SCAI Doctoral Programme – SCAI Doctoral Programme

Since June 2019, Sorbonne University’s AI strategy is driven by SCAI (Sorbonne Center for Artificial Intelligence), a large and unified research and teaching center entirely devoted to AI. Under the umbrella of SCAI, we propose a programme that aims at fostering excellence in training, mobility and career development of young researchers through an integrated engagement in one of the most dynamic and diverse AI community in Europe. SCAI Doctoral Programme includes Mathematics, Computer Science & Robotics, Health & Medicine, Climate, Environment & Universe Sciences as well as Digital Humanities. Thanks to this programme 21 PhD will be funded after a 4-step highly selective process, starting in 2020.
The programme will benefit the AI community of Sorbonne University, as well as its regional public and private partners, and a network of European institutions through co-supervisions and secondments; particularly the 4EU+ European University Alliance and the rich network of international collaborations already established. As part of SCAI, this programme will gather AI forces of Sorbonne University and its partners, including CNRS, Inria, Inserm, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) and CEA.

In the past 5 years, the research community of SCAI has trained 300+ PhD candidates in more than 30 different research units. Our project will follow a high level PhD selection procedure, already successfully implemented and carried out for 10 PhD positions in 2019, in coordination with the Doctoral Schools (Ecoles Doctorales) and the Doctoral College at Sorbonne University.

SCAI Doctoral Programme will be a cornerstone of SCAI strategy in a highly competitive national and international context. SCAI has a dual ambition in research and training. Based on the model of the Institutes for Data Science, it aims to motivate, organize and enhance multidisciplinary research in AI. SCAI also intends to become a laboratory of ideas for educational innovation in the field of AI, where training needs are immense: the French government wants to double the number of students trained in AI by 2022. The considerable strategic and economic stakes involved in these areas make it essential to put new training tools, in initial training (bachelor, master and doctorate) as well as in continuing education. It is also essential to level up the skills of colleagues using AI and, beyond, to sensitize the research community to the challenges related to data and algorithms (archiving, indexing, sharing, analysing, opening, etc.).

Through this programme, we will attract new talents from France and abroad, strengthen the local community, build bridges between disciplines, explore original topics and thus uphold the values of Sorbonne University: freedom, diversity, creativity, rigor and openness.