The School of Aerospace at Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen (HIT Shenzhen), is seeking highly motivated PhD students to join our cutting-edge research team. This is an exciting opportunity to work on projects that aim to revolutionize our understanding of solar and stellar activity and its impact on space weather through advanced observations, numerical modeling and innovative machine learning approaches.
Available Research Topics
Successful candidates will work on one or more of the following areas:
1. Physics of the Solar/Stellar Corona: Investigate physics of solar/stellar corona, solar/stellar flares, imaging observation of stellar coronae and CMEs.
2. Space Weather and Geomagnetic Storms: Study and predict impact of space weather on magnetosphere and ionosphere of Earth and habitability of exoplanets.
3. Socioeconomic and industrial impact of space weather: Explore the impact of space weather on everyday life and participate in efforts to safeguard Earth.
4. High-Resolution Numerical Simulations: Develop and implement advanced numerical models of the solar and stellar atmosphere, CMEs, and space weather.
5. AI in Aerospace Science: Apply machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to analyze large datasets from observations and simulations.
Requirements
* A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in physics, astrophysics, plasma physics, applied mathematics, computational physics, computer science, data analysis and AI technology or a related field.
* Background in numerical methods, plasma physics, or solar/stellar physics.
* Experience with programming languages such as Python, Fortran, or C++ is highly desirable.
* For candidates interested in AI, prior experience in machine learning or data science is a plus.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
* A passion for scientific research and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
What We Offer
* A competitive stipend and full tuition waiver.
* Access to state-of-the-art computational facilities and resources.
* Opportunities to collaborate with leading international research institutions and participate in high-impact scientific projects ranging from space weather monitoring to lunar and Mars missions.
* A vibrant and supportive research environment at HIT Shenzhen, located in dynamic and sunny coastal metropolis of Shenzhen, “China’s Silicon Valley”.
* Training and professional development opportunities, including participation in international conferences and workshops.
* PhD degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Science and Technology
Application Process
Interested candidates should submit the following documents as a single PDF file to [email protected] with the subject line “HITSZ PhD Application – Aerospace Science “:
1. A cover letter outlining your research interests and motivation for applying.
2. A detailed CV, including academic qualifications, research experience, and publications (if any).
3. Academic transcripts from your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
4. Contact information for at least two academic referees.
5. (Optional) A brief research proposal (1–2 pages) related to one of the research topics mentioned above.
Home page: https://faculty.hitsz.edu.cn/yuanding?lang=en
Application Deadline: May 20th, 2026
Expected Start Date: September 2026
For further information, please contact Ding Yuan ([email protected]).