Doctoral Researcher 09 (CONVERGENCE of HUMANS and MACHINES): Young People and Future Technology: New Ways to Decrease Social Isolation and to Increase Social Interaction (YouthTech)

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CONVERGENCE of HUMANS and MACHINES project at the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences is looking for a Doctoral Researcher to work on the topic of Young people and future technology: new ways to decrease social isolation and to increase social interaction.

Convergence is the trailblazing doctoral field, aiming at bringing together expertise of natural sciences & engineering (ENG) and social sciences & humanities (SSH) in multidisciplinary union. As many as 16 doctoral research projects are related to the following developments: affective computing, gamification, augmented reality, cybernetics, ubiquitous connectivity, dispersed computing, AI & machine learning, and robotics & machine perception. Each student will be supervised by two leading senior faculty members (and, sometimes, a PostDoc or company/organization representative). The main supervisor and the co-supervisor are from different research fields: ENG and SSH. Check the end of the position description for the supervisory team details.

Join Convergence… And make a change!

* Convergence has 16 funded doctoral positions. The applicant may only apply for up to 3 positions within Convergence. If you are unsure if this (#09) is the correct one – please, check the website with the list of Convergence positions. Make your selection first and only apply the ones that are suitable for your background.

Project background

Convergence is a new research field that brings together academics from Social Sciences & Humanities and Technology & Engineering to train the next generation of Doctoral Expertise and address future challenges and opportunities of multidisciplinary Convergence of Humans and Machines. Convergence is funded by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation.

Convergence is based on the premise that, on the one hand, people are increasingly integrated with technology and our culture and practices are increasingly dictated by information technology. On the other hand, machines are becoming more alive, creative, and dynamic. In other words, human and machine are converging. The project has emerged from the need to redefine and renegotiate the roles of human and machine in society and from the need of cross-disciplinary collaboration understand this rising area. 

Job description

We are looking for a Doctoral Researcher in the area of wireless communications and/or computing sciences and/or user studies and/or psychology. To pursue the research towards “Young people and future technology: new ways to decrease social isolation and to increase social interaction” field.

Successful candidates will pursue a doctoral degree at Tampere University. Full-time doctoral studies are expected to be completed in four years.

An applicant  may only apply for maximum 3 Convergence positions from this list. This position number is 09.

Short description: 

Teenagers as young people have been particularly affected by the last two years of pandemics, due to increased social isolation and decreased possibilities of in-person interactions, so this unique social situation has most probably expanded the amount of loneliness among youth. Social isolation has been linked to young people’s dropouts from school especially in the change to secondary level of education, to vocational and junior high school in the ages of 15 – 17 years old as being the period of searching themselves. For example, low literacy and learning skills together with ethnic and gender related challenges have been reported to cause social isolation and dropouts among youth.  Typically, this problem has been addressed from the social-sciences point of view, yet the fast development of wireless technologies (such as various sensors, wearables, and mobile apps) holds the promise of new solutions to decrease the youth’s isolation. In this project we aim to develop a multi-disciplinary framework for combating youth social isolation with the possibility of broad scale and mixed data. AI and machine learning based solutions as future technologies need further studies as potential support for decreasing human (youth) social isolation and increasing social interaction with peers and elder generations. 

The main goal of this project is to develop technology-based solutions and frameworks for tackling the problem of youth social isolation in the society, based on broad mixed tech data and youth participatory approach for designing the solution (e.g., youth hackathon).  Research ethics is understood as a process conducting ethical norms and principles and practicing ethics in several ways throughout the study when working with underaged youth for ensuring them the rights, dignity and autonomy. Traditionally, technology and engineering approaches focusing on developing solutions to deal with social isolation tend to keep the human factor just as a design parameter, without a deep understand of the feelings, beliefs, backgrounds, or interactions of and between participants. By merging the forces from social sciences (SSH) and  wireless communication and navigation (ENG) domain in this topic, we will ensure a holistic methodology, blending participatory approaches with statistical analysis, large/big data gathering, and profound understanding of the social isolation challenges and countermeasures in youngsters.

Tentative Research problems/questions: 

Expected outcomes: 

  1. Methodological sense in broadening the usual human-based data acquisition and analysis into human-tech based which involves both sides experts in converging their methods and,
  2. Knowledge- based convergence when participants of the project learn human-tech interaction practices of making research,
  3. Contributing to the future health and well-being of humanity, by focusing on a vulnerable population (youth, 15-17 years old), whose mental and emotional well-being is essential for the future well-functioning of the society;
  4. Diminishing stratification among youth, by decreasing social isolation.

Requirements

The applicant needs to have a Master’s degree in social sciences or engineering  or a related field and have demonstrated (during your studies towards the Master’s degree or otherwise) the competence and motivation to pursue postgraduate studies. Please be prepared to provide proof of your merits when requested.

Successful candidates must be pursuing or will be accepted to study towards a doctoral degree in the Doctoral Programme of Humans and Technologies (DPHAT). Please visit the admissions webpage https://www.tuni.fi/en/study-with-us/programmes/doctoral-programmes for more information on eligibility requirements. Please, pay special attention to the language requirements.

