The Dynamic and Distributed Information Systems Group at the University of Zurich is looking for motivated applicants who are interested in investigating how news recommender systems can have a more diverse coverage of recommended items from a societal perspective, be fair and transparent, and provide more control to users using modern technologies such as generative AI.  

We are seeking Ph.D. candidates interested in conducting large-scale experiments in the context of news recommender systems to measure the impact of societal-driven optimization criteria on user satisfaction and consumption behavior. In the tradition of our group, we encourage applications seeking to explore both the technical and behavioral dimensions of news recommender systems whilst leveraging the latest AI methods.  

We offer: 

The position is available for candidates interested in these topics, who have a MSc in Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence or a related discipline (or will be receiving it shortly), as well as a passion for discovering new things. Experience in the areas of recommender systems, and/or behavioral analyses such as running experiments with human subjects are considered a plus but are not strictly necessary.   

To apply, please gather your curriculum vitae, cover letter, all grade transcripts, a list of at least three references, and your BSc/MSc theses as PDF files and go to   

We will be evaluating applications on a rolling basis, so please apply as soon as possible. 

The University of Zurich is committed to enhancing the number of women in scientific positions and, therefore, particularly invites women to apply. Women who are as qualified for the position in question as male applicants will be given priority.