The University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI) has opened a full time (100%) position for a Ph.D. Student in Adaptive Interactive Experiences in Multimodal Contexts at the Department of Innovative Technologies (DTI) located in Lugano, within the Institute of Information Systems and Networking (ISIN). Contract start 01.09.2026 or date to be agreed upon.
 

Scope and purpose of the position

The PhD student will contribute to ongoing national and European research initiatives focused on the development of adaptive systems that leverage multimodal data to support inclusive interactive experiences across domains such as education, cultural environments, and therapeutic contexts.
The research focuses on the design and implementation of systems capable of adapting interactive experiences based on user activity and contextual information collected in real time. In this context, multimodal data sources including video, audio, inertial data, and interaction data may be used to derive structured representations of events and user activity that can inform system behavior. 
The work is primarily centered on system architecture and the integration of multimodal data processing within adaptive systems. In particular, the PhD will address how data-driven components can be embedded within a broader software architecture to support real-time adaptation and monitoring of user experiences. A key aspect of the research is the design of closed-loop systems in which user activity is continuously captured, processed, and used to drive system adaptation. These systems are expected to support both real-time personalization of the experience and post-hoc analysis, enabling a better understanding of how users interact, learn, and behave. The work will be validated in real-world contexts (e.g., museums, schools, therapeutic centres, and inclusive environments), generating both scientific contributions and tangible societal impact.
Machine learning and AI-based components are considered as enabling technologies within the system, and the research focuses on their effective use and integration rather than on the development of new models. The PhD will specifically investigate how existing models can be combined, configured, and orchestrated to structure and present system-level information for operators and to eventually support adaptive behaviour, without targeting the development of novel machine learning methods.
 

Responsibilities and activities

• Design and implementation of software pipelines for the acquisition, processing, and integration of multimodal data (e.g., interaction logs, audio/video streams, inertial and contextual inputs) within the system.
• Integration and configuration of existing data-driven components and APIs to support system adaptation. This includes the design of system components and interfaces connecting backend services with user-facing applications.
• Design and implementation of adaptive decision mechanisms based on system logic and the use of outputs from integrated third-party components.
• Development of methods for real-time and post-hoc evaluation of user engagement, behavior, and responses during the experience.
• Contribution to dataset construction, data collection, and experimental validation in real-world environments.
• Collaboration with interdisciplinary partners to translate user needs and co-designed experiences into computational models.
• Scientific dissemination through publications in international conferences and journals.
• Contribution to teaching activities as a teaching assistant.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Informatics, Software Engineering or a related field
• Strong programming skills (e.g., Python, JavaScript frameworks such as React or similar), with experience in software development, system design, API development and integration, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Familiarity with ML systems, with the ability to implement, use and integrate existing models within applications.
• Interest in working with real-world data and complex, interdisciplinary systems in applied contexts (e.g., education, cultural or therapeutic environments).
• Interest or experience in user interface design and user experience (UX) for interactive systems is considered a plus.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.

We offer

• Full-time PhD position for three years.
• Competitive salary in line with Swiss standards.
• Opportunity to work on a socially impactful project within a Horizon Europe project with leading international partners.
• Access to SUPSI student and staff facilities, and related benefits such as discounts and reduced rates (canteen, gym, kindergarten, etc.).
• Access to real-world experimental environments (museums, schools, inclusive and immersive settings).
• Coverage of participation costs for international conferences and workshops
• Support for international travel to participate in research dissemination and collaboration activities.

Additional Information

For further information, please contact Mirko Gelsomini.

Candidates must submit the following documents in English:

• Curriculum Vitae (including publications and/or relevant projects, e.g., GitHub)
• Motivation letter (max 1 page)
• Transcripts and diplomas
• Contact details of two referees

In addition to the documents to be sent at the time of online application, additional documentation (criminal record, copy of an identity document) may be requested at a later date.
Applications will be considered only if submitted electronically by 14.06.2026, through the appropriate form. Applications that are incomplete, submitted to other addresses, or submitted beyond the deadline, will be not accepted.