Department of Computer and Information Science (IDA)

The Department of Computer and Information Science is one of the largest departments in northern Europe in its field. Research activity at IDA covers artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, software and computer systems, and data science. 

The department is a dynamic and growing environment for research and education with around 300 employees. The activity covers a wide range of areas, from core computer science to applications of science. It is oriented towards both the Faculty of Science and Engineering, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

The research activity at IDA is mainly performed within four major areas, each divided into a number of subareas:

  • Artificial intelligence (AI) with the subareas of autonomous systems and robotics, knowledge representation and reasoning, ontologies and semantic web, automated planning, applied machine learning, multi-agent systems, natural language processing, and theoretical foundations of AI.
  • Cognition, interaction and design with the subareas of cognitive science, cognitive systems engineering, interaction design, service design, public safety and security, decision support, human factors, and social robotics.
  • Software and computer systems with the subareas of software engineering, embedded and cyberphysical systems, real-time systems, cybersecurity and resilient systems, networks and distributed systems, multimedia systems, formal methods, compilers and programming language, and parallel and high performance computing.
  • Data science with the subareas of machine learning methodology, statistics, database technology, and data analytics.

The broad research base of the department directly enriches the undergraduate and graduate education. The department gives courses within most engineering programmes, several Master programmes, as well as the programmes for innovative programming, cognitive science and statistics.

IDA also offers doctoral education in computer science, design, cognitive science and statistics. Currently, around 90 postgraduate students are active in the department’s PhD programmes.

The department was founded in 1983, but its roots can be traced to the early seventies. It is organised in six divisions.

Calendar

News at IDA

Firefighter infront of wrecked car.

05 November 2025

Research on exoskeletons and cleaners receives SEK 16.7 million

LiU receives SEK 16.7 million from AFA Försäkring for research in the field of work environment and health. The projects concern exoskeletons, cleaning staff, part-time managers and digital work environments in health and social care.

Jendrik Seipp.

17 October 2025

Research on next-generation AI planning receives SEK 15 million

LiU researcher Jendrik Seipp has been awarded SEK 15 million to develop an AI planning system that uses multi-core processors for parallel computation. This could lead to more efficient logistics and large-scale energy optimisation, among much else.

10 September 2025

Centres of Excellence strengthen LiU’s research

The investment in four prominent research environments, Centres of Excellence, will ensure long-term development, improved quality and deeper collaboration for LiU.

