TU Delft is looking for a PhD candidate to work on the project “Towards an intercultural ethics of existential risks” embedded in the ESDiT (esdit.nl) programme.
The primary goal of the project is to study existential risks as part of a broader conceptual cluster disrupted by socio-technological developments through the lens of general intercultural philosophy or a specific non-Western ethical framework. The resulting approach of ‘intercultural ethics of existential risks’ would be operationalized to explore whether and how insights and perspectives from under-represented philosophical traditions bear upon understanding existential risks (and related concepts), and subsequently, normative and practical questions associated with why their mitigation matters, for whom, and so on. The full research proposal is provided below.

Rapid advances in sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) promise to enhance human capacities and prolong well-being as we age. Philosophers increasingly view human well-being as exercising various capacities, some of which significantly changes during senescence. Cutting-edge augmentation technologies have the potential to replace or improve many deteriorating capabilities, enabling us to maintain physical abilities (e.g., exoskeletons) and cognitive health (e.g., brain-computer interfaces). Such technologies increase our ability to live independently for longer, while also boosting our overall quality of life. Nevertheless, technological advances of augmentation technologies simultaneously disrupt long-held normative notions about how human capabilities are connected to the good life (Nussbaum 2020, 2011) and how to view senescence (Sen 1993). This has direct implications for the design of technologies that seek to augment our capabilities, especially when such augmentation technologies aim to replace capabilities later in life.

Scientific progress on the question of how to enhance age-dependent capabilities is hampered by a widening gap between 1) the power of STEM-based technologies to enhance a wide range of human capabilities, and 2) normative accounts of well-being, specifically ethical theories that link the ability to exercise a full range of capabilities to living well (Jacobs 2020). The PhD researcher will join an interdisciplinary team aiming to unite the practices of STEM disciplines that make augmentation technologically possible with philosophical insights that shed light on which augmentation technologies are ethically desirable for improving life quality. This stands to significantly improve the future design of end-of-life technologies, especially technologies that explicitly connect the exercise of human capabilities to well-being in later life.

By uniting STEM and ethical approaches to the future design of augmentation technologies, the holder of this PhD position will have the following key deliverables:

Developing a generalisable approach to how STEM subjects and normative (ethical, legal) disciplines work together, emphasising how STEM practitioners can actively co-design normative frameworks. To do this, the candidate will develop methods that foster a productive dialogue between STEM and ethical disciplines, exploring generalizable approaches – possibly moving beyond ethics guidelines – for the collaborative integration of technological and normative practices.
Unpack cultural and conceptual differences to create new approaches to interdisciplinary confrontation. Potentially, share these with affiliated research programmes that also seek to do multi- and/or trans-disciplinary research (e.g., Hybrid Intelligence, SIENNA).
Show how a framework that emphasises preserving human capabilities & extending well-being can be useful in the ethical evaluation of other socially disruptive technologies.
Funding & Institutional Embedding

This PhD position is funded by the Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies (ESDiT). It will be hosted by Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), primarily by the Human-Technology Interaction Group and the Philosophy & Ethics Group. The PhD will participate in the activities of these groups, as well as the recently launched, Expertise Centre Dementia & Technology.

Please note that there are other vacancies funded by the ESDiT programme that are currently advertised. If you are interested in several of these, we encourage you to apply to them simultaneously: https://www.esdit.nl

Human-Technology Interaction Group

The Human-Technology Interaction (HTI) group analyses human interactions with technology with the aim to better understand and improve the match between technology and its users. HTI combines expertise from areas of social sciences (mainly cognitive and social psychology and perception) with engineering. The group’s lab facilities offer opportunities to study virtual reality, auditory perception, gaming, lighting, and general psychological lab resources. The group’s research centers around five main areas: human-computer interaction and affective computing, decision-making and human-data interaction, social psychology and persuasion, contextual environmental psychology, and human perception and cognition. HTI takes part in multiple collaborations and multidisciplinary research. More information about HTI can be found here.

Philosophy & Ethics Group

TU/e’s Philosophy and Ethics (P&E) group connects philosophy and ethics to emerging technologies and innovation. Researchers in the P&E group primarily study innovative technologies and technology-related problems in detail to enable empirically informed analyses that are meaningful to philosophers, researchers across disciplines, and other societal stakeholders. To do this, the group has established close interdisciplinary collaborations with researchers from groups in the TU/e School of Innovation Sciences, as well as with mechanical engineers, climate scientists, and archaeologists, among others. The group’s expertise covers a variety of philosophical sub-disciplines, including applied ethics, normative ethics, meta-ethics, philosophy of science and technology, and epistemology. More information about P&E can be found here.

Expertise Centre Dementia & Technology

The ECDT collaborates with Alzheimer Nederland and TU Eindhoven, aiming to contribute to changing the approach to dementia in society. The technology developed and implemented is referred to as “Warme Technologie” (Warm Technology), as it involves continuous collaboration with individuals with dementia and their caregivers, following the principle: “Nothing about us, without us”. Existing assistive technology is still too often developed for the elderly instead of with the elderly. And too often, the technology, such as interactive screens and sensors, is the focus instead of the needs, wishes, and possibilities of the target group. At ECDT, researchers work with healthcare organizations, caregivers, nurses, companies, designers, and others. Together, we develop warm technology that is user-friendly and non-stigmatizing and aims to improve the quality of life and well-being of people with dementia. More information about ECDT and warm technology can be found here.

