In order to implement the national strategy for cultivating urgently needed high-level talents in key areas, and to meet the country's pressing demand for talents in major scientific and technological breakthroughs, the Ministry of Education has specially approved a doctoral talent recruitment program for Academician Xie Heping's team at Shenzhen University. This program aims to cultivate urgently needed talents for the development of new types of productive forces and high-quality development. It innovatively constructs a cross-disciplinary, cross-college, cross-university, and dual or multiple mentorship collaborative guidance model for training outstanding innovative talents through integrated undergraduate-to-Ph.D., master-to-Ph.D., and application-based doctoral recruitment.

This talent recruitment program is open to domestic and international students, focusing on doctoral recruitment and training in frontier exploration, disruptive technologies, and interdisciplinary directions in key areas such as deep earth, deep sea, and deep space energy resource development, carbon neutrality (CCUS/ZC-DCFC/SOEC), low-carbon energy technologies, mid-to-low temperature geothermal power generation, direct seawater hydrogen production, and safe and efficient large-scale energy storage. In accordance with the requirements of Shenzhen University's "Application-Review" Doctoral Recruitment Pilot Work Plan (Shendaxiao [2014] No. 303) and the Innovation Achievement Standards for Graduate Degree Applications (Shendaxiao Fa [2021] No. 152), the detailed implementation rules for the 2025 doctoral recruitment are hereby announced:

1、Basic Principles

(1)Merit-based admission, quality assurance, and better to have vacancies than to admit unqualified candidates.

(2)Moderate competition between mentors and disciplines to stimulate the intrinsic motivation for improving the quality of admitted students.

(3)The entire process must be open, fair, and just.

2、Recruitment Type, Major, and Proposed Number of Admissions

The recruitment type for 2025 is academic doctoral students. The majors, mentors, and proposed number of admissions are as follows:

3、Application Requirements

(1)Applicants must meet all the requirements stipulated in the Shenzhen University 2025 Doctoral Recruitment Prospectus.

(2)Foreign language proficiency must meet one of the following criteria:

1.CET-4 or CET-6 (score reaching 425 points);TOEFL score of 75 or above (old TOEFL score of 550);

IELTS score of 6 or above;PETS-5 qualification certificate;GRE score of 1200 or above (new standard 310 points);Master's or doctoral degree obtained in an English-speaking country or region;Publication of an English academic paper as the first author (or mentor first, self-second) in an international English journal.

(3)Applicants through the "Application-Examination" system must meet the following conditions:

1.Meet the requirements of (1) and (2) above.

2.Holders of a master's or doctoral degree, or domestic university students expected to graduate with a master's degree (must obtain the master's degree before enrollment in the doctoral program). Applicants with a master's degree from an overseas university must provide certification from the Ministry of Education's Service Center for Students' Study Abroad. Applicants currently studying abroad who have not yet obtained their master's degree must provide an enrollment certificate from their university (indicating the expected time of obtaining the master's degree). If admitted, they must provide the master's degree certificate and the certification report from the Ministry of Education's Service Center for Students' Study Abroad (or a preliminary explanatory letter from the center, to be followed by the certification report before enrollment), otherwise, their admission qualifications will be revoked.

3.Except for applicants with a master's degree from a university ranked in the top 200 globally (must be listed in at least two of the "ARWU, QS, THE, USNEWS" rankings), applicants must have at least one officially published, publicly recognized achievement in the applied discipline field (excluding the thesis). The achievement should have independent and complete content and form, and can be presented in diverse forms, including but not limited to high-level academic papers, authorized invention patents, software copyrights, published academic books, think-tank reports approved by responsible persons, scientific research awards, and other innovative achievements recognized by the recruitment discipline. If the achievement is an academic paper in the applied discipline field, the applicant must be among the top two authors. If the applicant is the second author, their graduate mentor must be the first author (for co-first authors or multiple corresponding authors, the contribution is calculated as 1/N, where N is the number of co-first authors or multiple corresponding authors).

4.Agree that the admission category is non directed, and it is not allowed to change the admission category after determining the intended admission. Before admission, organizational relationships, personnel files, etc. must be transferred to the Shenzhen University Archives, otherwise the Admission Notice will not be issued

(4)Applicants through the Master-to-Ph.D. program must meet the following conditions:

1.Meet the requirements of (1) and (2) above.

