First step. Please contactby email to h.jaeger@jacobs-university.de with an informal statement of interest, then we'll see further.
In the Machine Learning Group of Herbert Jaeger at Jacobs University Bremen, funding is available for a 3-year PhD stipend, starting in August 2010 or later. The stipend amounts to 1000 Euro / month. The PhD research under this stipend offers great freedom, because it is not tied to a funded project. There are only two constraints: the research should have a strong mathematical / analytical flavor, and it should contribute to the further development of observable operator models (OOMs).
Indicative topics. OOMs are an approach to model arbitrary stochastic processes with linear operators. This leads, on the one hand, to a general mathematical theory of stochastic processes in terms of linear algebra concepts. On the other hand, it leads to novel learning algorithms for stochastic system identification. OOM research in our group has always been heading into both of these two directions – mathematical theory, and practical (but mathematically well-founded) learning algorithms. It is up to the successful candidate to select an area in OOM research of his/her liking, after a decent time of initial training. Here is a choice of exemplary topics, where initial work has been done and which wait for a motivated craftsperson (or genius) to be further pursued:
Working out the connections between the formalism of quantum mechanics and OOMs. Both formalisms have conspicuous structural similarities, and there is hope they can be unified. This could lead to efficient algorithms for learning quantum models from observation data.
Develop novel methods for reinforcement learning and agent decision making. OOMs are closely related to predictive state representations, a recent innovation in reinforcement learning and agent modeling. We have a torso of a conceptually new approach to learning of optimal decision making in stochastic environments, waiting to be worked out.
Develop a theory which unifies stochastic grammars with stochastic processes. Grammar models of random sequences afford a structural analysis of such sequences, while process models lead to temporal analyses. It is an open and fundamental question how the two are related, with great potential impact on biosequence and speech analysis. Initial insights have been obtained in the group.
Extend the current core OOM formalism, which is defined using un-normed vector spaces, to a Hilbert space based theory. At least two ways of how this can be done have already been outlined. A completion of this line of research would lead to a deeper understanding of important statistical issues, especially concerning the approximation of high(or infinite-)dimensional models by low-dimensional ones.
Develop efficient online learning algorithms for OOMs. Currently only offline algorithms are statistically and computationally efficient; the few known online learning algorithms are inefficient to the degree of being useless in practice.
Requirements.
Simple to state: very good math skills, a formal-analytical mindset, and an interest in interdisciplinary exposure. It is not important (but of course gladly accepted) to have previous experience in probability or stochastic processes, but fluency in general math thinking and formula-writing and proof-finding is expected. A Master (or equivalent) degree in a suitable field would be the default formal requirement, but exceptionally motivated BSc degree holders will also be considered – and filed into the integrated PhD track of Jacob`s freshly founded Mathematics, Modeling, and Computing research center.
Working environment.
Our machine learning group, which currently comprises 4 PhD students and 2 postdocs, pursues two major fields of research: recurrent neural networks of the reservoir computing flavor, and the modeling of stochastic dynamical systems with OOMs. Roughly speaking, the neural network research tends more to the engineering and applications side, while the OOM work is more foundational and mathematical. The group is coordinating the European project ORGANIC, which is about complex and partly biologically inspired architectures for speech recognition based on recurrent neural networks. Furthermore, the group is a partner in the European AMARSi consortium, which is is about biologically inspired architectures for humanoid robot motor control, again using recurrent neural networks. Finally, there is a project funded by the German National Research Society (DFG) which concerns OOM architectures for analyzing high-dimensional stochastic data, for instance from neural recordings, EEG, brain imaging, or gene regulation dynamics. Besides the intense working relationships with European groups afforded by these projects, we also enjoy a regular exchange of ideas (and sometimes, students) with world leading researchers in machine learning, especially Joshua Bengio and Richard Sutton.
Our group meets several times a week for extended study and discussion of the research we are doing ourselves, and of relevant developments in the neighboring disciplines: computational neuroscience, cognitive science, robotics, AI, bio-informatics, statistical physics, and more. This breadth of exposure reflects the interdisciplinary history of the group itself, and its current embedding in multidisciplinary large-scale projects.
Jacobs University is a special place: Germany`s only full-fledged private university (with about 20 majors from the natural sciences, the social sciences and humanities, and engineering). Founded only 10 years ago, in some disciplines Jacobs has already reached the top position in the CHE ranking, Germany`s most relevant university ranking. Students from more than 90 nations make Jacobs one of the most international universities on this planet. The campus language is English (also of course in our group). And our campus is beautiful.
Bremen is an ancient trading and harbor town close to the North Sea. It used to be Germany`s port for coffee, cacao and wine, from which times a culture of open-mindedness has been preserved – it is easy to feel welcome in this town and its environments. Costs of living are among the lowest in Germany (average rent per square meter for small-to-medium-sized flats is about 6 Euros; Jacobs runs its own student accomodations which are even cheaper).