Job requirements

A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in philosophy or related discipline.
A research-oriented and impact-orientated attitude.
Ability to work as part of a team of researchers working on similar topics.
Interested in collaborating with governmental, policy, and industry stakeholders.
Fluent in spoken and written English.
We particularly welcome applications from candidates belonging to groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in academia, including, but not limited to, women and ethnic minorities.
The desired starting date is November 2024.
Conditions of employment

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:

Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months. You will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. €2,770 max. €3,539).
A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.
Information and application

More information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile? Would you like to know more? Please contact
dr. Matthew J. Dennis, m [dot] j [dot] dennis [__at__] tue [dot] nl, dr. Linghan Zhang, l [dot] zhang1 [__at__] tue [dot] nl, or prof. Wijnand IJsselsteijn, w [dot] a [dot] ijsselsteijn [__at__] tue [dot] nl.

Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact H. Buijs-Palmen, HR-Advice IE&IS, j [dot] b [dot] huijs [dot] palmen [__at__] tue [dot] nl or +31 40 247 9111.

Documents to Apply:
Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
Curriculum vitae and the contact information of three references.
Brief description of your MA or MSc thesis.
One-page statement, elaborating on your potential ideas for this project.
Writing sample (MA/MSc thesis, etc. 20 pages max.)

AI Compliance by Design: Technical Challenges of EU AI Act's Requirements and Their Ethical Implications. As artificial intelligence technologies are increasingly subject to regulation, complex questions are arising regarding both technical feasibility of assessing compliance and the wider ethical implications thereof. This PhD project aims to critically evaluate the European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act as an instance of this. The project will approach the technical challenges of promoting and monitoring compliance from several standpoints, focusing on the feasibility of translating its requirements into tangible technological solutions for assessing AI compliance. The project integrates ethical and technical dimensions, aiming to understand both how the AI Act’s ethical requirements can be translated into technical specifications and how the corresponding design choices (and their implications) can be evaluated in light of broader ethical principles. The project explores the design, development, and assessment of algorithms and systems that embody the Act's mandates, thus ensuring that AI applications meet both ethical guidelines and technical standards. In addition, the project will explore more general principles that flow for this case for other attempts at “compliance by design” in the domain of rapidly developing AI technologies.

This PhD position is a part of the Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies (ESDiT) programme, a new ten-year long international research programme of seven academic institutions in the Netherlands that has started in January 2020. This programme has a combined budget of € 27 million and is funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research in the Gravitation funding scheme for excellent research, with the matching funds from the participating institutions. The programme has the aim of achieving breakthrough research in at the intersection of ethics, philosophy, technology / engineering and social sciences, and to position its consortium at the top of its field internationally. A key objective is to investigate how new technologies challenge moral values and ontological concepts (like “nature”, “human being” and “community”), and how these challenges necessitate a revision of these concepts. The programme includes four research lines, “Nature, life and human intervention”, “The future of a free and fair society”, “The human condition” and “Synthesis: Ethics of Technology, Practical Philosophy, and Modern Technology-Driven Societies”. This position belongs to research track STEM. A fuller description of the project as a whole, can be pointed to through the ESDiT website: https://www.esdit.nl/

Please note that there are other vacancies in the Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies programme at different participating universities. Applicants are encouraged to apply for more than one ESDiT position simultaneously in case of several positions are of interest to the applicant.

Key responsibilities

assess technical feasibility of implementing the EU AI Act’s requirements in practical AI systems, identifying technical methodologies for compliance assessment, against the background of critical review of existing efforts;
examine how the AI Act's guidelines can be translated into technically feasible implementations, focusing on the integration of considerations into technical research and development processes, from the early stages, in a transdisciplinary fashion;
identify insights from relevant previous attempts to integrate considerations regarding the feasibility of compliance into the design specification of the new technology;
design and implement algorithms that meet the EU AI Act's requirements, demonstrating technical possibilities and limitations, with an eye to developing 'best practices' of algorithmic design in accordance with the AI Act;
develop methodologies for evaluating the risk levels of AI applications, aligned with the Act's classifications and assessing systems' adherence to ethical and legal standards;
formulate more general recommendations regarding how regulatory guidelines can be designed in a way that optimises the technical feasibility of compliance (and compliance monitoring);
be actively involved in the project including following courses in ethics of technology (20 ECTS);
assist in relevant teaching activities within LIACS;
Selection Criteria
The successful applicant should be a motivated university graduate who is a top performer among his/her peers and has an excellent education and/or research track record proven by relevant experience, publications, etc. The applicant is expected to have:

MSc degree in Artificial Intelligence, Data science, Applied Mathematics, Computer science, or related field;
Strong interest in ethics;
Good programming skills in, e.g., Python;
Credible experience with Machine Learning and/or Data science;
Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, Dutch proficiency or willingness to learn is a plus;
Ability to work with diverse stakeholders, along with an affinity for connecting work in Computer Science to other relevant disciplines and societal challenges.
Research at our faculty
The Faculty of Science is a world-class faculty where staff and students work together in a dynamic international environment. It is a faculty where personal and academic development are top priorities. Our people are committed to expand fundamental knowledge by curiosity and to look beyond the borders of their own discipline; their aim is to benefit science, and to contribute to addressing the major societal challenges of the future.