2.Full-time second-year master's students (enrolled in September 2023) at this university, whose current major is related or closely related to the applied major, have completed all the courses stipulated in the master's training program, achieved excellent grades, demonstrated strong academic research capabilities and potential for innovative results, and obtained the consent and recommendation of their master's mentor.

(5)Applicants through the Integrated Undergraduate-to-Ph.D. program (Duration: 3+1+5 years, enrollment in autumn 2026) must meet the following conditions:

1.Meet the requirements of (1) and (2) above.

2.Full-time third-year or fourth-year undergraduate students with the qualification to be recommended for admission to graduate programs without entrance examinations.

4、Selection Process

(1) Personal Application

Candidates need to contact the applying supervisor in advance, apply to them, and apply with their supervisor's approval.

1.Online Registration. Eligible applicants are required to register on the China Graduate Recruitment Information Network. The deadline for online registration is February 27, 2025.

2.Submission of Materials

Hard Copy Materials: Applicants must send the following application materials via EMS or SF Express to the Special Recruitment Office (Address: Room 8, Huixing Building, Yuhai Campus, Shenzhen University, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. Recipient: Teacher Chen. Phone: +86-13922808164) by March 7, 2025 (postmark date). Please indicate "Application Materials for Talent Storage Program Doctoral Student" on the package. Unorganized or unbound materials will not be accepted.

Electronic Materials: Applicants should compile all application materials (including a table of contents) into a single PDF file and send it to the designated email address for this special recruitment (chenbin@szu.edu.cn) by March 7, 2025. The email subject and attachment file name should be labeled as "Name + Shenzhen University Talent Storage Program Doctoral Student Application".

The following items are required for all applicants, unless otherwise specified:

(1)Online Registration Information Form for Doctoral Students (Applicants should register on the China Graduate Recruitment Information Network http://yz.chsi.com.cn/bsbm and print the form after signing it personally).

(2)Application Forms: Applicants for the Master-Ph.D. program should submit the "Shenzhen University 2025 Master-Ph.D. Program Application Form"; those for the "Application-Examination" system should submit the "Shenzhen University 2025 Application-Examination System Doctoral Program Application Form"; and those for the Bachelor-Master-Ph.D. program should submit the "Shenzhen University 2025 Bachelor-Master-Ph.D. Program Application Form".

(3)Political Review Materials: Applicants for the Master-Ph.D. program and current master's students should submit the "Shenzhen University 2025 Doctoral Student Political Review (Performance) Materials", filled out by the Party Committee of their respective colleges (this item can be temporarily omitted during application but must be submitted according to the form requirements after passing the interview).

(4)Degree and Academic Certificates: Copies of degree and academic certificates (current master's students should submit a proof of enrollment from their graduate school or graduate management department; students from our university do not need this). Applicants for the Master-Ph.D. program should submit copies of their student ID (including personal information, photo, and registration status); those for the Bachelor-Master-Ph.D. program should submit copies of their undergraduate student ID.

(5) Transcripts: Original master's course transcripts (with the official seal of the graduate school's academic records department). Applicants for the Master-Ph.D. program should submit the first-year academic record printout issued by the graduate school; those for the Bachelor-Master-Ph.D. program should provide original undergraduate course transcripts (with the official seal of the undergraduate academic records department).

(6) Master's Thesis: (Current graduating master's students may provide an abstract and table of contents; applicants for the Master-Ph.D. and Bachelor-Master-Ph.D. programs do not need this).

(7) Letters of Recommendation: At least two written recommendation letters from experts with associate professor or higher positions (or equivalent professional titles) in the applied discipline (using the university's template).

(8) Research Plan: A research plan for the proposed doctoral studies (no less than 3,000 words, see application form).

(9) Language Proficiency Certificates: (National College English Test Band 4/6 certificates, TOEFL scores, IELTS scores, degree certificates from full-English programs, etc.).

(10) Awards and Publications: Copies of award certificates, published academic papers, patents, and other proof of original achievements.

