Fully funded PhD Belgium 13 days left

PhD Position on Automated Compliance Engineering

KU Leuven, Belgium

Institution: KU Leuven
Country: Belgium
Position type: PhD
Application deadline: 5 September 2026
Location: Leuven, Belgium
Funding: Fully funded position

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About this position

LIRIS, the KU Leuven Research Center on Information Systems Engineering, is part of the Department of Decision Sciences and Information Management of the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB). The research group has acquired a solid, world-wide recognized reputation in the field of management informatics, as illustrated by the various top publications in high-quality journals, research projects, presentations at well-respected conferences, the frequent organization of scientific events, and the regular editorial activities undertaken. In the area of business informatics, the group has always been a leading research team in Flanders and Belgium. The research team maintains close contacts with other research centers in the faculty, KU Leuven and other universities. LIRIS cooperates with leading international academic research centers in business information systems.

The LIRIS group has extensive links with a network of national and international industry partners, serving either as research sponsors or facilitators for data provisioning and research validation. This cross-fertilization between fundamental research and industry practice allows to conduct research according to the domain’s motto: rigor and relevance.
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Project

Technology is changing at an unprecedented pace, and the uptake of generative approaches to develop and operate modern-day information systems becomes increasingly normalized. In parallel (and in reaction to this), regulations (e.g., AI Act, Data Act, ..) are becoming increasingly complex and demanding. 

Yet the way in which compliance to the different regulatory frameworks is attained, evaluated, and engineered remains predominantly manual, costly, and slow.

This PhD project involves the development and evaluation of new and emerging software engineering methods and techniques for automated compliance. The scope includes both compliance checking and assessment of existing (candidate) systems, and automated and/or autonomous (self-)adaptation in function of regulatory compliance requirements and goals. Crucial in this context is the implementation of essential requirements such as transparency, explainability, verifiability, demonstrability, fairness, and intervenience. Within the project, a wide range of techniques, tactics and design strategies will be studied, which range from model-based compliance engineering (MBSE), to AI- and LLM-driven engineering, and the design of autonomous, agentic self-adaptive systems. These will be evaluated in the context of relevant regulatory frameworks and use cases. 

Profile

You are a highly motivated, enthusiastic and independent person with a curious, yet critical, scientific mindset, and a strong affinity and for information systems and software design and architecture. You are creative, maintain strong self-discipline and have a problem-solving attitude.

The ideal candidate will comply with following requirements:

Master in Business and Information Systems Engineering, Business Engineering, or Business Economics, or a master's degree in information technology or science, computer science, informatics, or related fields.
Strong affinity for the design and architecture of software- and information-intensive systems and supporting technologies.
Good communication skills, particularly with regard to reporting, presentation and interdisciplinary team work.
Able to work independently as well as collaboratively in a challenging interdisciplinary context.
Excellent English communication and interpersonal skills, both verbal and written.

Offer

We offer a 4-year PhD research position in a stimulating international work environment at one of the top-ranked universities in Europe. KU Leuven is a research-intensive, internationally-oriented university that conducts both fundamental and applied scientific research with a strong focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, international excellence and innovation. You will be based in Leuven, a historic, dynamic, and vibrant city in the heart of Belgium, in close proximity to major European capitals.

The PhD will engage in intensive collaboration within an interdisciplinary network project, together with legal researchers, governance-focused researchers, and computer science researchers. You will complete the doctoral program in Business Economics (domain: Management Informatics).

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Dimitri Van Landuyt, mail: [email protected].

Applicants should apply via the online application procedure. Include a transcript of grades and prior qualifications. Please specify your Master's degree (Master's programme, university + country, year obtained, final grades) and Master's thesis (Title, Year, Supervisor) in your CV. Highlight any prior academic accomplishments. Provide a one-paragraph motivation letter (up to maximum half a page) that provides your personal motivation for applying for this vacancy. This should be a personal and individual statement: refrain from submitting a motivation statement that has visibly been created with generative AI tools.

Candidates who meet the eligibility criteria and demonstrate a good alignment with the open position will be shortlisted and invited for an interview.

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.

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Applications close 5 September 2026.