About the Project
The position is doctoral candidate DC1, “Reversible Programming Languages”, in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network E-CoRe. The position is available from 1 January 2027, or after agreement.
Job description
The Programming Languages and Theory of Computation (PLTC) Section, part of the Department of Computer Science (DIKU), University of Copenhagen, invites applications for a 3-year PhD position on reversible programming languages.
The project
The position is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks (MSCA-DN) programme, grant agreement no. 101120187. The project advances the science and practice of reversible computing for a sustainable digital future. Energy is a main concern in society: IT accounts for an estimated 10% of global energy consumption. Reversible computation discards no information and therefore avoids the fundamental energy lower bound of conventional computing. The network trains a cohort of doctoral candidates who will improve and popularize reversible languages, algorithms, and architectures for energy-intensive applications.
Read more about the network at https://e-core.nws.cs.unibo.it/.
The position is open for talented candidates with a master’s degree, who want to pursue a PhD degree in Computer Science.
DC1: The successful PhD candidate will work on reversible programming languages. The candidate can build on the work by project members.
Concretely, the work includes the following:
- Advancing reversible programming languages with a view on increasing their expressiveness and applicability to the development and construction of non-trivial reversible algorithms.
- Studying the integration of reversible features into mainstream irreversible languages.
- Exploring domain-specific features to identify novel language idioms specific to reversible programming and applications developed elsewhere in the network.
- Publishing the results at international conferences and in peer-reviewed journals.
Planned secondments: CNRS / Université Côte d'Azur (France), University of Southern Denmark (Denmark), and Tokai National Higher Education and Research System (Japan).
Key criteria for the assessment of applicants for the position:
The candidate must have a master’s degree (equivalent to a Danish Master's degree) in Computer Science or a closely related field, obtained by the recruitment date.
Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in a language other than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.
As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: https://ufsn.dk/english/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database/
Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science.
Other important criteria are:
- Strong academic record and motivation for doctoral research.
- Experience in programming language design, semantics, or implementation, regardless of programming paradigm, is an advantage. Prior knowledge of reversible computing is not needed.
- Ability to work independently, take initiative, and collaborate effectively in an international research environment. Proactive and team-oriented approach to work.
- Proficiency in written and spoken English.
- Willingness and ability to travel and undertake secondments at other project partners.
The successful candidate will be employed as a PhD student at the Department of Computer Science at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Copenhagen, and will collaborate closely with the group at the University of Southern Denmark, Odense, which is also an E-CoRe partner. The position may involve co-supervising related student projects. The PhD student is expected to participate in the activities of the research section and in the training programme of the E-CoRe network.
The main supervisor is Professor Robert Glück (e-mail: glueck@di.ku.dk), whose current research focus is on programming languages, reversible computing, program generation, and metaprogramming.
Note: Another job opening for DC7 “Compilation Principles for Reversible Languages” is available. More information: PhD position in Compilation Principles for Reversible Languages (MSCA Doctoral Network E-CoRe, DC7), University of Copenhagen.
Deadline for applications: Sunday 1 November 2026, 23:59 PM CET.
Please read the full job description and apply at the university homepage