PhD Position in Multimodal AI and Game Research 100 %

Online multiplayer games are living laboratories of human behaviour, where anonymity, competition and cooperation shape digital interactions. Join us to develop cutting-edge multimodal AI to understand players social dynamics across games and communication channels.

School:

School of Management and Law

Starting date:

immediately or by mutual agreement. The position is offered on a fixed-term basis, with annual contracts for a total duration of three years.

Your role

In the project MATCH-IN-GAMES (Multimodal Analysis of Team Communication and Human Behaviour in Online Competitive Games), we investigate how toxic behaviour and other social dynamics emerge in anonymous online multiplayer games. By combining multimodal artificial intelligence with game research, the project aims to better understand how gameplay, communication, and game design shape player behaviour across different games.

The focus of the doctoral project is the development of novel multimodal AI methods and pipelines to extract, integrate, and analyse gameplay, communication, and behavioural data from online multiplayer games.
Your responsibilities will include:

• Developing multimodal AI pipelines to extract information from gameplay, chat, audio, video, and game telemetry & interaction data.
• Collecting, curating, and integrating multimodal datasets from public game APIs, gameplay recordings, and other research data sources.
• Apply and evaluate the developed quantitative methods to investigate toxic behaviour and other social dynamics, interpreting the results in the context of game research, including game design, mechanics, genre, and player communities.
• Publishing research results at leading international conferences and in high-impact scientific journals.
• Presenting your work at international conferences, workshops, and meetings with project partners.
• Collaborating with researchers from AI and game studies at ZHAW, TUM, and other international partners.

Co-supervising Bachelor's and Master's students working on related topics. The position is fully funded for three years through the DIZH Fellowship Programme, allowing the successful candidate to focus primarily on their doctoral research. The PhD project is conducted jointly by the Institute of Information Systems (Dr. Elena Gavagnin, Co-Head of Information Systems Engineering) at ZHAW and the Technical University of Munich (Pof. Johanna Pirker). The successful candidate will be employed at ZHAW and enrolled as a doctoral researcher at TUM.

Your profile

• Master's degree in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Computer Science, Data Science, Computational Sciences, Game Studies, Game Technology, Human-Computer Interaction, or a closely related discipline.
• A strong technical background in AI, machine learning, computer science, or data science, combined with an interest in game research / game development, or a background in game research with strong programming skills and a solid affinity for quantitative and computational methods.
• Strong programming skills and experience with software development for research or machine learning applications.
• Enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research at the intersection of AI, game research, and human behaviour.
• Excellent written and spoken English. Knowledge of German is an advantage but not required.

We would be pleased to receive your application by 30 August 2026.

This is what we stand for

Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW is one of Switzerland's largest multidisciplinary universities of applied sciences, with over 14'000 students and 3'400 faculty and staff.

ZHAW is committed to gender-mixed and diverse teams in order to promote equality, diversity and innovation.

The ZHAW School of Management and Law (SML), with around 9,500 students, is one of the largest business schools in Switzerland. It is the only Swiss university of applied sciences represented in the prestigious Financial Times rankings and holds AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA accreditations-internationally recognized marks of excellence for high standards in teaching, research, and executive education. Its internationally recognized bachelor's and master's degree programs, cooperative PhD programs, and extensive continuing education portfolio are academically rigorous, interdisciplinary, and practice-oriented. The SML also maintains partnerships with more than 190 carefully selected universities around the world.

The Institute of Information Systems (IWI) conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of information systems, artificial intelligence, and digital innovation. We develop data-driven methods and intelligent technologies to better understand, support, and shape digital transformation in organizations and society. Our research combines technical excellence with close collaboration across academia and industry, offering an inspiring environment for cutting-edge, application-oriented research.

What you can expect

We offer working conditions and terms of employment commensurate with higher education institutions and actively promote personal development for staff in leadership and non-leadership positions. A detailed description of advantages and benefits can be found at Working at the ZHAW. The main points are listed below:

Contact

Dr. Elena Gavagnin
Co-Head of Information Systems Engineering

Irina Keiser
Recruiting Manager