Are you a computer scientist with an interest in psychology? Do you want to advance the state-of-the-art in Artificial Intelligence while also improving our understanding of the human brain? Does interdisciplinary research spark your interest?
The Artificial Intelligence Lab at VUB university is looking for an enthusiastic and motivated PhD-student to work on an interdisciplinary research project, which combines computer science and medical neuroscience to study the topic of social cognition.
Understanding the emotional content of interactions between people in a social context can be a challenging task, both for humans and computers. From a computer science perspective, our project aims to use Neurosymbolic Artificial Intelligence to improve on the current state-of-the-art in articifial models of social cognition and emotion recognition. In Neurosymbolic AI, logic and symbolic AI methods are used to improve the performance and explainability of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). In collaboration with our medical project partners, we hope to leverage the results of this ANN-based study to better understand social cognition in humans, in particular people with autism and frontotemporal dementia.
We are offering a fully-funded four year PhD position. At VUB university, you will join a multidisciplinary team of researchers that is dedicated to fundamental and strategic research at the intersection of the fields of AI, linguistics and computer science. Moreover, you will also collaborate with medical neuroscience researchers from nearby KU Leuven university.
Your profile:
- You have obtained a master’s degree in artificial intelligence, computer science, mathematics or a related domain. You have a solid academic track record, at least at the cum laude level. Students who will obtain their master’s degree in 2025 are also encouraged to apply.
- You are interested in both Machine Learning and Symbolic/Logic-based AI methods.
- You strive for excellence and have a scientific mindset.
- You are a loyal team player, who can work autonomously and deliver solid scientific work.
- You have strong communication skills in English. Proficiency in (or willingness to learn) Dutch is considered an asset.
We offer:
- A fully-funded PhD position (up to 4 years upon positive evaluation)
- A stimulating and lively scientific environment
- The opportunity to carry out research at the highest international level, aiming for excellence in research with impact on society
- The opportunity to collaborate with leading research groups at different universities, including medical neuroscientists
- Hospitalisation insurance, public transport reimbursement and other benefits
How to apply:
To express your interest, please send the following documents to prof. dr. Joost Vennekens (joost.vennekens@ai.vub.ac.be).
- Cover letter of motivation with contact information (max. 2 pages)
- A detailed CV
- Transcripts of your academic records
- Name and contact details of two references who would be willing to write a recommendation letter if asked (you do not need to contact them yourself)
- A writing sample (such as your master’s thesis)
The starting date will be chosen based on your availability, but will be between February and October 2025. All applications received on or before 28/02/2025 will be fully considered. Applications received afterwards may still be considered as long as the position has not been filled.
For more information, please do not hesitate to contact prof. dr. Joost Vennekens (joost.vennekens@ai.vub.ac.be).