PhD student position in Machine Learning: Transferable Concepts

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering is a joint department at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg, with activities on two campuses in the city of Gothenburg. The department has around 240 employees from over 30 countries. Our research has a wide span, from theoretical foundations to applied systems development. We provide high quality education at Bachelor's, Master's and graduate levels, offering over 120 courses each year. We also have extensive national and international collaborations with academia, industry and society.

Our aim is to actively increase our gender balance in both our department and division. We therefore strongly encourage female applicants for our positions. As an employee at Chalmers and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, you are given the opportunity to contribute to our active work within the field of equality and diversity. We are working broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence. For more information, visit our website.

Information about the project
The data science and AI division at CSE is recruiting a PhD student in mathematics for machine learning for a project on the foundations of learning transferable concepts.

Transfer learning studies the automatic acquisition and application of transferable knowledge. In recent years, a large body of research has studied transfer learning in the context of prediction, using algorithms built on surprisingly shaky mathematical foundations. While there are known conditions that guarantee successful transfer, these are often violated in fundamental ways in practice. This project aims to address this gap by providing rigorous, plausible and sufficient conditions for TL and developing practical learning algorithms that make use of them as assumptions.

The hired student will pursue a PhD in machine learning within computer science and engineering and will be funded by the WASP program described below.

Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP) is Sweden’s largest individual research program ever, a major national initiative for strategically motivated basic research, education and faculty recruitment. The program addresses research on artificial intelligence and autonomous systems acting in collaboration with humans, adapting to their environment through sensors, information and knowledge, and forming intelligent systems-of-systems.

The vision of WASP is excellent research and competence in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and software for the benefit of Swedish industry. Read more: https://wasp-sweden.org/

The graduate school within WASP is dedicated to provide the skills needed to analyze, develop, and contribute to the interdisciplinary area of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and software. Through an ambitious program with research visits, partner universities, and visiting lecturers, the graduate school actively supports forming a strong multi-disciplinary and international professional network between PhD-students, researchers and industry. Read more: https://wasp-sweden.org/graduate-school/

Major responsibilities
Your major responsibilities as a PhD student is to pursue your own doctoral studies. You will be enrolled in a graduate program in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. You are expected to develop your own ideas and communicate scientific results orally as well as in written form. In addition, the position will include 20% departmental work, mostly teaching duties in Chalmers' undergraduate and masters-level courses or performing other duties corresponding to 20% of working hours.

Position summary
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

Qualifications
To qualify as a PhD student, you must have a master's-level degree, or a four-year bachelor's degree, corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in a relevant field. The position requires sound verbal and written communication skills in Swedish and English. If Swedish is not your native language, you should be able to teach in Swedish after two years. Chalmers offers Swedish courses.

Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Our offer to you
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the dynamic city of Gothenburg. 
Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Application deadline: 31st March, 2020

APPLY HERE



For questions, please contact:
Fredrik Johansson, CSE DSAI, fredrik.johansson@chalmers.se, Mobile: +46 73 591 7101

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***
   



Chalmers University of Technology conducts research and education in engineering sciences, architecture, technology-related mathematical sciences, natural and nautical sciences, working in close collaboration with industry and society. The strategy for scientific excellence focuses on our six Areas of Advance; Energy, Health Engineering, Information and Communication Technology, Materials Science, Production and Transport. The aim is to make an active contribution to a sustainable future using the basic sciences as a foundation and innovation and entrepreneurship as the central driving forces. Chalmers has around 11,000 students and 3,000 employees. New knowledge and improved technology have characterised Chalmers since its foundation in 1829, completely in accordance with the will of William Chalmers and his motto: Avancez!