PhD fellowship in AI for Software Engineering

The Software, Data, People & Society research section at the Department of Computer Science, Copenhagen University invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in Hybrid-AI for Maintainable Model-driven Software Engineering. The project is part of the research project AI4SE1DK - Human-Centred Adoption of Artificial Intelligence for Software Engineering in Denmark, which is financed by Innovation Fund Denmark.

Start date is (expected to be) 1 October, 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

 

The project

The PhD project is focussed on the research and development of methods and tools for effective and reliable AI-supported software engineering that ensures maintainability and reliability of the software systems being engineered and that the systems suits the requirements of the end-users.

The PhD project is part of the 5 year Grand Solutions project AI4SE1DK - Human-Centred Adoption of Artificial Intelligence for Software Engineering in Denmark, funded by Innovation Fund Denmark (https://www.sdu.dk/en/om-sdu/fakulteterne/teknik/nyt_fra_det_tekniske_fakultet/danmark-skal-vaere-hurtigere-i-kaploebet-om-ai-til-softwareudvikling)

AI4SE1DK includes researchers from several of the leading universities in Denmark as well as software development companies providing access to use cases and more than 10000 developers.

The project will be building on prior research of the supervisors in the use of formal methods, domain-specific langauges and no-code technologies for software engineering and co-creation of software systems by end-users. In particular, the PhD-project will collaborate with the company DCR Solutions, which is a spin-off from prior research several of the partner universities. DCR Solutions developes tools for human-centric no-code development of process-aware information systems and has a successful record in turning research ideas into practical tools.

 

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for candidates within the field(s) of formal methods in computer science, no-code and model-driven software engineering with a strong theoretical foundation and experience with AI and LLMs in particular, and an interest for development of prototypes, collaboration with industry and end-users.

Applicants can have a background from model-driven or AI-driven software engineering, formal methods, foundations for business process management (BPM), implementation of domain-specific languages.

 

Our group and research- and what do we offer?

The Software, Data, People & Society (SDPS) Section research in both formal methods and human-centric approaches to the development and engineering of reliable data management, process and software systems suited for the people developing and using them. The research is often carried out in an interdisciplinary context and in collaboration with industry. The section is a part of Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen.

We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment.

 

Principal supervisor is Professor, Thomas Hildebrandt, Department of Computer Science, Copenhagen University. Email: hilde@di.ku.dk, Direct phone: +45 31425279

Co-supervisor is Associate Professor, Thiago Rocha Silva, The Software Engineering Research Unit, Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Institute, University of Southern Denmark. Email: trsi@mmmi.sdu.dk, Direct phone: +45 65501790

Company-supervisor is CTO, Søren Debois, DCR Solutions, Copenhagen. Email: debois@dcrsolutions.net Direct phone: +45 53 58 58 18

 

Qualifications needed
To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. Computer Science. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

 

Terms of employment
Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

 

Responsibilities and tasks in the PhD programme

• Carry through an independent research project under supervision

• Complete PhD courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS / ½ FTE
• Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad
• Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
• Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

 

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Relevant publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in creating value for the society
• Good language skills

 

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Application and Assessment Procedure

 Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include: 

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
2. Your motivation for applying for the specific PhD project
3. Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
4. Original diplomas for Bachelor of Science or Master of Science and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.
5. Publication list (if possible)
6. Reference letters (if available)

 

Application deadline: The deadline for applications is 1 July, 2025, 23:59 GMT +2.

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

 

The further process
After deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified, whether you will be passed for assessment.

The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified and, if so, for which of the two models. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

 

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in August, 2025.

 

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.