1 PhD Position on Pattern Recognition in Dynamic Spatial Graphs in Netherlands | University of Twente

The importance of crowd monitoring is undisputed, yet has turned out to be a demanding research area due to the many facets involved. It is technically challenging for its scalability problems. There are abundant privacy concerns. It involves processing huge amounts of noisy data. Since a number of years, our research program includes crowd-monitoring by means of wireless sensors such as WiFi scanners, smartphones, and special wearables.

There is much collaboration with groups within and outside the University of Twente. For the more theoretical and foundational questions, we collaborate with the mathematicians. It is in this area that we have a position open for a Ph.D. student.

We model crowds as dynamic spatial graphs with a node representing a person, and a link the fact that two people have been detected to be in each other’s proximity. The result is a continuously changing graph. When observing crowds in terms of such graphs, patterns emerge such as lane formation, cyclic movements, congestions, and so forth. In this project, we study the automated detection and recognition of such patterns from dynamic spatial graphs.

Requirements

We are seeking candidates with a background in data science and familiarity with network science and graph theory. The research will have a strong experimental character in the sense that we take synthetic and real-world data sets as our starting point. Proficiency in algorithm design, computer programming, and the use of various tools for processing graph-based data sets is a must.

As a PhD candidate it is important that you are capable of planning and organizing your work. You need to be inventive, a conceptual thinker and you should have excellent communication and collaboration skills. You know how to present yourself and your work.

Conditions of employment

The University of Twente offers a stimulating and inspiring work environment in a large international scientific community. As a PhD candidate, you will have an employment contract for the duration of 4 years. The gross monthly salary starts at € 2174,- for the first year and increases to € 2779,- in the fourth year of your employment. Additionally, the University of Twente provides excellent facilities for professional and personal development, an 8% holiday allowance, and an 8,3% end of year bonus. A high-quality training programme is part of the agreement. The goal of your appointment is to deliver a PhD thesis at the end of the employment period.