The research carried out at the Faculty of Science is very diverse, ranging from mathematics, information science, astronomy, physics, chemistry and bio-pharmaceutical sciences to biology and environmental sciences. The research activities are organised in eight institutes. These institutes offer eight bachelor’s and twelve master’s programmes. The faculty has grown strongly in recent years and now has more than 2.300 staff and almost 5,000 students. We are located at the heart of Leiden’s Bio Science Park, one of Europe’s biggest science parks, where university and business life come together. For more information, see www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/science and www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at

The Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS) is the Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science Institute in the Faculty of Science of Leiden University. We offer courses at the Bachelor and Master of Science level in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, ICT in Business, Media Technology, and Bioinformatics. According to an independent research visitation, we are one of the foremost computer science departments of the Netherlands. We strive for excellence in a caring institute, where excellence, fun, and diversity go hand in hand. We offer a clear and inviting career path to young and talented scientists with the ambition to grow. For more information about LIACS, see www.cs.leiden.edu

Terms and conditions
We offer a full-time position for one year initially. After a positive evaluation of the progress of the thesis, personal capabilities and compatibility, the appointment will be extended by further three years. Salary ranges from € 2.770,- to € 3.539,- gross per month (pay scale P in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities). Preferred starting date for this position is October 1, 2024 or soon thereafter. Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3%), training and career development and sabbatical leave. Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break.

All our PhD students are embedded in the Leiden University Graduate School of Science www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/science/graduate-school-of-of-science Our graduate school offers several PhD training courses at three levels: professional courses, skills training and personal effectiveness. In addition, advanced courses to deepen scientific knowledge are offered by the research school.

Within this project, PhD students are encouraged to spend a semester abroad, and a budget is available to cover their expenses. Moreover, generous (conference) travel budgets are available for the position.

D&I statement
Diversity and inclusion are core values of Leiden University. Leiden University is committed to becoming an inclusive community which enables all students and staff to feel valued and respected and to develop their full potential. Diversity in experiences and perspectives enriches our teaching and strengthens our research. High quality teaching and research is inclusive.

Information
Enquiries can be made to Dr Anna Kononova, a [dot] kononova [__at__] liacs [dot] leidenuniv [dot] nl. If you have any questions about the procedure, please send an email to jobs [__at__] liacs [dot] leidenuniv [dot] nl.

Applications
Please submit online your application via the blue button in the vacancy. Please ensure that you upload the following additional documents quoting the vacancy number:

Motivation letter
Curriculum vitae
Academic transcript of the MSc degree
Names of 2-3 references if applicable
Only applications received before July 15, 2024 can be considered. Selected candidates will be invited for an interview in early August 2024.

The project Averroes Edition is dedicated to the edition and study of the works on Natural Philosophy by the Andalusian philosopher Ibn Rušd (1126–1198) in Arabic, Hebrew, and Latin, as well as related texts and materials. It further promotes the study of the reception of Ibn Rušd’s writings in these three language traditions.

The project is hosted by the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for a period of 25 years from 2016 to 2040. The project is carried out at the Thomas-Institut, University of Cologne, under the supervision of Andreas Speer and David Wirmer. The research team comprises three editors, a digital humanist, a post-doctoral position, and a group of student assistants.

We welcome applications for visiting fellowships tenable in Cologne for a period of one to three months between 1 October 2024 and 20 September 2025. There are three fellowships available for this academic year.

We invite both senior scholars and post-docs to apply.

The fellowships amount to EUR 3000 per month, they are not liable to taxation in Germany and do not include health insurance or social benefits.

Fellows will be offered office facilities at the Thomas-Institut, togetherwith the research team, and are expected to work in Cologne most of the time. They will have access to all research resources of the project, including the digital tools developed by the edition project and the specialised library of the institute.

Fellows are expected to do research in an area relevant to the project and to share their experience and insights with the other members of the research team. They are welcome to present their work in the institute’s research colloquium.

Due to the current focus of the Averroes Edition we are particularly interested in applications relating to Aristotle’s Physics, the Arabic commentary tradition on it, and the latter’s reception in Hebrew and Latin.

Applications should be sent in German, French, or English to Corrado la Martire by email (info-averroes [__at__] uni-koeln [dot] de) before September 1st, 2024. Applications should include a complete CV with a list of publications and a research proposal of no more than 500 words. Applicants are asked to state in their research proposal the preferred duration of the fellowship and to propose a starting date.