Preferred applicant’s qualifications:

Computing skills are not a must; the direction of the research will also be finetuned according to the skills of the selected candidate. Proper Finnish skills are not a must, however some discussions with the young users may require some Finnish understanding, as A2 – B1 level minimum.

The research topics require either 

  1. Computing skills and wireless communication background or
  2. Media studies, human computer interaction,  youth research or psychology background

Candidates are selected based on the level of promise that they show, and this will be evaluated on the basis of their study and research interest description, their previous success in studies, and merits in writing the doctoral thesis and / or scientific publishing, as well as their background match to the research topic.

Tampere University is a unique, multidisciplinary and boldly forward-looking, evolving community. Our values are openness, diversity, responsibility, courage, critical thinking, erudition building, and learner-centeredness. We hope that you can embrace these values and promote them in your work.

We offer

An applicant  may only apply for maximum 3 Convergence positions from this list. This position number is 09.

The position will be filled for a fixed-term period of maximum four (4) years. The starting date is 1 September 2023 or as mutually agreed. A trial period of six (6) months applies to all our new employees.

The salary will be based on both the job requirements and the employee’s personal performance in accordance with the salary system of Finnish universities. According to the criteria applied to teaching and research staff, the position of a Doctoral Researcher is placed on level 2—4 of the job requirements scale. A typical baseline starting salary for Doctoral Researchers is approximately 2,500 EUR/month.

We are inviting you to be a part of a vibrant, active and truly international research community. We value interdisciplinarity, as it allows you to expand your research network and exposes you to new perspectives and ideas to solve complex research problems and pursue novel research findings. We are strongly committed to the highest level of scientific research and the provision of high-quality doctoral education. 

As a member of staff at Tampere University, you will enjoy a range of competitive benefits, such as occupational health care services, flexible work schedule, versatile research infrastructure, modern teaching facilities and a safe and inviting campus area as well as a personal fund to spend on sports and cultural activities in your free time. Please read more about working at Tampere University. You can also find more information about us and working and living Tampere by watching our video: Tampere Higher Education Community – our academic playground.  

Finland is among the most stable, free and safe countries in the world, based on prominent ratings by various agencies. Tampere is the largest inland city of Finland, and the city is counted among the major academic hubs in the Nordic countries. Tampere region is the most rapidly growing urban area in Finland and home to a vibrant knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial community. The city is an industrial powerhouse that enjoys a rich cultural scene and a reputation as a centre of Finland’s information society. Tampere is also surrounded by vivid nature with forests and lakes, providing countless opportunities for easy-to-access outdoor adventures and refreshment throughout the year. 

Read more about Finland and Tampere: 

How to apply

To address these rising challenges, Convergence is looking for 16 funded doctoral researchers. Note, the applicant may only apply for 3 positions within Convergence.

Please submit your application through our online recruitment system. The closing date for applications is 15 February 2023 (23:59 EET /UTC +2). Please write your application and all the accompanying documentation in English and attach them in PDF format.

Please attach only the following documents (in PDF format) to your application: 

  • A letter of motivation and description of your research interests (max. 2 page(s)). Named “Surname_Motivation_Letter.pdf”
    • The selected applicant will have to apply and be admitted to the doctoral programme prior to the start of the work. The student needs to write a more detailed research plan at that stage.
  • Curriculum vitae according to the TENK template. Named “Surname_CV.pdf”
  • Pdf copy of your MSc and BSc degree certificates, including transcripts of all university records and their English translations (Finnish and Swedish certificates are also accepted).
    • If you do not have the certificates yet, please, include the letter from your university that provides the expected graduation date as well as your current transcript of records. Named “Surname_Degrees.pdf”
  • Certificate of language proficiency “Named “Surname_Lang.pdf”
    • The minimum English language test result requirements: Test name: minimum test result (*The previous CAE and CPE have been renamed as C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency): TOEFL iBT / TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition: 92 overall, with no section below 20; IELTS (academic) / IELTS Indicator: 6.5 overall, with no section below 5.5; PTE (academic): 62 overall, with no section below 54; C1 Advanced*: C; C2 Proficiency*: C1; Finnish National Certificate of Language Proficiency (English): Proficiency level 5
    • Exemptions to the language requirements: It is possible to be exempted from submitting a language test score if you have completed a higher education degree in English in certain countriesIf you apply without a valid language test result, carefully examine the exemptions that your studies fulfil the requirements.
  • Either 2 Recommendation letters [preferably] OR the contact details of two referees [if the first option is not possible, and with explained reasoning], e.g., your M.Sc. supervisors / employers. Named “Surname_Recommendations.pdf”

For further information, please contact the supervisors:

Professor Sirkku Kotilainensirkku.kotilainen@tuni.fi

Professor Elena Simona Lohanelena-simona.lohan@tuni.fi

Professor Atte Oksanen,  atte.oksanen@tuni.fi

Esternal co-supervisor Dr. Oana Cramariucoana.cramariuc@citst.ro

For general question about Convergence, contact: Coordinator, Dr. Aleksandr Ometovaleksandr.ometov@tuni.fi

For questions about the doctoral studies enrollment, check DPHAT doctoral programme contacts.