Doctoral student in Electrical Engineering focusing on Cybersecurity

Description of the workplace

The Division of Secured and Networked Systems within the Department of Electrical and Information Technology at Lund University, the Faculty of Engineering, LTH, works broadly with research within Cryptography, Computer Security, Wireless and Fixed Networks. The security group has around 20 members. The main research directions are Cryptography, Privacy and System Security for Connected Systems. 

We now offer a doctoral student position in the area of Cybersecurity and Software Engineering. 

The position is in collaboration with the Department of Computer Science, which covers a broad range of topics, as Theoretical Computer Science, Parallel Systems, Robotics, Software Engineering and Technology. The software engineering group has around 15 members and work with both software and AI engineering topics, with a strong empirical focus and industry collaboration.

Being a doctoral student 

As a doctoral student, you are both admitted as a student and employed at Lund University. 

As a doctoral student, you will be trained in a scientific approach. In short, you will be trained to think critically and analytically, to solve problems independently using the right methods, and to develop an awareness of research ethics. In addition, you will have the opportunity to work on projects, to develop your leadership and pedagogical skills. Throughout your studies, you will be guided by supervisors. Doctoral studies end with a thesis and a doctoral degree.
More about being a doctoral student at LTH on lth.se. 

Subject and project description

The position is part of Cybercampus Sweden and the LTH research centre NextG2Com.

Cybercampus Sweden is a major national effort in cybersecurity coordinated by the Royal Institute in Stockholm and with all major universities in Sweden as partners. Cybercampus supports Swedish industry and public sector cybersecurity research and innovation as well as offer educational services.
More about Cybercampus Sweden (cybercampus.se/en).

NextG2Com – a Vinnova Competence Center coordinated by Lund University.
NextG2Com is a competence center focused on future advanced communication systems that integrate wireless communication technology and networks, software, data, and security through relevant application areas (advanced digitalization). In NextG2Com, Lund University collaborates with industry and public-sector actors with support from Vinnova.
More about NextG2Com (nextg2com.lu.se/eng).

You will perform research and teaching in the intersection of the cybersecurity and software engineering areas. The research is devoted to the threat analysis remediation area (Threat Analysis and Risk Assessment, TARA) with a particular focus on how to adapt existing TARA practises to the new AI-based and AI-driven software development. The research will have as a goal to understand the limitations with existing TARA frameworks as well as how to extend them to fulfil regulatory framework such as the European Union’s AI Act.  

The research area also encompasses principles for automating TARA analysis for AI applications and AI-based software development. It will be crucial for future AI-driven software development to have security without losing software security quality. Case study and experimental driven research are expected research methodologies in the doctoral student project.

Work duties

You will primarily devote yourself to your doctoral programme, which includes participation in research projects as well as third cycle courses, seminars and conferences. 

The work duties include:

• Research in Cybersecurity and Software engineering.
• Contributing to research projects.
• Taking doctoral student courses.
• The duties also include participation in teaching and other departmental work (however, a maximum of 20% of working hours).

Part of the work will take place at the Cybercampus office in Royal Institute in Stockholm and in collaboration with other doctoral student across Sweden within the same research program.

Qualifications 

To be eligible for admission and employment as a doctoral student, you must fulfil the requirements below.

Admission requirements 

A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if the applicant: 

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

A person meets the specific admission requirements for third cycle studies in Electrical Engineering if the applicant has: 

• at least 60 second-cycle credits in subjects of relevance to Electrical Engineering, or
• a MSc in Engineering in Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Mathematics, Nanoengineering, Engineering Physics or Information and Communication Engineering.

Additional requirements

In order to complete the doctoral programme in question, the following are also required: 

• Very good software development skills.
• Experience of working with complex computer and communication systems.
• Good ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems.
• Good written and oral communication skills.
• Good ability to cooperate.
• Very good knowledge of English, spoken and written. 

To be eligible for participating in the full Cybercampus doctoral student training program, doctoral students should not come from any of the countries mentioned as the foreign powers with security-threatening activities for Sweden in the report “The Swedish Security Service 2024-2025” (sakerhetspolisen.se).

Other qualifications 

For the doctoral programme in question, the following are considered as other qualifications: 

• Completed courses and/or master thesis work within Computer Security and/or Cryptology.
• Documented software engineering skills.
• Documented software development skills.
• Documented artificial intelligence technology skills.
• Documented teaching and communication skills.
• Industrial experience.

We offer

Lund University is a public authority which means that employees get particular benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme. 
More about working at Lund University on lu.se. 

About the employment 

The employment is a fixed-term employment at full time, starting as soon as possible by agreement, however no later than June 1, 2026. 
Third cycle studies at LTH consist of full-time studies for 4 years. In the case of teaching and other departmental duties, the employment is extended accordingly. Doctoral studentships are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §§.
More about terms of employment for doctoral students on Lund University’s Staffpages. 

How to apply

Applications shall be written in English and include: 

• CV and a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the doctoral programme/employment and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background.
• Copies of issued study certificates and/or awarded degree certificates. These must confirm that you meet the general and specific admission requirements for the doctoral programme and show that you have the subject knowledge required for the doctoral programme project.
• Other documents you wish to be considered (grade transcripts, contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.)

We welcome your application.