Doctoral Researcher in Multimodal Language Models

About us

The University of Luxembourg is an international research university with a distinctly multilingual and interdisciplinary character.

The Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) at the University of Luxembourg is a leading international research and innovation centre in secure, reliable and trustworthy ICT systems and services.
We play an instrumental role in Europe by fueling innovation through research partnerships with industry, boosting R&D investments leading to economic growth, and attracting highly qualified talent. We look for researchers from diverse academic backgrounds to contribute to our projects in areas such as: Network Security, Information Assurance, Model-driven Security, Cloud Computing, Cryptography, Satellite Systems, Vehicular Networks, and ICT Services & Applications.

Your role

We offer a fully funded PhD student position within the TruX Research Group headed by Prof. Dr. Tegawendé F. Bissyandé. The position is supported by Google.org and is embedded in a broader research agenda on multimodal and multilingual language models. The successful candidate will focus on the development of multimodal, multilingual resources and on the design and evaluation of methods that leverage multimodal signals to improve the performance of multilingual models for low-resource languages, such as Luxembourgish. Particular emphasis will be placed on language-agnostic modalities, including images and speech, as bridges to enhance cross-lingual transfer between high- and low-resource languages. The project combines resource creation with methodological research and aims to advance inclusive, robust, and scalable multilingual AI systems.

TruX conducts research in software security, software repair, and explainable software to create key practical solutions for developers, allowing them to achieve trustworthiness, efficiency, and transparency. Application areas include FinTech, embedded systems (e.g., mobile), business or entertainment systems, cybersecurity, and more. For more information, you may refer to https://www.uni.lu/snt-en/research-groups/trux/.

The successful candidate will:

• Conduct cutting-edge research in multimodal and multilingual natural language processing
• Develop and curate multimodal, multilingual resources for low-resource languages
• Design, implement, and evaluate methods that leverage multimodal signals, such as images and speech, to improve multilingual and cross-lingual language models
• Contribute to national and international research collaborations
• Prepare project deliverables and disseminate results through high-quality scientific publications
• Present research findings at leading international conferences and workshops
• Participate in the supervision and mentoring of MSc and BSc students working on related topics
• Support the organization of relevant demonstrations, shared tasks, and workshops

For further information, please get in touch with Dr. Jordan Samhi (email address: ). Use the job title and reference number in the subject line of your email.

Your profile

We seek a motivated and curious PhD candidate with a strong interest in multilingual and multimodal language technologies and a passion for interdisciplinary research.

• The candidate should hold a Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Computational Linguistics, Data Science, or a closely related field
• Solid background in machine learning and natural language processing
• Interest or prior experience in multilingual and/or multimodal modeling, speech, or vision is highly desirable
• Experience with data collection, annotation, or resource creation is a plus
• Proficiency in at least one major programming language, such as Python, is expected
• Familiarity with deep learning frameworks and modern NLP toolkits is an advantage
• Motivation to publish research results in leading international conferences and journals
• Teamworking skills and the ability to collaborate in an interdisciplinary and multicultural research environment

Language Requirements:

Applicants must demonstrate at least B2-level proficiency in the language of their thesis. For details and accepted certificates, please visit the Application for admission - Doctoral Candidates.

We offer

• Multilingual and international character. Modern institution with a personal atmosphere. Staff coming from 90 countries. Member of the "University of the Greater Region" (UniGR)
• A modern and dynamic university. High-quality equipment. Close ties to the business world and to the Luxembourg labour market. A unique urban site with excellent infrastructure
• A partner for society and industry. Cooperation with European institutions, innovative companies, the Financial Centre and with numerous non-academic partners such as ministries, local governments, associations, NGOs …

How to apply

Applications should include:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover letter presenting your motivation for this doctoral thesis topic, and explaining how your qualifications and aspirations align with its academic focus
• Transcript of all modules and results from university-level courses taken

Early application is highly encouraged, as the applications will be processed upon reception. Please apply ONLINE formally through the HR system. Applications by Email will not be considered.

All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. In line with our values, the University of Luxembourg promotes an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are dedicated to upholding equality and respect for our employees and students.

General information:

• Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract 36 Month
• Work Hours: Full Time 40.0 Hours per Week
• Location: Kirchberg Campus
• Internal Title: Doctoral Researcher
• Job Reference: UOL07954

The yearly gross salary for every PhD at the UL is EUR 41976 (full time).