Research Focus
Cross-cutting areas in the methodology of social sciences and politics, including:
- A large-language model (LLM) driven text measurement method;
- Automatic processing of open questionnaire data;
- Political behaviour in urban governance and housing policies;
- AI Security and alignment.
Programme Structure and Funding
The project is a full-time doctoral programme with a school year of 4-5 for only 1-2 students.
The project offers scholarship opportunities, including full and partial funding, through a competitive selection mechanism, which is granted through scholarships, TA/RA grants, etc. The specific funding scheme is based on the final receipt of the Funding Letter of Grant, and the mentor will give a preliminary assessment of the applicant’s financial competitiveness during the interview. Background, meritorious people also have the opportunity to receive school-level scholarships (e.g. Presidential Fellowship, Dean’s Fellowship). On the basis of project funding, a maximum additional post-tax subsistence allowance of RMB 180,000/ year.
Suitable Academic Backgrounds
Sociology, political science, public policy, economics, statistics, computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, computing social sciences, psychology, communications, mathematics
Entry Requirements
- Academic background: bachelor’s/master’s degree in social sciences or quantitative/calculating-related disciplines (e.g. statistics, artificial intelligence, computer science, computer engineering, etc.).
- Accomplishment requirements: Undergraduates are required to obtain a second degree with honours or an average undergraduate achievement of B and above (GPA 3.2/ 4.0). Master’s entry to GPA is not mandatory.
- Language requirements: TOEFL: 550 (written test)/ 79 (machine test/home test); Or IELTS: 6.5 (test centre/Online); Exemptions are available for national degrees in English.
- Recommendation letter: Provide 2
- Priority conditions: Applicants with relevant work experience, scientific results and influential academic papers will be given priority. Applicants with a solid academic background will be given priority from higher education institutions 985/ 211 or higher education institutions 100 that rank first. Good English language skills, especially in oral English, allow for a clear presentation of their research ideas and for participation in academic exchanges and discussions. There is a strong scientific interest, a strong research motivation and a spirit of academic exploration.
Application Materials
- Copies of official report cards and scoring programmes;
- Copies of academic/professional qualifications;
- English report card;
- A letter of recommendation 2;
- Personal presentations and curricula vitae;
- Copies of identification documents;
- Research programmes;
- Papers (if any);
- Other supplementary materials (e.g., school requirements).
Application Period
Autumn enrolment (9 months).
- First round of applications: 10 month — 12 mid-month;
- Second round of applications: 2 mid-month — 4 early.
Autumn: 12 Mid (first round) and 4 Early (discard wheel)
Tuition and Living Costs
Living costs
About RMB 100,000/ year (depending on personal circumstances).
- Tuition fees: School attendance 2027 years and beyond < RMB 162,000 BS/ scholastic year (slight annual increase in tuition fees).
Career Prospects
Ph.D. in Computation Social Sciences has become a scarce talent in the digital age by integrating big data analysis and social science theory. According to employment statistics of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) in recent years, the initial salary of graduates is concentrated in 350,000–600,000 years, with Internet algorithms generally exceeding 500,000, university teaching posts about 250,000–400,000 and think tanks and the public sector about 200,000–350,000.
In terms of career choices, doctoral graduates mainly go to the following areas:
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Academia: Post-doctoral studies can be undertaken at top overseas institutions of higher learning (e.g. University of Chicago) or in key national institutions of higher education (e.g. Shanghai University of Finance and Economics), focusing on social network analysis, policy simulation, etc. - Internet and technology enterprises: they serve as algorithms engineers, data scientists, and are responsible for the core business of recommending systems, user growth and so forth. The main employers include Ali, Telecommunications, Bytes, etc., and have access to financial technology.
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Think tanks and public policies: participation in the State Council ’ s Centre for Development Studies, international organizations (such as the United Nations Development Programme) and use of big data for empirical research on poverty monitoring and public health emergency management. - Cultural media and digital humanities: social media analysis, construction of digital museums, optimization of news recommendations, for the benefit of mainstream media or cultural technology companies.