Prolongation and transformation of stipend.
After the research topic is settled, the project will be submitted for funding to the DFG. The outcome of this will become known at about the end of the second year; if positive, the stipend will be transformed into a work contract with a regular salary, and from then on continue for 2 (+1) years. If an external grant cannot be secured, a prolongation beyond three years cannot be guaranteed, but everything will be done to arrange this if the PhD project is not finished after three years (I don`t think that a very good PhD thesis is typically achievable within 3 years if there is a demanding working-in phase involved, as I would expect in this case). HYTBN2DPKJJU
Proposed Start Date: September 2009 subject to finalisation of the contract
The Early Stage Researcher (ESR) in this project will work on measures to restore the interbank markets that are crucial for banks’ liquidity management, but mostly dried up during the crisis. The current external risk reporting of banks lacks credibility because the reported values at risk (VaR) turned out to be very small in relation to the reported depreciations on bank assets.
The project is divided in several steps.
The first step is to find out why the reported VaR were so misleading; is it because the underlying stochastic models are ignoring systemic risks, or because the time horizon of the underlying model is too short?
Second, can VaR be sufficiently improved to credibly communicate a bank’s risk? If not, can stress tests be designed for that purpose? A more demanding approach is to combine different pieces of information that banks publish, which taken separately, might be insufficient, but when put together may be sufficient information for interbank lending. This requires research on the synergies of different pieces of information and empirical testing. This research should be of a theoretical and empirical nature.
Third, the issue of quick changes in banks’ risk through derivatives trading needs to be addressed. Should banks report these big trades or should such trades be restricted to banks with stricter equity capital requirements?
Fourth, the ESR should differentiate systematic and non-systematic risk factors in bank risk positions to provide more precise insights into potential damages of lending to another bank.
Proposed Start Date: September 2009 subject to finalisation of the contract Duration: 36 months Financial Information: Salary plus allowances in line with Marie Curie FP7 requirements for ESRs. Host Institution: Konstanz University Academic Advisor: Professor Guenter Franke Secondment 1: Erasmus University Rotterdam - 4 months Secondment 2: Deutsche Bundesbank, McKinsey or Credit Suisse - 4 months, subject to confirmation
Eligibility: Nationals or residents of Germany cannot apply. At the time of appointment, applicants should have no more than 4 years experience (FTE) after graduation and should not have resided in the host country for more than 12 months in the last 3 years immediately before appointment.
To Apply: Applicants are requested to send the following documents to
guenter.franke@uni-konstanz.de
• a curriculum vitae • copies of academic transcripts and degree certificates • proof of English proficiency (Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency, IELTS, TOEFL) • a one-page statement of purpose about aptitude and motivation for pursuing the programme • two letters of recommendation from professors • the results of the GRE test.
15 Scholarships will be awarded to applicants from Africa, Asia, Latin America or Eastern Europe. The scholarship will be about 750 Euro covering your cost of living and costs for accommodation. The tuition fee and the flight will be remunerated, too. A committee will decide which applicant will receive a scholarship. If you would like to apply for a scholarship, you are required to submit the following documents:
completed application form (attachment)
curriculum vitae in table form
statement of purpose
academic degree including transcripts
proof of at least one year`s work experience in the field of media after your degree
proof of English-language skills (TOEFL: score of 550 or higher, IELTS: Score of 6.0 or higher, BULATS: score of 70 or higher, LCCI: level of 3, etc.)
proof of German-language skills (TestDaF level TDN 3 or DSH level 1)
one passport-size photograph
copy of the first two pages of passport
original Certificate of APS (for applicants from China, Vietnam and Mongolia)
Scholarship for Master in International Media Studies
The Master`s Program International Media Studies is a four-semester, full-time program for further education. It is a joint project from the University of Bonn, the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences and Deutsche Welle, Germany`s international broadcaster with its headquarters in Bonn.
The bilingual Master`s Program offers a unique course offer given the current development of global media and the connection between media and cooperative development. Students from around the world will benefit from the inclusion of partners and the unparalleled mix of research, lectures and practical experience.
The program combines topics like media and development, journalism, communication science and media economics, while developing practical skills and competencies that are important for the world of media.
Philosophy
Free and independent media is a significant factor for a functioning democracy, social justice and the protection of human rights. The Master`s Program is based on the belief that there is a connection between democracy and development, between the freedom of opinion and democracy as well as between free media and development. The prerequisite for the establishment of a functioning, free media system are journalists who realize their role as a critical observer and reporter. This can only be guaranteed when they are professionally trained and feel obligated by a set of journalistic ethics.
By training journalists academically, the Master`s Program is therefore a targeted step towards making the media spokespeople for openness within democracy.
