Postdoctoral researcher in AI and education

The Department of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki is seeking a post-doctoral researcher for the period 1.10.2024 - 31.12.2025, focusing on AI literacy in K-12 education. The starting date is negotiable within the constraints of fall 2024.

The postdoc will work in the interdisciplinary project AILIT, involving researchers in computer science, learning sciences and sociology at the University of Helsinki and Åbo Akademi University. We collaborate with several schools, who provide rich quantitative and qualitative data.

AILIT aims at co-designing and evaluating high-quality and research-informed educational strategies and curriculum resources for introducing and explaining AI concepts to K-12 students – starting from what AI is and how it works to considerations around ethics, privacy and safety.

The position offers opportunities to design, develop and evaluate resources and tools to support teaching and learning as well as study student and teacher perceptions of AI. The exact focus of the research is decided based on the selected applicant’s competence and interests.
 
The University of Helsinki values diversity and inclusivity and welcomes applications from individuals of all cultural, linguistic, and gender identities, and minority groups.

Requirements

The position is research-focused, and the ideal candidate has

• experience in conducting empirical and/or experimental research,
• background in qualitative and/or quantitative data analysis, and
• understanding of basic AI principles.

Understanding of the Finnish educational system and classroom practice, as well as ability to collaborate with educational stakeholders is considered a plus

.

Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are needed. Skills in Swedish are considered a merit as the educational stakeholders are Swedish speaking. This is, however, not a requirement.

Applicants should have a PhD in computer science, learning sciences, or a related field that shows an interest in AI/computer science and education.
 
Salary and benefits

The position is full-time and funded initially until the end of 2025. For a post-doctoral researcher, the starting salary is 4000 euros/month, depending on previous qualifications and experience.
 
The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and health insurance, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development. The University provides support for internationally recruited employees with their transition to work and life in Finland. For more on the University of Helsinki as an employer, please see https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers.
 
How to apply

Interested candidates should submit their application through the University of Helsinki Recruitment System.
 
The following should be attached to the application as a single PDF file (in English):

• Cover letter describing the candidate´s motivation and research interests and especially experience in AI and/or education
• Curriculum Vitae
• List of publications (and/or link to thesis)
• Contact details of potential referees who have agreed to provide letters of recommendation

The deadline for applications is September 20th, 2024 (at 23:59, UTC + 3). Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
 
Additional information
 
For more information on the position, please contact Associate Professor Linda Mannila (linda.mannila@helsinki.fi).
 
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The University of Helsinki reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, to extend the application period and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.

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The University of Helsinki is an international scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers. It is one of the leading multidisciplinary research universities in Europe and ranks among the top 100 international universities in the world. We are an equal opportunity employer and offer an attractive and diverse workplace in an inspiring environment with a variety of development opportunities and benefits.
 
As a part of the Faculty of Science, the Department of Computer Science is a leading unit in Finland in its area and responsible for the teaching and research in computer science at the University of Helsinki. The number of professors at the department has grown in recent years and there are now 32 professorships. The main research fields at the department are artificial intelligence, big data frameworks, bioinformatics, data analysis, data science, discrete and machine learning algorithms, distributed, intelligent, and interactive systems, networks, security, and software and database systems. The department has extensive international collaboration with companies and universities. Within teaching, the department’s professors and staff are in charge of the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral Programmes in Computer Science, as well as the separate Master’s Programme in Data Science, in which other departments also participate.