Openings
Ph.D. and M.Phil. RA Openings
I am actively recruiting Ph.D., M.Phil., and RA students to start in Fall 2027. My research centers on machine learning systems and data center resource disaggregation. Two Ph.D. tracks are currently available: one jointly with CUHK-Shenzhen, and one jointly with Westlake University.
Joint Ph.D. and M.Phil. Program with CUHK-SZ
Students in this program will be co-supervised by Prof. Pinjia He at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-SZ). The standard duration is 5 years for the Ph.D. and 2 years for the M.Phil. Students will first complete their required coursework at CUHK-SZ before joining me at DKU for research. Full scholarships are provided for Ph.D. students, while M.Phil. students are expected to be self-funded. Upon graduation, students receive their Ph.D./M.Phil. degree from CUHK-SZ.
Joint Ph.D. Program with Westlake University
Students in this program will receive their degree from Westlake University upon graduation. The study period is 5 years for students without a Master’s degree and 4 years for those who already hold one. Students will spend their first year at Westlake completing all coursework, then move to DKU for research. Full scholarships are provided for Ph.D. students.
Research Assistant (RA) Openings
I also welcome Research Assistants who aspire to apply to top Ph.D. programs worldwide and are seeking valuable pre-doctoral research experience. RAs are expected to work with me in person at Duke Kunshan University for a minimum of six months, and a competitive stipend is provided.
How to Apply
Feel free to email me at jc.shen@dukekunshan.edu.cn with the subject line “{PhD|MPhil|RA}-{Your Name}” (e.g., PhD-Jiacheng Shen), attaching your CV and transcripts. Together, let’s do some impactful systems research!
About Duke Kunshan
Duke Kunshan University (DKU) is a world-class liberal arts university based in Kunshan, China, that offers a range of high quality, innovative academic programs for students from around the world. It was established in September 2013 as a U.S.-China partnership between Duke University and Wuhan University. Its vibrant, high-tech campus covers 200 acres in Kunshan’s Yangcheng Lake Science and Technology Park.
The city of Kunshan, in Jiangsu province, is one of China’s fastest-growing economies and is a hub for high-tech research and manufacturing. The city is surrounded by picturesque forests and water towns, and is also connected by high-speed rail and subway to Shanghai and Suzhou, two of China’s most dynamic cities.
About CUHK-SZ
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-SZ) was founded in accordance with the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Chinese-foreign Cooperation in Running Schools upon approval by the Ministry of Education. The University is committed to providing top-quality higher education that features an integration of the East and the West and fostering an enriching research environment. It is CUHK-SZ’s mission to cultivate innovative talents with a global perspective, Chinese cultural traditions and social responsibilities.
About Westlake University
Westlake University is a private research-oriented university located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, developed from the Westlake Institute for Advanced Study and formally established in 2018 with the approval of China’s Ministry of Education. Widely regarded as China’s first modern private research university, it aspires to world-class status and focuses on frontier basic research across the natural sciences, medicine, and advanced technology. The University is committed to cultivating innovative, high-level talent and to building a globally competitive research environment, recruiting outstanding faculty through global talent programs and pursuing its vision of becoming one of the world’s leading institutions of higher education.