PhD in Privacy-Preserving Federated Learning and Trustworthy AI

University of Turku; Turku; Sur place; EUR 28 000 - 30 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Fully funded position

Publish in top cybersecurity journals

Collaborate with European universities

Résumé du poste

University of Turku invites applications for a full-time Doctoral Researcher position focused on Privacy-Preserving Federated Learning and Trustworthy AI. This role is part of a Horizon Europe project and aims to build a decentralized, privacy-preserving AI infrastructure with explainability features and regulatory compliance.

You will design a Bi-Level FL framework, integrate PETs, and develop an explainable, auditable AI lifecycle. Collaboration with industry and academia is encouraged.

Qualifications

• Eligibility criteria defined in University of Turku Rules of Procedure and the requirement to pursue a doctoral degree.
• Excellent English communication (written and spoken) with certificates such as IELTS or TOEFL.
• Programming skills in Python, C++, Rust and related languages.

Responsabilités

• Design and develop a privacy-preserving Federated Learning framework for trustworthy AI.
• Integrate Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) such as Differential Privacy and secure aggregation.
• Develop a self-learning Bi-Level FL framework with global coherence and local adaptability.
• Create an XAI agent generating human-readable justifications and audit logs for cybersecurity decisions.
• Collaborate with academia and industry partners on a Horizon Europe project.

Connaissances

Analytical skills

English proficiency

Programming skills

Formation

MSc in Computer Science/AI/Cybersecurity

Outils

Distributed computing

Applied cryptography

XAI

Description du poste

The Department of Computing at the Faculty of Technology invites applications for a full-time Doctoral Researcher position. This role focuses on Privacy-Preserving Federated Learning & Trustworthy AI. The fixed-term position starts based on mutual agreement, and ends on 31.8.2029, which is the estimated end date of the project. The project end date may change, in which case the position ends accordingly.

Job description

As AI becomes integral to cybersecurity, meeting the transparency requirements of the EU AI Act and the privacy mandates of the GDPR is critical. This Doctoral researcher position, integrated into a high-impact Horizon Europe research project, focuses on building a decentralized, privacy-preserving, and explainable AI infrastructure to ensure the "trustworthiness" of AI ecosystem. Design and develop a self-learning Bi-Level FL framework that ensures global coherence while allowing local adaptability. You will integrate Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) such as Differential Privacy (DP) and secure aggregation. Implement selective unlearning mechanisms within the federated framework to eradicate outdated or biased knowledge, ensuring strict regulatory compliance. Develop a self-improving Bias & Explainability (XAI) agent that generates human-readable justifications (decision cards, audit logs) for cybersecurity decisions and links them to system provenance. Contribute to model-level adaptive access control, utilizing cryptographic fingerprinting and Proof of Learning to guarantee the integrity of the AI model lifecycle.

Who we are looking for

• MSc degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or Cybersecurity.
• A solid background in cybersecurity, or machine learning, LLMs.
• Familiarity with distributed computing, applied cryptography or XAI.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication skills in English (written and spoken, e.g., with a valid International English certificate, IELTS or TOEFL).
• Programming skills (e.g., Python, C++, Rust).
• Interest in collaborative research with both academia and industry.

Qualification requirements

The eligibility criteria for prospective applicants are defined in the University of Turku Rules of Procedure: university-of-turku-rules-of-procedure.pdf. A person selected for the post of Doctoral Researcher is required to have a right to pursue a doctoral degree at University of Turku. In addition, when acquiring their degree or otherwise, they are required to have demonstrated the ability to undertake postgraduate studies and the capacity to complete a doctoral degree in accordance with the research plan. Please note that before obtaining the study right for a Doctoral Program, the job title will be Project Researcher, and the employment contract will be made until 31.3.2027. The candidate is expected to apply for the study right in the next available Autumn 2026 call to e.g. the Doctoral Programme in Technology. Thus, please check the student information and application criteria Doctoral Programme in Technology - Admission Criteria and Instructions for Applicants | University of Turku (please pay attention to the mandatory skill level in English). Read more about the University of Turku's doctoral programmes and how to apply for study rights Join us for your doctoral studies at the University of Turku! | University of Turku In exceptional cases, we may also consider applicants who have completed nearly all the studies required for a master's degree in a relevant field. In such cases, the job title at the start of the employment will be Research Assistant and the starting salary (OV1) is on average 2400 euros/month, depending on competence and experience. We value collegiality and promote equality, diversity, and inclusivity. We encourage all qualified applicants with different backgrounds to apply for our open positions.

Benefits

• A fully funded Doctoral researcher position in an internationally recognized research environment.
• Opportunities to publish in top-tier cybersecurity journals and flag-ship conferences.
• Opportunities to collaborate with and visit outstanding European universities and industrial partners.
• Training courses for academic researchers, e.g., proposal writing, scientific writing, project development, teaching qualification.
• A vibrant, international, and supportive research community.
• We offer you responsible and interesting tasks and the opportunity to develop your professional skills in a versatile operating environment.
• You get a professional and inspiring team to support your work.
• We take care of your well-being at work and the functionality of your everyday life, e.g. with the help of flexible working hours and our well-being services.
• Please read more about University of Turku as an employer from our Come work with us! pages.

The European Commission has awarded the University of Turku the right to use the HR Excellence in Research quality label. The university offers good support and orientation for international hires. Please learn more about the Finnish culture and relocation to Finland: City of Turku Welcome visitor International House of Turku This is Finland Careers in Southwest Finland Finland - a superpower of education and innovations | University of Turku (utu.fi) The University of Turku is among the top of the world’s universities in most rankings and among the best universities in the world in certain fields. Our high-quality basic research, a multidisciplinary research profile and close cooperation in research infrastructures creates the basis for international top research. Read more about University of Turku in international university rankings. The University of Turku has several high-quality research infrastructures required for cutting-edge research. Learn more about the roadmap of research infrastructures and how the research infrastructure and expert teams offer tailored solutions for businesses and organizations.

Salary and trial period

The salary is determined in accordance with the university salary system for teaching and research personnel and will depend on the degree and qualifications of the applicant. For a doctoral/project researcher (OV02-OV04), the salary will be in the beginning of the employment on average 2500–2700 euros/month, depending on previous experience and skills. The amount of the salary is defined when the employment contract is prepared. A six (6) month trial period applies to the position.

Further information

Home page of the research group: http://www.utu.fi/cyber

For further information about the position, please contact: Associate Professor Kaitai Liang, [e-mail]

With questions about the application process, please contact: HR Specialist Nina Reini, [e-mail]

The position will be filled if the project is implemented. University of Turku reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, to extend the application period, reopen the application process, and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.