PhD Student in Mixed Reality and Generative AI | ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften

PhD Student in Mixed Reality and Generative AI

You have a passion for Visual Computing and Generative AI. Join us and make science fiction real!

School: School of Engineering

Starting date: May 1st 2025; To apply, please submit a letter of motivation including information on previous scientific work and publications if available, your CV, and contact details of two referees. Please ensure that all those parts are combined into a single PDF-file. The PhD will be done in collaboration with University of Zurich.

The Machine Learning in Visual Computing Group at ZHAW, Zurich University of Applied Sciences University is offering a fully funded PhD study position as part of the IMMERSE project. IMMERSE is dedicated to driving the digital transformation of education and training through innovative immersive teaching and learning technologies. The project partners are University of Zurich, University Hospital Balgrist, PH Zurich, and well-known software companies which build an attractive research environment.

IMMERSE is dedicated to driving the digital transformation of education and training through innovative immersive teaching and learning technologies. The project partners are University of Zurich, University Hospital Balgrist, PH Zurich, and well-known software companies which build an attractive research environment. This PhD project investigates the integration and application of generative AI within virtual environments. The research focuses on developing methods to efficiently create digital content using AI, seamlessly incorporating it into real-world settings to enable immersive training scenarios, and enhancing both individual and team-based training and education experiences. Your Responsibilities: The student's primary responsibility during the four-year doctoral study is conducting research that focuses on developing innovative methods in the fields of XR and AI. This involves designing experiments, analyzing data, identifying limitations in the current state-of-the-art, and addressing them with creative solutions. The student publishes his/ her findings in leading conferences and journals within the field. As a foundation for the research, the doctoral candidate will independently familiarize with the state-of-the-art during the first six months and collaborate with their supervisor to develop a multi-year research plan. The PhD program is conducted within a graduate school of the University of Zurich, which also requires the student to serve as a teaching assistant for 1–2 courses per year.

You graduated with excellent results with a MSc in Computer Science. Your academic journey demonstrates a focus on computer vision, computer graphics, human-computer interaction, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. Through your previous experience, you have developed strong programming skills and gained hands-on expertise with XR technologies, cameras, and 3D engines, such as Unreal or Unity.

Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW is one of Switzerland's largest multidisciplinary universities of applied sciences, with over 14'000 students and 3'400 faculty and staff. ZHAW is committed to gender-mixed and diverse teams in order to promote equality, diversity and innovation.

Our institute is distinguished by its committed team, a pleasant working atmosphere, and an exciting and innovative specialization area. We perform cutting-edge fundamental and applied research in a young team of motivated scientists. Your workplace is located in the centre of the city of Winterthur, and - as part of a team of about 15 colleagues - will offer you a diverse and lively work environment.

Successful candidates will get the opportunity to participate in an exceptional and large research and innovation project, IMMERSE, which is developing cutting-edge technologies for education and training across diverse fields such as art, medicine, and engineering.

We offer:

• Varied, interesting and challenging work embedded within a highly interdisciplinary research team
• Flexible and friendly working environment
• Collaborative work with research teams and companies of IMMERSE's domestic and international partners
• Opportunity to participate in international conferences
• Teaching opportunities and supervision of research projects / MSc theses
• Salary in accordance with SNF guidelines

ZHAW is committed to gender-mixed and diverse teams in order to promote equality, diversity and innovation.

Wir bieten hochschulgerechte Arbeits- und Anstellungsbedingungen an und fördern aktiv die Personalentwicklung unserer Mitarbeitenden und Führungspersonen. Eine detaillierte Beschreibung der Vorteile ist auf der Webseite «Arbeiten an der ZHAW» zu finden. Hier die wichtigsten Eckpunkte:

Helmut Grabner

Professor

Jasmin Strobel

Recruiting Manager