Openings
Letter to prospective students
Dear Prospective Students,
I am looking for motivated and enthusiastic master, Ph.D. students and Postdocs to join our new lab in the School of Ecology on the forthcoming Shenzhen Campus of SYSU.
You will design and execute projects under the grand umbrella of evolutionary genomics, population genetics, animal behavior, hybridization and speciation, mostly using fish as a model system. Please familiarize yourself with publications and research in the lab to get an idea of the topics we’ve worked on. For ideas and discussions of a potential project, please feel free to send me an email.
My philosophy is that you should only do science if it truly excites and interests you. After all, committing the best 3-5 years of your life at graduate school is a big decision. It is hoped that with the training you receive in the lab, you can ultimately see yourself as a productive scientist in the field, be it in the academia or industry. You are eager to learn and seek guidance on the latest knowledge at the cutting-edge, be it theoretical or technological. You are intrepid of the obstacles that all graduate students likely face during their careers. You are creative with your original ideas. You are hard-working to turn ideas into fruition. If the above describes you, my mission is to help you become an independent researcher, who will one day have your own lab or lead your own team.
Given the breath of the topics, students are encouraged to pick one (master’s) to two (Ph.D.) topics for their thesis research. You can choose and combine field work, molecular experiments, animal behavior, transgenetics, theoretical modeling and computational analyses. If you have a cool technique you know, we are also excited to hear about its potential applications in our projects.
My management style is mostly hands-off. I do not believe that Scientists should abide by a regular time table, so I respect lab member’s choice of work schedules. Performance of students are evaluated on the progress of projects. I also believe a good balance between work and play, study and family, experiments and physical exercises would ultimately benefit your career. That said, I am here to give advice and provide logistic supports whenever you need them.
Our lab is mainly looking for candidates aiming ultimately for a Ph.D. degree, through which the master degree is an intermediate stage. Qualified master students have the option to be promoted to the Ph.D. program in the same lab, pending funding and other factors. Students aiming for a master’s degree should make their intentions clear when getting in touch.
International students are encouraged to send an inquiry. I am accepting Master’s and Ph.D. students through the Chinese government scholarships program. Please apply through the international student office of SYSU, and take a look at the scholarship information. Please note that international students are required to provide proof of Chinese proficiency at an appropriate HSK level to be qualified for the scholarships.
The language of instruction at SYSU is Mandarin. English can be used as a working language in the lab.