Department of Electronics and ICT Engineering Technology
Role details
Job location
Tech stack
Job description
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You will work actively on the preparation and defence of a PhD thesis X-as-a-Service (XaaS) Architectures for 6G Networks. The PhD project will be focused on X-as-a-Service (XaaS) paradigms for next-generation (6G) communication systems. The project delves into the design of service-oriented networking architectures that enable programmable, intelligent, and scalable service delivery across heterogeneous infrastructures, including terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, cloud-edge environments, and vertical industry domains. The PhD candidate will investigate innovative mechanisms for resource abstraction, orchestration, and lifecycle management of services in multi-domain and multi-tenant environments, contributing to the realization of fully automated and service-centric 6G ecosystems. The research may include: Service-based and cloud-native architectures for 6G, Network/Compute/AI-as-a-Service models, Zero-touch network/service management, and multi-domain service federation and interoperability.
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You will publish scientific articles related to the research project.
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You will carry out a limited number of teaching and research support tasks for the Electronics and ICT Engineering Technology Department., + a short research proposal aligned with your research interests on X-as-a-Service (XaaS) Architectures for 6G Networks. Proposal is max. 4 pages, excluding references o The research proposal should include: (i) problem statement & motivation, (ii) expected novelty/impact, (iii) brief approach (models, data/testbeds), (iv) evaluation plan, and (v) alignment with IDLab research on flexible and deterministic networking at the University of Antwerp (https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/research-groups/idlab/research-areas/flexible-deterministic-networking/)
Requirements
- You hold a master's degree in Computer Science, Telecommunications, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field, or you will have obtained it by the time you start.
- You can demonstrate excellent study results (at least cum laude/with distinction).
- Your teaching competences are in line with the University of Antwerp's educational vision.
- Your research qualities are in line with the faculty and university research policies.
- You act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation.
- You have strong interest in communication networks, distributed systems, or cloud/edge computing.
- You have at least basic programming skills (e.g., Python, C/C++, or similar).
- You have good analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- You have knowledge of 5G or beyond-5G network architectures (preferred).
- You are familiar with virtualization, SDN/NFV, containerization, or orchestration platforms (preferred).
- You have experience with AI/ML for networking or automation (preferred).
- You have experience with experimental platforms or research projects.
- You are proficient in English (written and spoken).
Benefits & conditions
- We offer a doctoral scholarship for a period of one year. Following a positive evaluation each year, the scholarship can be renewed for another three years.
- The planned start date is July 1^st, 2026, or as soon as possible after that date.
- Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts for doctoral scholarship holders.
- You will receive eco vouchers, internet-connectivity allowance, and a bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
- As a doctoral researcher, you will have access to a wide and varied range of courses and an educational credit through the Antwerp Doctoral School.
- You will do most of your work at City Campus (The Beacon) and Campus Groenenborger in a dynamic and stimulating working environment.
- Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here.
