore, particularly invites women to apply. Women who are as qualified for the position in question as male applicants will be given priority.

 
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|  Professor Abraham Bernstein, PhD
|  University of Zürich, Department of Informatics
|  web: http://www.ifi.uzh.ch/ddis/bernstein.html