Postdoctoral Research Fellow position in synthetic data generation at AI LEARN

University of Bergen; Bergen; On-site; NOK 617,000 - 754,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Development opportunities at UiB

Salary as postdoctoral fellow NOK 685,

Job summary

The University of Bergen invites applications for a fixed-term Postdoctoral Research Fellow position within privacy-preserving technologies and synthetic data at the Centre for the Science of Learning & Technology (SLATE), Faculty of Psychology, in Bergen.

The successful candidate will develop and evaluate models for synthetic data in learning contexts, collaborate with colleagues, publish in international journals, and contribute to the AI LEARN initiative and the Technological Advancements

Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science, AI, Information Security, Learning Analytics, Statistics or related field; PhD awarded before employment
• Proven ability to conduct independent research and collaborate with a team
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or R and experience with version control (Git)

Responsibilities

• Develop and evaluate novel models of synthetic data for educational settings
• Validate synthetic generation models with AI LEARN partners
• Publish research in international peer‑reviewed journals and present at conferences
• Contribute to the Technological Advancements cluster and AI LEARN community
• Engage in dissemination and communication activities within AI LEARN

Skills

Python

R

Machine learning

English communication

Collaboration

Education

PhD in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Git

Job description

UiB - Knowledge that shapes society

UiB shall be among Europe's leading universities, internationally recognized for high quality in research and education. As a societal institution, we shall contribute to sustainable and democratic development and be an attractive and inclusive place to study and work.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow position

We welcome your application for a postdoctoral research fellow position within privacy-preserving technologies and synthetic data with a particular focus on responsible data sharing and exchange at the Centre for the Science of Learning & Technology (SLATE), Faculty of Psychology. The position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years and is associated with the AI LEARN centre.

AI LEARN

AI LEARN is a new national interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral initiative. The centre aims to understand and shape the human aspects of interaction with and through the use of AI. The goal is to ensure the sustainable, inclusive and responsible integration of AI in both the public and private sectors, to strengthen human agency, and to help everyone participate safely and critically in a society characterised by AI. AI LEARN is a consortium consisting of 34 national and international partners from academia and the public and private sectors.

Six national research centres for Artificial Intelligence were launched in the fall of 2025. These centres will foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers to address societal challenges, understand the impact of AI, develop new technologies, and drive innovation across both the business and public sectors. This initiative is established and financed through the government's significant investment in artificial intelligence over the next five years (regjeringen.no) (in Norwegian)

About the project/work tasks:

This postdoctoral research fellow position is associated with Technological Advancements Cluster of the AI LEARN centre, a cluster of projects addressing the critical need for advanced, human-centred AI technologies to empower human learning. The goal of this cluster is to investigate how to evolve advanced, human-centered AI technology to empower human learning, including designing, developing and evaluating systems and models to enhance learning through AI technology.

The postdoctoral research fellow will contribute to the Technological Advancement cluster by advancing synthetic data generation as a key work of AI LEARN’s research for privacy-preserving technologies. The work will involve developing, evaluating, and validating methods for synthetic data generation that enable secure and trustworthy data sharing and exchange for learning applications. The fellow will design approaches that ensure high data utility while rigorously mitigating risks of re-identification and privacy leakage. The work from the postdoctoral research fellow will contribute to enabling public trust using synthetic data and should support case studies for providing our industrial partners with privacy-preserving solutions for testing and improving learning and educational technologies without relying on real data.

You are expected to collaborate with a team (other PhD candidates, postdoc, and researchers) to offer novel perspectives. The postdoctoral research fellow supervisor is Associate Professor Mohammad Khalil. Please contact him for more information about the project.

About the work tasks:

The successful candidate is expected to participate in the centre’s Technological Advancements cluster.

We are seeking a highly motivated individual who wants to excel in a research environment. Part of the main duties and responsibilities include conducting the following tasks:

• develop and evaluate novel models of synthetic data for educational settings
• validate synthetic generation models with AI LEARN partners
• publish research in international peer-reviewed journals, communicate research results and participate in scientific conferences
• contribute to the development of the research environment through active participation in Cluster 2 and contribute to the community at the centre.
• participate in dissemination and communication activities within AI LEARN
• contribute actively to the research environment at the Centre

The successful candidate is expected to live and work in Bergen.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

You must:

• hold a doctoral degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Information Security, Learning Analytics, Statistics, or a related field, or have submitted your doctoral thesis for assessment by the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the PhD has been awarded before employment can commence
• possess strong programming skills, preferably in Python and/or R, and experience with collaborative software development and version control (e.g., Git)
• have strong knowledge of machine learning, statistical learning, data analytics, generative modelling, or related computational methods
• demonstrate research interest in privacy, responsible data sharing, trustworthy AI, or privacy-preserving technologies
• proficiency in both written and oral English
• work independently and in a structured manner, and demonstrate excellent collaboration skills

It is an advantage if you have:

• experience in synthetic data generation, cybersecurity, differential privacy, federated learning, anonymisation, and/or decentralised data sharing models
• experience with AI in Education or Learning Analytics

We can offer:

• Exciting development opportunities as part of your role in a strong professional environment
• Salary as a postdoctoral research fellow (code 1352) in the state salary scale. This currently amounts to an annual salary of NOK 685 900 before taxes. Further salary increases are made according to the length of service in the position. For particularly highly qualified applicants, a higher salary may be considered.
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Good welfare benefits