One PhD Stipend in Co Designing Technical AI for Collaborative Learning at the AI:X Collaborate Lab

Jobbeskrivelse

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 ten 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.In this connection, AI:X Collaborate Lab offers a PhD stipend at the Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology at the Technical Faculty of IT and Design (TECH) at Aalborg University.The stipend is open for appointments from 1st November 2026 or soon hereafter. The duration of the position is three years.Your work tasksThe PhD candidate will investigate how technical AI systems can support learning and interaction among students in collaborative educational settings.

A specific focus will be the co-design, development, and evaluation of multi-user GenAI platforms that foster collaborative knowledge building, higher-order thinking, and productive group dynamics.Your competencies Applicants must have a strong technical background, ideally in computer science, software engineering, human-computer interaction, Medialogy, AI, machine learning, or a related field. The position will require the candidate to work both on the front and back-end of the system utilizing full technological stacks. The ideal candidate must have excellent programming skills and experience with setting up open-source LLM environments is a clear advantage.  Given the interdisciplinary character of AI:X Collaborate Lab, you must be interested, ideally experienced with, in collaborating with people from a completely different research field and be curious about interdisciplinary collaboration and communication.

Experience from PBL contexts is highly welcome.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 requirementsPhD 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 learning pedagogies) from Dept. of Sustainability and Planning, and Associate Professor Kasper Rodil (specialized in co-design and emerging technology) from Dept. of 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.How to applyYour application must include the following:Application, stating reasons for applying and qualifications in relation to the positionCurriculum Vitae (CV)Diplomas (bachelor's and master's degree diploma, including grades) Project description containing the research project title, an outline of the course of study and a description of the overall problem areas (max 1 page = 2400 typing units) Other relevant documentsThe application must be submitted via Aalborg University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg University's website. 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 held during week 41 of 2026.Further information  Read more about our recruitment process here.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.Read more about The Technical Doctoral School of IT and DesignSalary and terms of employmentThe 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 worldAalborg 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.