International Association
for Cryptologic Research

Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship collaboration at the Cryptography and Security Group. The position is available from 1st May 2025 or later, with an application deadline on 1st February 2025.

The research scope of the position will be Cryptographic Protocols such as (Password-Autheticated) Key Exchange and MPC (Multi-Party Computation), with a focus on applications to the retail industry. In particular, we envision to improve the state-of-the-art in cryptographic protocols for stronger authentication and privacy-preserving data analytics that can be applicable to strengthen the security posture of real-world deployed systems.

The responsibilities of the PhD student are:

• Collaborating with faculty members and fellow researchers to develop novel cryptographic protocols.
• Publishing research findings in top-tier conferences and journals in computer science and related fields.
• Participating in academic activities such as seminars, workshops, and conferences to stay informed of the latest developments in the field.
• Supporting teaching activities in the department by serving as TA.

The project is funded by Salling Foundation, in their interest to protect the Danish retail sector against identity theft and data breaches: https://cs.au.dk/news-events/news/show-news/artikel/enhanced-cybersecurity-in-the-retail-sector

Qualifications

• A previous background in cryptography and an MSc. in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics or a related discipline are desirable (but not required).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively in a collaborative research environment.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks between research, coursework and teaching duties.
• Analytical and critical thinking skill, fluency in technical English.

An interest in developing the techniques further for practical deployment in a startup setting will be encouraged and supported.

Closing date for applications:

Contact: Diego F. Aranha (dfaranha [at] cs.au.dk) or Sophia Yakoubov (sophia.yakoubov [a] cs.au.dk)

More information: https://phd.nat.au.dk/for-applicants