M.A.Sc. & PhD
Position on
CO-DESIGN & URBAN SIM PLAY

Published on July 15th 2025
I am seeking to fill one PhD and one M.A.Sc. Position to join a research project that focuses on participatory design at the intersection of critical interaction design, game development, and urban design.

Start Date
M.A.Sc. | January 2026
PhD. | January / September 2026 

Project Overview
The project will focus on co-developing low-cost modular ludic systems for micro-urbanism that engage local community members in decision-making processes surrounding the built environment. By integrating both digital and physical systems (e.g., game engines and microcontrollers), this research aims to support interactive-ludic design methods that foster inclusive, community-driven decision-making.

Background
Applicants from diverse fields are welcome. Suitable backgrounds include: Interaction Design or Game Development, Architecture, Urban Design, or Computational Design. Computer Science or Engineering with an interest in design research and Media Studies with a focus on technology and spatial practice.

Skills
Applicants who are already familiar with microcontrollers, game engines or architectural visualization tools (e.g., Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, Rhino Grasshopper or Houdini), as well as programming in C#, C++, or Python, are encouraged to apply.

PhD applicants should have experience designing and evaluating interactive systems, familiarity with research methods in HCI, participatory design, research by design or critical interaction design, and an understanding of urban studies or community-based design. PhD candidates should demonstrate strong potential for independent research, academic writing, and scholarly communication.

Familiarity with 3d generative AI and an understanding of multimodal systems in urban design context is a plus.
Deadline
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Duration

M.A.Sc. | 2 Years
PhD. | 4 Years

Funding will be available through multiple sources, including opportunities for a research and/or teaching assistantship. For more details, please check our school website https://carleton.ca/csit/awards-and-support/

Eligibility
M.A.Sc. | Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and meet admission requirements for the M.A.Sc. in Digital Media at Carleton University.

PhD | Applicants must hold a Master’s degree in a related field (or be expected to hold before september 2026) and meet admission requirements for the PhD in Digital Media at Carleton University. Applicants should also have published, or be in the process of publishing, a conference paper in a related field.

How to Apply
Please Send: 
1. A brief statement of interest (up to 1 page for M.A.Sc. and up to 2 pages for PhD.)
2. CV
3. Portfolio (PDF, Website or Github)
4. Trasncripts from all previous degrees

To: hamza.bashandy @ carleton.ca
Email Subject: MASc - Co-Design Urban Play or PhD - Co-Design Urban Play


For more information about our graduate program, please check this link for our master program  https://carleton.ca/csit/master-of-applied-science-in-digital-media/ and this link for our PhD program https://carleton.ca/csit/phd-program/

HAMZA BASHANDY, PhD        

Ludic Portfolio of Research and Design
hamza.bashandy[at]carleton.ca

I am an architect and game scholar. I teach in the Interactive and Multimedia Design undergarduate program and in the master and PhD program, specialized in digital media at the School of Information Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Design at Carleton University. My research sits at the intersection of urban issues and playful simulations, particularly examining the implications of playful interventions and computer simulations in participatory design and social movements...
RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS

01. A Design Toolkit of Ludic Contentious Politics
FDG 2025, Graz, Austria

UNIVERSITE DE LIEGE
02. Mapping Spaces of Resistance in Videogames
FNRS Dissertation,    Liège, Belgium

03. Playing in a Lost Space
Heterotopia Zine 009 on Power    

04. Urban Rant Notebook
Indpendant Research
ARCHITECTURAL & GAME DESIGN

01. City.Craft
Workshop and Analysis of Minecraft in Spatial Design  

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY

02. Return to Sender 
Research Creation Project,    TAG Centre           

03. Playful Memory
Research Design     Labo LNA, ULiège. 

04. Oshtoora Festival
Design Build    MADA Architects, Cairo.    
DIS-PLAY LAB

FOR LUDIC DESIGN AND SPATIAL PLAY   @CarletonU
Active Call MSc & PhD on Co-Design & Urban Sim Play
Start Date: January/September 2026    

Research Assistants & MS.c. Opportunities
M.Sc.       -> September 2025 / January 2026
RA-ships -> Flexibile

ACTIVE PROJECTS
The Crowd Problem in Videogames
SSHRC-funded project, Ottawa, Canada