PhD stipend in GenAI and collaborative learning in higher education at the AI:X Collaborate Lab

Aalborg University; Aalborg; On-site; DKK 290,000 - 391,000; Full time

Job summary

Aalborg University invites applications for a PhD stipend at the Department of Sustainability and Planning in the TECH faculty. The PhD position focuses on AI-supported collaborative learning (AI:X Collaborate) and GenAI in PBL contexts, spanning three years starting 1 November 2026.

The successful candidate holds a Master’s degree in learning or education, with a technological focus, and demonstrates experience with GenAI in higher education. Danish fluency is required.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in learning and/or education with a technology focus.
• Knowledge of sociotechnical theory and qualitative methodology is advantageous.
• Experience with GenAI in teaching and learning in higher education preferred.
• Danish language skills required for data collection.

Responsibilities

• Study student practices with GenAI in collaborative learning contexts.
• Design and align technology and pedagogy to support knowledge building and student agency.
• Collaborate across AI, CSCL, CSCW, HCI, and education research domains.

Skills

Fluent Danish

Research design

Qualitative methods

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Master's degree in learning or education

Job description

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) is rapidly transforming higher education, yet most current GAI systems are designed to support individual productivity rather than collaborative learning. This creates a mismatch with educational approaches such as Problem- and Project-Based Learning (PBL), where learning emerges through dialogue, negotiation, shared inquiry, and collective knowledge building. As GAI becomes increasingly integrated into educational practice and uncritically adopted by students, there is a need to rethink both the role and design of GAI systems to ensure they strengthen rather than undermine collaboration, student agency, and critical engagement.

AI:X is an ambitious initiative at Aalborg University that aims to advance AI research and create real-world impact through interdisciplinary collaboration, and nine labs will be initiated in 2026 with a total of 20 PhD stipends.

AI:X Collaborate is an interdisciplinary research lab part of this initiative which is dedicated to understanding and designing AI-supported collaborative learning environments and technologies. The lab investigates how students learn with, through, and around AI, and develops new human-AI-human interaction paradigms that support collaborative processes rather than isolated individual use. Combining perspectives from the learning sciences, Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), Computer-Supported Collaborate Work (CSCW), Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Participatory Design, and Artificial Intelligence, the lab explores how AI can act as a local infrastructure for collective inquiry, knowledge building, reflection, decision-making, and collaborative production.

AI:X Collaborate Lab offers a PhD stipend at the Department of Sustainability and Planning at the Technical Faculty of IT and Design (TECH) at Aalborg University.

The stipend is open for appointment from 1 November 2026 or soon hereafter. The duration of the position is three years.

Your work tasks

This PhD candidate will study student practices with GenAI in collaborative learning contexts. A specific focus of the study will be the technological and pedagogical design and alignment that can support knowledge building, student agency, reflection and decision making in collaborative environments.

To apply for the stipend, candidates must hold a master's degree specialized within learning and/or education, preferably with a focus on technology, such as IT-based didactic design, IT, learning and organizational change, techno-anthropology or related field that focuses on sociotechnical theory and qualitative methodology. The candidates should also have knowledge about and practical experience with implementing GenAI in teaching and learning in higher education in a PBL context. Knowledge about university organization and infrastructure is an advantage. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the AI:X Collaborate Lab, candidates should also be interested in collaborating with colleagues from a technical field and be open and skilled in working with AI systems.

The candidate must understand and speak fluent Danish, as the data collection in collaborative settings and participant design driven sessions will be conducted in Danish.

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. As part of the PhD study, you are among other things required to complete PhD courses corresponding to 30 ECTS, gain experience with teaching or other forms of knowledge dissemination and complete an external research stay outside of Aalborg University, preferably 3-6 months at a foreign research institution.

Who we are

The lab directors and supervisors of the PhD position are Associate Professor Niels Erik Ruan Lyngdorf (specialized in Digitalisation and culture in higher education) from Dept. of Sustainability and Planning, and Associate Professor Kasper Rodil (specialized in co-design and emerging technology) Dept. Architecture, Design and Media Technology. Both have experience working closely together and are committed to creating a highly collaborative, motivating, and supportive research environment that fosters interdisciplinary exchange, intellectual growth, and close integration between pedagogical and technological research.

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.

Interviews are expected to be immediately after the assessment process.

Further information

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.

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).

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).

There is a mutual probationary period of 3 months for the position.

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.