Job vacancies at IDA

Job Published To Employment Type External ID City Institution Occupational Area Position URL
Postdoc in Sustainable photosynthetic living materials and devices 2025-11-17 Time limited employment (temporary) LiU-2025-04732 Norrkoping ITN - Department of Science and Technology Teachers and Scientists https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27661
PhD student in Visualization and Media Technology with a focus on immersive and situated visualization supported by conversational AI 2025-11-17 Time limited employment (temporary) LiU-2025-04953 Norrkoping ITN - Department of Science and Technology PhD students https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27744
Postdoc position in computational mathematics and data science 2025-12-01 Time limited employment (temporary) LiU-2025-04923 Norrkoping ITN - Department of Science and Technology Teachers and Scientists https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27747
PhD student in Materials Engineering 2025-12-08 Time limited employment (temporary) IEI-2025-00579 Linkoping IEI - Department of Management and Engineering PhD students https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27752
PhD student in Energy-Efficient Integrated Circuits and Architectures for 6G Communication System Frontends 2026-01-09 Time limited employment (temporary) LiU-2025-04999 Linkoping ISY - Department of Electrical Engineering PhD students https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27759
Postdoc position in heterogeneous catalysis 2025-12-01 Time limited employment (temporary) LiU-2025-04924 Norrkoping ITN - Department of Science and Technology Teachers and Scientists https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27767
PhD student in AI and machine learning 2025-11-17 Time limited employment (temporary) IDA-2025-00344 Linkoping IDA - Department of Computer and Information Science PhD students https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27831
PhD candidate in Technology and Social Change 2025-12-01 Time limited employment (temporary) TEMA-2025-00216 Linkoping TEMA - Department of Thematic Studies PhD students https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27834
Assistant professor in Technology and Social Change 2025-12-01 Time limited employment (temporary) LiU-2025-03894 Linkoping TEMA - Department of Thematic Studies Teachers and Scientists https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27842
Associate professor in visual media design 2026-01-16 Permanent employment LiU-2025-04789 Norrkoping ITN - Department of Science and Technology Teachers and Scientists https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27852
Postdoc in bioinformatics 2025-11-18 Time limited employment (temporary) BKV-2025-00820 Linkoping BKV - Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Technical and Administrative personnel https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27867
Postdoc in gastrointestinal physiology 2025-12-03 Time limited employment (temporary) BKV-2025-00823 Linkoping BKV - Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Technical and Administrative personnel https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27869
Postdoc in Structural Bioinformatics 2025-12-01 Time limited employment (temporary) IFM-2025-00479 Linkoping IFM - Department of Physics, Biology and Chemistry Teachers and Scientists https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27877
PhD student in Power-Efficient Integrated Circuit Design Techniques for Full-Duplex 6G Transceivers 2025-12-29 Time limited employment (temporary) LiU-2025-05320 Linkoping ISY - Department of Electrical Engineering PhD students https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27878
PhD student in Radioecology and Environmental Radiochemistry 2025-12-15 Time limited employment (temporary) LiU-2025-05297 Linkoping HMV - Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences PhD students https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27886
Postdoc in Theoretical Physics 2025-11-26 Time limited employment (temporary) IFM-2025-00511 Linkoping IFM - Department of Physics, Biology and Chemistry Teachers and Scientists https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27904
PhD student in AI and machine learning 2025-11-27 Time limited employment (temporary) IDA-2025-00362 Linkoping IDA - Department of Computer and Information Science PhD students https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27911
Postdoc in material science and engineering 2025-11-26 Time limited employment (temporary) LiU-2025-05397 Norrkoping ITN - Department of Science and Technology Teachers and Scientists https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27921
Postdoc in Child and adolescent psychiatry 2025-11-28 Time limited employment (temporary) BKV-2025-00866 Linkoping BKV - Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Technical and Administrative personnel https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27933
Teaching assistants (amanuenses) in Applied Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics 2025-11-17 Extrajob IEI-2025-00623 Linkoping IEI - Department of Management and Engineering Student https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27935
PhD student in Semantic communications 2025-12-10 Time limited employment (temporary) IDA-2025-00364 Linkoping IDA - Department of Computer and Information Science PhD students https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27949
Post doc in sustainable logistics and transport systems 2025-12-11 Time limited employment (temporary) IEI-2025-00628 Linkoping IEI - Department of Management and Engineering Teachers and Scientists https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27971
Research assistant at the Institute for Analytical Sociology 2025-11-26 Time limited employment (temporary) IEI-2025-00656 Norrkoping IEI - Department of Management and Engineering Technical and Administrative personnel https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27979
PhD Student in Reinforcement Learning for Control of Partially Observable Dynamical Systems 2025-12-05 Time limited employment (temporary) LiU-2025-05539 Linkoping ISY - Department of Electrical Engineering PhD students https://liu.se/en/work-at-liu/vacancies/27994

Research at IDA

Other large industrial collaborations and national strategic research areas 

More projects at IDA and centra/laboratories for collaboration 

Computer room with a few students.

Cybersecurity lab at LiU

The cybersecurity lab at LiU offers facilities that are tailored for teaching cybersecurity in undergraduate and professional training programs. These facilities enable training in both offensive and defensive cybersecurity within secure settings.

A robot.

