Itec, an imec research group at KU Leuven, is looking for a strong PhD candidate who will carry out strategic basic research at the intersection of linguistics and artificial intelligence, with possible applications in the domain of educational technology.
Itec is an interdisciplinary research group of KU Leuven and imec, Flanders’ high-tech research and innovation center for nanoelectronics and digital technologies. The interdisciplinary research concerns the design, development, and evaluation of personalized and adaptive digital solutions, with applications mostly in the domain of technology-enhanced education and training, but also in media and in health. Main research themes include: instructional design and effectiveness of technology-enhanced complex learning (e.g. collaborative problem-solving) based on theory and learning analytics data; the development of data-driven methods for effectiveness research (e.g. multilevel statistical modelling for meta-analysis) and for personalization (e.g. psychometric and machine learning techniques as well as language technology for intelligent tutoring systems). In order to realize this, itec brings together researchers trained in the learning sciences, statistics, computer science, and applied linguistics, in a cooperative research lab on the Kulak campus in Kortrijk. The research group often collaborates with industry and societal partners.
As a doctoral researcher, you will carry out strategic basic research at the intersection of linguistics and artificial intelligence, with possible applications in the domain of educational technology. Your research project will be situated within a larger research track that focuses on building intelligent systems that are able learn to perceive, reason about, and interact with their environment using natural language. Your research project is also embedded in imec’s research programme on Smart Education, in which you will interact with researchers from itec, University of Ghent, VUB and imec, and its industrial and societal partners.
The precise topic of the PhD project will be decided upon in concertation with the candidate and taking into account their background, skills and interests, but possibilities include:
Envisioned applications of the research are situated in the domain of educational technology, including tutoring and question answering systems.
Deadline for application
The deadline for application is February 28.