Doctoral Candidate in AI and Optimization

The Department of Mathematical Modeling and Machine Learning (DM3L) at the University of Zurich seeks a doctoral candidate for the AI and Optimization Lab of Prof. Anastasia Koloskova. The doctoral project emphasises theory, or the intersection of theory and practice, in areas such as optimisation for machine learning, privacy, unlearning, distributed optimisation and federated learning. The fixed-term position runs for at most four years and is preferably filled in fall 2027, with earlier starts such as spring 2027 possible by agreement.

The application deadline is 1 December 2026, and selection starts immediately.

Excellent M.Sc. or equivalent in computer science, machine learning, applied mathematics or a related field such as electrical engineering; strong mathematical understanding; programming experience, preferably Python; prior experience in machine learning, optimisation or privacy; fluent English.