Project Research Associate

Research Center for Cyber Physical Intelligence at Kochi University of Technology invites applications for a research associate position in the field of control engineering and robotics. The position focuses on conditional cooperative control of robots (Research). The successful candidate will work on theoretical development and practical implementation. The start date is on April 1, 2027, or later (negotiable). No Japanese language skills are required.

Job Description

• Conduct research as a part of ongoing projects at the research center, particularly on cooperative control of heterogeneous multi-robot systems
• Develop control theories for such systems and implement them in real robotic platforms

Qualifications

• Hold a Ph.D. degree (or be expected to obtain one before the start date)
• Have research experience in control engineering, robotics, or related fields

Employment Conditions

• Position type: Full-time and fixed-term (project-based and non-tenure-track)
• Contract term: Up to 3 years (depending on project continuation)
• Start date: On April 1, 2027, or later (negotiable)

Salary and Benefits (in accordance with university regulations)

• Annual salary: Approximately JPY 4.2–4.5 million (including housing and commuting allowances)
• Benefits: Relocation support, retirement benefits, and social insurance

Application

• Please submit a single PDF file including all required documents by e-mail to izumi.shinsaku [at] kochi-tech.ac.jp (replace [at] with @).
• For detailed information, please refer to the PDF document.

Additional Information

• No Japanese language skills are required.

Ph.D. Students

I can accept doctoral students under the Special Scholarship Program (SSP) (The SSP positions have been filled). For more information about the SSP and the application process, please refer to the university website. The following is intended for prospective applicants interested in working with us.

Expected Performance

Doctoral students are expected to

• develop theoretical frameworks to answer research questions in the area of systems and control using mathematical techniques,
• actively propose ideas to resolve each problem in the research and implement those ideas,
• actively present the contributions of the research through publications in academic journals.

Required Knowledge and Skills

Applicants are required to have

• fundamental knowledge of control theory (such as transfer functions and state-space models), as well as mathematical techniques used in this area,
• MATLAB programming and LaTeX typesetting skills,
• fundamental skills in academic writing and presentation.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to read several papers from the Publications page to understand the approaches used in our research.

For applicants to the Special Scholarship Program (SSP), a relatively high level of performance is necessary. SSP applicants are expected to demonstrate their performance by presenting research publications, such as conference and journal papers.

Notes

• Kochi University of Technology requires candidates to have at least one paper published in a high-level peer-reviewed journal to complete the Ph.D. program. Therefore, each applicant should develop a practical research plan that takes into account our expertise and previous results, your strengths and research interests, and the time required for the publication process before applying.
• The standard doctoral program is self-funded, and financial support is limited. If you wish to apply for the standard program, you should make a practical plan for covering tuition and other academic expenses before applying.