Openings
We are growing a new research group at SMU and have multiple openings for motivated students. The research agenda of our group is concerned with helping programmers ensure that software and intelligent systems are correct, safe, robust and trustworthy. Our research interests are broad and lie at the interplay of Formal Methods, Artificial Intelligence and Programming Languages, with interest in both theory and automation aspects. Hence, we welcome applicants from a broad range of backgrounds. All positions are fully funded.
Singapore is a vibrant and cosmopolitan place with a thriving academic landscape. It is also a perfect place for fellow food lovers. SMU is a premier and fast growing university that provides an excellent research environment with strong groups in formal methods, AI and software engineering. It is ranked worldwide No. 4 in the Software Engineering category, No. 33 in the broad AI category, and No. 72 in general “Computer Science” according to CSRankings in 2024.
PhD Positions
I always welcome applications from highly motivated students who wish to pursue a PhD in our group and push the boundaries of theory and automation of safe and trustworthy software and AI. During your PhD, you will conduct both theoretical and empirical research on designing novel algorithms for verifying correctness of programs and of AI systems. You will also contribute to publishing and presenting research findings at premier conferences in formal methods, programming languages or AI/ML (our group has an excellent track record in all these fields).
Prerequisites. As our group’s research interests are broad, there is no single ideal candidate profile and we welcome applicants from a variety of backgrounds, including those with a degree in computer science, mathematics, software engineering or other related fields. However, an ideal candidate should have a solid background in algorithms/formal methods, probability/statistics, AI (for AI related PhD topics) as well as prior experience in coding in order to be able to meaningfully contribute to the research done in our group. While prior research experience is a plus, it is not required.
PhD application procedure. PhD application process at SMU is centralized and all applications should be submitted through our PhD Programme. Please apply via this link and list me as a potential advisor. At the link, you can also find the list of all required application documents. Before applying, please also email me directly at dzikelic@smu.edu.sg so that I am aware of your application and that it reaches me more quickly. In the email, include your CV, transcripts, and a few sentences on your research interests and how they relate to my research. For more information about the PhD programme at SMU, see here.
Financial support. The PhD programme at SMU provides full scholarships together with a monthly stipend for all full-time PhD students. PhD positions also come with additional funding for conference travel.
Undergraduate Research Assistantships at SMU
If you are an undergraduate student at SMU interested in pursuing a research assistantship project, please drop me an email with your CV, transcripts and a few sentences on your research interests and how they relate to my research.
Visiting PhD/Master/Undergraduate Students (a.k.a. Internships)
Our group has multiple openings and welcomes applications for visiting PhD/Master/Undergraduate students from other institutions, who wish to pursue research in our group. The minimum duration of the visiting student position is 6 months. If you are interested in visiting positions, feel free to drop me an email with your CV, transcripts and a few sentences on your research interests and how they relate to my research.