Short Bio

Prof. Dr. Christian Schaffner is a world-leading expert in quantum cryptography, both on conventional cryptography that remains secure against quantum attackers (also known as post-quantum cryptography) and on the design of protocols that solve cryptographic problems involving quantum data and quantum communication.

Schaffner is full professor in Theoretical Computer Science and group leader of the Theory of Computer Science (TCS) group at the Informatics Institute at University of Amsterdam and director of QuSoft, the Dutch research center for quantum software. He received his diploma degree in mathematics from ETH Zurich (Switzerland) in 2003 and a PhD degree in computer science from Aarhus University (Denmark) in 2007.

Grants & Awards

2015: NWO Innovational Research Incentives Scheme VIDI, 800 000 Euro

2014: Basiskwalificatie Onderwijs (BKO)

2010: NWO Innovational Research Incentives Scheme VENI, 250 000 Euro

Current position

Dec 2021 - now: Professor Theoretical Computer Science, Informatics Institute, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Past positions

2018-2021: Associate Professor (UHD), ILLC, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2013-2018: Assistant Professor (UD), ILLC, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2011-2013: Post-Doctoral Researcher, ILLC, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2007-2011: Post-Doctoral Researcher, CWI Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Advisor: Harry Buhrman
2004-2007: PhD student, BRICS, Computer Science Department, Aarhus University
PhD advisors: Louis Salvail, Ivan Damgård
PhD thesis: Cryptography in the Bounded-Quantum-Storage Model

Education

1998-2003: Diploma studies in Pure Mathematics at ETH Zurich
Specialisations: Stochastics, Theoretical Computer Science

Diploma Thesis advisors: Ueli Maurer, Renato Renner
Diploma Thesis: Secret-Key Agreement Information-Theoretically Secure Against Active Adversaries.
02/2001 - 07/2001: Exchange Semester at Université Paris-Sud, Orsay (Paris XI), France

Degrees

Jun 2007: PhD degree, University of Aarhus
Nov 2003: Diploma with distinction in Mathematics, ETH Zurich

Languages

German (Mother Tongue)
English, Dutch, French (fluent written and spoken)
Danish (good knowledge)

Full Curriculum Vitae

PDFCurriculum Vitae (pdf)