Logic List Mailing Archive

PhD student position in collective decision making in social networks, Groningen (The Netherlands), Deadline: 24 May 2021

PhD position in *Collective Decision Making in Social Networks* (1.0 FTE)
(221204)

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JOB DESCRIPTION
---------------------------
How do social networks affect group decision making? The way social
networks constrain information flows is a key factor in how agents take
decisions, which in turn impacts voting results. On the one hand, formal
tools to capture information and social influence in multi-agent systems
abound in recent logic and formal philosophy literature. On the other hand,
thanks to decades of social choice theory research, properties of voting
systems are very well understood.
However, only little is known about the interaction between networks and
voting processes so far.

The goal of this PhD project is to fill this gap by providing foundational
analytical results answering questions such as:
- to which extent do social networks affect collective decision processes?
- how are different voting systems (such as direct, representative or
delegative democracy) performing when taking into account that the
population of voters is structured into a network?
- are there ways to provably improve that performance?

In this project we will:
- investigate the foundations of collective decision making processes in
networks of agents
- lay the theoretical groundwork for modelling and analysing how
information, opinions, network structures and collective decisions interact
- develop principled methods for evaluating how much collective decision
making procedures resist/succumb to specific network effects.
The objective of the temporary position is the production of a number of
research articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and conference
proceedings, which together will form the basis of a thesis leading to a
PhD degree (Dr) at the University of Groningen.

QUALIFICATIONS
---------------------------
The successful candidate should have:
- a keen interest in pursuing fundamental and interdisciplinary research at
the interface of social choice theory, logic, formal and social
epistemology, social network analysis, multi-agent systems, and collective
artificial intelligence
- a master?s degree or equivalent in logic, theoretical/mathematical
philosophy, artificial intelligence, computer science, or another relevant
field
- good analytical skills and a positive attitude towards interdisciplinary
work.

ORGANISATION
---------------------------
Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen enjoys an international
reputation as a dynamic and innovative institution of higher education
offering high-quality teaching and research. Flexible study programmes and
academic career opportunities in a wide variety of disciplines encourage
the 35,000 students and researchers alike to develop their own individual
talents. As one of the best research universities in Europe, the University
of Groningen has joined forces with other top universities and networks
worldwide to become a truly global centre of knowledge.

Within the Faculty of Science and Engineering, a 4-years PhD position is
available at the Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and
Artificial Intelligence with the topic of collective decision making in
social networks. The candidate would become a member of the Multi-Agent
Systems Group of the Artificial Intelligence Department and will work
primarily under the supervision of Dr Zoé Christoff. The second supervisor
(?promotor?) will be Prof. Davide Grossi.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
---------------------------------------------
We offer you, following the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch
Universities:
- a salary of ? 2,395 gross per month in the first year, up to a maximum of
? 3,061 gross per month in the fourth and final year for a full-time
working week
- a holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income and an 8.3% year-end bonus
- a full-time position (1.0 FTE). The successful candidate will first be
offered a temporary position of one year with the option of renewal for
another three years. Prolongation of the contract is contingent on
sufficient progress in the first year to indicate that a successful
completion of the PhD thesis within the next three years is to be expected.
A PhD training programme is part of the agreement and the successful
candidate will be enrolled in the Graduate School of Science and
Engineering.

APPLICATION
-------------------------
Applications should include:
- a brief letter of motivation
- your CV (including contact information for at least two academic
references)
- the transcripts from your bachelor?s and master?s degree.
You can submit your application until 23 May 11:59pm / before 24 May 2021
Dutch local time (CET) by means of the application form on the university
website (click on "Apply" at the bottom of the page):
https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-02S0008A9P

Applications received before 24 May 2021 will be given full consideration;
however, the position will remain open until it is filled. We are an equal
opportunity employer and value diversity at our University. We are
committed to building a diverse faculty so you are encouraged to apply. Our
selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP),
http://nvp-plaza.nl/download/?id=7714 and European Commission's European
Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers,
https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code

Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.

INFORMATION
-----------------------
For information you can contact:
Dr Zoé Christoff (www.zoechristoff.com), z.l.christoff@rug.nl (Please do
not use this e-mail address for applications).
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