The courses are based on the values of democracy, freedom and conflict prevention, civil society and good government – representative of the connection between the media and cooperative development.
Objective Students will acquire the knowledge and skills that are essential for a journalistic career. They will be able to meet specific occupational requirements with expertise and communicative independence.
The Master`s Program trains students – personally and professionally – to be competent journalists and prepare them for a challenging role as expert or manager in the media sector.
Target Group The program is targeted at students from around the world that want to work in a position of responsibility in journalism or the communications sector. It especially addresses journalists-in-training, media representatives from radio, TV, online and print and communication experts.
Those interested must have already completed an academic program (bachelor`s or equivalent) and have at least one year of professional media experience.
The program will be bilingual (English and German), whereby English will be the prevalent course language.
Especially targeted at: - Media representatives from radio, TV, online and print - Journalists- in-training, especially from electronic media - Journalists and management from community radio stations - Communication experts - NGO employees - Employees from ministries - Employees from cooperative development groups and projects - Representatives from regional working groups and national broadcasters - Media association representatives
Please note that the copies of the certificates and the translations into German or English need to be certified. Please send your application form to: Deutsche Welle, DW-AKADEMIE, International Media Studies, Dr. Christoph Schmidt, 53110 Bonn, Germany, E-Mail: Barbara.Hiller@dw-world.de
Universität Bremen Post Doc in Ocean in the Earth System at Germany
Deadline for applications is June 10, 2008. Email: Achim Kopf akopf@uni-bremen.de We would be very grateful, if you could submit your application documents as copies (no folders), we can not send your documents back because of cost reasons; after the application process the documents will be destroyed. The DFG Research Center/Excellence Cluster "The Ocean in the Earth System" (MARUM) at the University of Bremen, Germany, has established a competitive and highly selective program for MARUM Fellowship awards. Up to two fellowships will be awarded in this round in the general areas of marine geology, paleoceanography, marine biogeochemistry, marine geophysics and marine geotechnology. We encourage applications from enthusiastic and dynamic individuals with a demonstrated record in interdisciplinary marine research in fields that include, but are not limited to sedimentation and physical transport processes in coastal areas, shelf seas, and along ocean margins, reconstructing and modeling climate change, and biogeochemical cycles in marine environments.
Specific interests of MARUM are directed toward the understanding of:
1. Stability of ocean margins (geoengineering, coastal protection, geohazards, effects of human activities), 2. Seafloor processes such as gas and fluid seepage as well as sediment transport at continental margins and in coastal areas, 3. Ocean-climate and ocean-land interactions, 4. Factors governing marine productivity, 5. Life in extreme environments including the deep marine subsurface, and 6. Microbe-mineral interactions (see www.marum.de for further information).
The successful candidate should have received a PhD within the last five years in geosciences or a related field. Fellowships are initially limited to a term of two years and will start in fall or winter 2008. After a successful evaluation a prolongation by one year is possible. Salary and benefits are linked to the German employee scale 13 TVL. International candidates are highly encouraged to apply.
Applications should include a CV, a list of publications, a research proposal describing research interests, contact information for 3 referees and completed application form (available from www.marum.de/Jobs.html).
MARUM Fellows are expected to develop their own research program within the scientific framework provided by MARUM; proposals targeting research between boundaries of individual research groups at MARUM are encouraged. MARUM Fellows will be integrated in a stimulating and supportive environment that provides ideal conditions for scientific growth.
As the University of Bremen intends to increase the proportion of female employees in science, women are particularly encouraged to apply.
In case of equal personal aptitudes and qualification priority will be given to disabled persons.
Applications and inquiries should be directed to Achim Kopf electronically (akopf@uni-bremen.de) under the reference number A 66/08. http://www.stellen.uni-bremen.de/a66-08.php3
PhD Studentship (Research and Teaching Assistant) in Plant Ecology 2007 in Germany
Keyword : PhD Studentship, Plant Ecology studentship, Leibniz University Hannover scholarship, germany studentship, scholarship in germany.
PhD Studentship (Research and Teaching Assistant) in Plant Ecology, Leibniz University Hannover
Application Please, send the usual application documents until the 30th of March 2007
The Department of Environmental Planning, Section of Landscape Planning and Nature Conservation at the Faculty of Architecture and Landscape Science (Institut fr Umweltplanung, Abteilung Naturschutz und Landschaftspflege, Fakultt fr Architektur und Landschaft) invites applications for the position of a Research and Teaching Assistant (50%, no tenure track) (Salary approx. 25,000 Euro before tax).
Dona Alfian Blog
Article on Blog Tutorial, Information Sharing Business online, games, computer software, Internet business, Tips and Tricks, SEO, Backlinks Health, Tips and trick. www.donaalfian.com
First step. Please contactby email to h.jaeger@jacobs-university.de with an informal statement of interest, then we'll see further.
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