Graduate Assistant in Digital Democracy, Civic Tech, and Public Discourse

Introduction

UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus, CHUV and Epalinges. As an employer, UNIL encourages excellence, individual recognition and responsibility.

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Presentation

The Faculty of Business and Economics (HEC Lausanne) at the University of Lausanne invites applications for a fully funded Graduate Assistant position in the area of Digital Democracy, Civic Technology, and Public Discourse.

The successful candidate will join the Persuasive Technology Lab , an interdisciplinary research group studying how digital technologies influence human behavior, decision-making, and society. The lab combines methods from Information Systems, Human-Computer Interaction, Computational Social Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Behavioral Science to address pressing societal challenges.

The PhD project will investigate how digital platforms, AI systems, online communities, and civic technologies shape democratic participation, public deliberation, political engagement, and collective decision-making.

The position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to one of the most important challenges facing contemporary democracies: how societies can sustain informed, constructive, and inclusive public discourse in increasingly digital environments.

Job information

Expected start date in position : October 2026

Contract length : 1 year, renewable 2 x 2 years, maximum 5 years

Activity rate : 100%

Workplace : Unil, Campus of Dorigny

Your responsibilities

50% of your time will consist of teaching assistant responsibilities for courses taught by Prof. Cherubini, namely Interaction Design (IxD) and Digital Transformation of Democratic Discourse. 

50% of your time will be devoted to conducting research and completing your PhD thesis.

Potential research directions include, but are not limited to:

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  AI and large language models in political communication

  
  


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  Online deliberation and democratic participation

  
  


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  Civic technology and digital participation platforms

  
  


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  Misinformation, disinformation, and trust in institutions

  
  


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  Algorithmic influence on political attitudes and behavior

  
  


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  Social media and the quality of public discourse

  
  


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  Human-AI collaboration in democratic decision-making

  
  


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  Computational approaches to studying political conversations

  
  


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  Design and evaluation of technologies that foster constructive dialogue

  
  


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  Ethical and governance challenges of digital democracy

  
  

The exact focus of the PhD project will be developed jointly with the successful candidate based on their interests and expertise.

Your qualifications

We are looking for highly motivated candidates with a strong interest in doing research in the societal impact of digital technologies.

Applicants should hold (or be close to completing) a Master's degree in one of the following fields:

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  Computer Science

  
  


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  Information Systems

  
  


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  Data Science

  
  


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  Computational Linguistics

  
  


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  Human-Computer Interaction

  
  


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  Computational Social Science

  
  


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  Communication Science

  
  


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  Political Science (with strong computational skills)

  
  


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  Or a closely related discipline

  
  

Particularly strong candidates will combine technical expertise with a genuine interest in democratic processes, political communication, or public policy.

The ideal candidate has:

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  Strong analytical and research skills

  
  


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  Programming experience (e.g., Python, R, JavaScript, or similar)

  
  


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  Interest in empirical research involving digital platforms, online behavior, or AI systems

  
  


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  Excellent written and spoken English

  
  


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  Ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team

  
  

Experience in one or more of the following areas is considered an asset:

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  Natural Language Processing (NLP)

  
  


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  Machine Learning and Generative AI

  
  


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  Computational Linguistics

  
  


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  Social Network Analysis

  
  


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  Experimental Research Methods

  
  


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  Human-Computer Interaction

  
  


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  Political Communication

  
  


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  Digital Governance and Public Policy

  
  

Supervisors

The graduate assistant will be co-supervised by  Prof. Mauro Cherubini and Prof. Mathias Humbert .

Mauro Cherubini is Full Professor of Information Systems at HEC Lausanne and Director of the Persuasive Technology Lab. His research focuses on human-computer interaction, digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and their impact on human behavior and society. Before joining the University of Lausanne, he worked in industry research positions at Google and Telefónica Research.

Mathias Humbert is Associate Professor at the University of Lausanne. His research lies at the intersection of privacy, cybersecurity, machine learning, and social media analysis, with a particular interest in the societal implications of digital technologies, online platforms, and emerging AI systems.

The successful candidate will benefit from a highly interdisciplinary supervisory team combining expertise in Information Systems, Human-Computer Interaction, Artificial Intelligence, Privacy, Cybersecurity, and Computational Social Science.

What the position offers you

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  A fully funded PhD position at one of Switzerland's leading research universities

  
  


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  Membership in a vibrant and international research environment

  
  


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  Close collaboration with researchers across Information Systems, Computer Science, Political Science, and Communication Studies

  
  


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  Access to state-of-the-art computational and AI research tools

  
  


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  Opportunities to publish in leading international conferences and journals

  
  


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  Funding for conference participation and international research collaborations

  
  


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  A stimulating workplace located on the shores of Lake Geneva

  
  

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Contact for further information

Mauro Cherubini 

E-Mail schreiben

Your application

Deadline : Open until the position is filled

Applications should include:

1. 
   

   Curriculum Vitae

   
   


2. 
   

   Motivation letter describing research interests and fit with the position

   
   


3. 
   

   Copies of academic transcripts and diplomas

   
   


4. 
   

   Master's thesis (or a representative research paper)

   
   


5. 
   

   Contact details of two academic references

   
   

Please, send your full application in Word or PDF.

Only applications through this website will be taken into account.

We thank you for your understanding.

Seeking to promote an equitable representation for men and women among its staff, the University encourages applications from women. 

We thank you for your understanding.

Additional information

UNIL is committed to:
•    equality, diversity and inclusion within its community;
•    ensuring an open and respectful environment that is conducive to personal development;
•    offering working conditions that facilitate work-life balance;
•    supporting early career researchers.

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