Advertisement: PhD/MPhil position in Civil Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (2020 Spring/Fall admission)
Hi there, I am so happy that this non-official ad has reached you! My name is Jishen Qiu; I will start my job as a tenure-track assistant professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of HKUST in the coming fall. My research engages sustainability and smartness in the future infrastructures, by developing novel construction materials, such as self-healing/bio concrete.
A few good reasons to join my group:
• You will be one of the first students (the first or at least the second, to be more specific), it means you will be deeply involved in the starting-up of a research team, which could be crucial in your future job search (actually I was the first student of my advisor, I believe I learned extra in this role);
• You will receive rigorous academic/research training so you can work independently after you get the degree; in the last 8 years, I mentored over 10 undergraduate/master students in their lab work, 40% of which got their results published in top civil engineering journals like Cement and Concrete Research and Cement & Concrete Composites;
• You will have access to research topics of high impact, like bio-concrete, self-healing concrete, CO2 sequestration;
• You will work on both theoretical and experimental projects; in the future, possibly application-oriented projects (if that’s your career interest);
• You will be a part of interdisciplinary collaboration (civil engineering + biology/materials science/chemistry);
• It is my goal to build an open and healthy working environment for the team (PhD can be a stressful journey, it’s an advisor’s duty to help out).
Some requirements and expectations on you:
• Bachelor degree or above in civil engineering, materials engineering, mechanical engineering, engineering mechanics etc.
• Strong curiosity on things, not only for natural science, but also for other areas
• Well-above-average performance in mechanics, physics, and math
• Handy, quick learner in lab
• Some research experiences
• You don’t have to fulfill every criterion above
Last but not the least, I will not over-emphasize on the competitive edge from a master’s degree, prospective bachelors are equally welcome to apply. You may reach me at qiujishen@gmail.com (it will be updated to a HKUST email address after I officially start in September); please include your CV and a brief personal statement (no more than one page).