The joy in reading – a co-design project around students’ interaction with social robots

A study investigating the ways in which artificial intelligence (AI) can contribute to students' reading. It examines how key reading activities and situations in school can be designed for interaction between a social robot and 10-year-old students.

Picture from exercise with fire deparment.

Center for Advanced Research in Emergency Response - CARER

A collaboration between LiU and the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency which aims to consolidate and strengthen LiU's research in risk, response and rescue area.

AI written on blue background.

AI literacy in Swedish Teacher Education

This project focuses on AI literacy in Swedish teacher education, mainly what AI literacy in Swedish teacher education means in terms of knowledge and competences needed for schoolteachers future working lives.

Doctoral studies

Doctoral (PhD) studies at the Department of Computer and Information Science

Doctoral studies at the Department of Computer and Information Science (IDA) are organised to cross traditional subject boundaries, and is common to the whole department.

What is it like to be a PhD student at IDA?

Emma with VR headset on her head

New doctor in Cognitive Science: Emma Mainza Chilufya

On March 28, Emma Mainza Chilufya at the Department of Computer and Information Science (IDA) successfully defended her thesis about human-computer interaction. "Being a PhD student at IDA has been eye-opening and inspiring", she says.

Dominik Drexler headshot

New doctor in Computer Science: Dominik Drexler

On March 24, Dominik Drexler at the Dept of Computer and Information Science successfully defended his thesis about integrating learning and AI planning. "Pursuing a PhD at IDA has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life", he says.

Mina Niknafs shows her printed thesis in the lecture hall.

New doctor in Computer Science: Mina Niknafs

On March 3, Mina Niknafs at the Dept of Computer and Information Science defended her thesis on resource management. "Pursuing a PhD at IDA is an enriching experience that combines academic freedom with a supportive research culture", she says.

Educational programmes involving IDA

The department gives courses within most engineering programmes, the Bachelor's programmes in Information Systems Analysis, Innovative Programming, Cognitive Science, and Statistics and Data Analysis, and several Master's programmes.

For more information on the programmes in Swedish that the department gives courses within, please visit Institutionen för datavetenskap (utbildningsprogram).

Master's programmes

Contact us

Student Office at IDA

Contact: expedition@ida.liu.se

Visiting address: Room 3F:477B, Building E, Entrance 27/29, Floor 3, Campus Valla

Opening hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays between 12.15 and 13.00.

Registrar at IDA

Contact: registrator@ida.liu.se

Doctoral education at IDA

Contact: Anne Moe, Coordinator

E-mail: anne.moe@liu.se

Phone: +46 13 28 14 60

Management

All staff at IDA

Address

Postal Address

Linköping University
Department of Computer and Information Science
581 83 Linköping
Sweden

Visiting Address

Building B, entrance 25 - 29
Building E, entrance 27C - 29C
Mäster Mattias väg, Campus Valla

Awards

Image of the award certificate

Best research paper award for foundational work on knowledge graph construction

Olaf Hartig, Dept of Computer and Information Science, has won the Best Research Paper Award at the ESWC 2025 conference, which is one of the top conferences on knowledge graphs and semantic web technologies, a subfield of artificial intelligence.

Three men standing up, the one in the middle is holding up a diploma

Dominik Drexler awarded the Lawson Scholarship for 2024

Dominik Drexler, who recently received his PhD at the Department of Computer and Information Science, is awarded the Lawson Scholarship for excellent achievements in internationalisation, international contacts and international exchange at IDA.

Innovative idea for more effective cancer treatments rewarded

Lisa Menacher has been awarded the 2024 Christer Gilén Scholarship in statistics and machine learning for her master’s thesis. She utilised machine learning in an effort to make the selection of cancer treatments more effective.

Autumn image, sigh E-building

Award winners at IDA in 2023

We are proud to present awards received by students, teachers and researchers at the Department of Computer and Information Science, IDA, Linköping University.

More about IDA and about working at IDA

More AI initiatives

Stay updated