Ph.D. Researcher (m/f/d) Knowledge Discovery: From Unstructured Data to Shared Cognitive Maps

Constructor University (formerly Jacobs University) is a private, state-accredited, English-language university in Bremen. We offer Bachelor, Master, and PhD programs in three schools: School of Science, School of Computer Science and Engineering, and School of Business, Social and Decision Sciences. Our principles are first-class teaching and research, international diversity, and transdisciplinary cooperation. According to the 2024 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, Constructor University is among the top 25 percent out of more than 1900 universities worldwide and is ranked as the second most international university in the world. As an international university, we attract highly talented and open-minded students from all over the world. Currently, over 1,600 students from 110 nations live and study on our residential campus.

The research group led by Prof. Dr. Andrey Ustyuzhanin at Constructor University, in collaboration with Constructor Knowledge Labs (CKL) and Constructor Technology (industry partner), invites applications for Ph.D. student positions in the field of Computer Science, with a focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).

This PhD position is part of an initiative to advance knowledge representation and adaptive reasoning systems. The research will focus on developing flexible frameworks for actionable knowledge representation that support storage, retrieval, and dynamic adaptation of information across diverse tasks.

Key objectives include:

• •Transforming unstructured data into interactive knowledge graphs and personalized cognitive maps.
• •Designing models that provide interpretable, persistent, and navigable structures of knowledge.
• •Addressing challenges such as hierarchy, composability, and coarse-graining for robust, task-specific reasoning.
• •Exploring individual and community-level knowledge modeling, including personalized domain maps, profile extraction from artifacts (e.g., papers, courses), and cross-domain abstraction.

The overarching goal is to create systems that enable transparent, adaptive, and spatially intuitive representations of knowledge , supporting both individual users and collaborative communities.

Your Profile:

• •Holding recognized MSc degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, AI, ML, or a related discipline.
• •Students holding BSc degree and exhibiting outstanding performance and extraordinary potential can apply for fast-track PhD.
• •Strong mathematical background supported with experience in defining and developing knowledge-graph or information retrieval systems.
• •Hands-on experience with large language models (LLMs) and their applications.
• •A track record of publications in AI/ML or related areas.
• •Documented experience in practical research work.
• •Strong skills in academic English writing (peer-reviewed papers, reports, or equivalent).

Funding & Appointment Terms

The appointment provides full financial coverage through a dedicated fellowship, comprising:

• •Monthly stipend of €1,650
• •Monthly research-cost allowance of €100 (Forschungskostenpauschale)
• •Health-insurance subsidy of €100 per month
• •Supplementary €550 mini-job allowance to support parallel part-time employment (optional)

Application Details

Expected start date: February, 2026

Application package must include:

• •Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• •Academic transcripts
• •A detailed letter of motivation outlining research interests and career goals
• •2 recommendation letters

Applications to be reviewed on a rolling basis. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interviews.