(11) Medical Examination Report: A physical examination report from a Grade A tertiary hospital (not required for Master-Ph.D. applicants).

(12) ID Card Copies: Front and back copies of the second-generation ID card.

Applicants are required to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of the above materials. Those found to have provided false or inaccurate information will be disqualified from the examination and admission, and will not be allowed to apply for our university's doctoral programs in the future. Relevant form templates can be found in the attachments.

(13)Form Templates: https://yz.szu.edu.cn/info/1021/10935.htm

(2) Qualification Review

After receiving the application materials, the Talent Storage Program Working Group will organize a team of at least three members to review the applicants' qualifications based on the admission requirements. The review results will be reported to the Graduate Recruitment Office, which will conduct random checks and then display the results publicly.

(3) Supervisor Recommendation

The working group will forward the applicants' materials to their prospective supervisors. The supervisors will review the materials, provide recommendations, and rank the applicants who have applied to them. The working group respects the supervisors' recruitment autonomy in this process.

(4) Expert Preliminary Review and Determination of Interview Candidates

The Talent Storage Program will establish an expert panel to carefully review the applicants' materials and conduct a preliminary evaluation of their research and innovation capabilities. Based on the supervisors' preferences and a certain ratio for differential interviews, the panel will determine the list of applicants who will enter the interview stage. Applicants without a supervisor's recommendation will not be considered for the interview. The list of applicants who have been selected for the interview will be displayed on the Shenzhen University Graduate Recruitment Network. Those without objections during the display period will proceed to the interview stage.

(5) Reexamination Assessment (Comprehensive Interview)

The Talent Storage Program will organize experts to conduct the discipline-specific interview assessment. The specific time, location, and assessment methods will be notified to the candidates in advance and published on the Shenzhen University Graduate Recruitment Network. The assessment requirements are as follows:

1.The assessment includes four parts: foreign language proficiency (100 points), professional quality (100 points), research potential (200 points), and comprehensive ability (100 points), totaling 500 points. The focus will be on the applicants' research and innovation capabilities, their potential as doctoral students in this discipline, and their ability to analyze, solve problems, and innovate. Additionally, the applicants' ideological, psychological, and moral qualities will be assessed.

2.During the assessment, each applicant will present their personal profile, academic performance, research topics, research achievements, and research plans for the doctoral program. The assessment experts will score the applicants in four aspects: foreign language proficiency (100 points), professional quality (100 points), research potential (200 points), and comprehensive ability (100 points). The highest and lowest scores will be removed, and the average score (rounded to two decimal places) will be the final score of the applicant.

3.The assessment process will be standardized and recorded throughout. The interview duration will be no less than 20 minutes, with on-site records, scores, and comments.

4.Before March 2025 (subject to the actual implementation time), the school will submit the proposed admission list based on the total assessment scores in descending order (those below 300 points will not be admitted) and report the relevant materials to the Graduate Recruitment Office.

5、Supervision Mechanism

(1) Information Disclosure: The Talent Storage Program will publicly disclose the recruitment policies, regulations, plans, professional directories, applicant qualifications, application procedures, admission results, consultation and appeal channels, major violations, and handling results as required. The relevant implementation details, recruitment numbers, and information of all applicants participating in the assessment will also be published on the unit's website in a timely manner. If there are any changes to the proposed admission list during the display period, a specific explanation for the changes must be provided, and the changed content will be displayed separately for 10 working days. Applicants who have not been publicly displayed will not be admitted.

(2) Honesty of Applicants: Applicants must provide truthful application materials. If it is found that an applicant has submitted false materials, cheated, or engaged in other disciplinary violations, they will be severely dealt with according to the severity of the situation and relevant national laws, regulations, and Ministry of Education provisions. The consequences of not being admitted or other related outcomes will be borne by the applicant themselves.

(3) Professional Ethics of Assessment Members: All members of the assessment team must adhere to academic and professional ethical standards.

6、Other Notes

1. For doctoral students who are recruited through interdisciplinary collaboration with the team of Academician Xie Heping through this special program, joint training will be conducted in accordance with the principle of "one source, one direction, and one agreement". That is, one doctoral student source corresponds to one interdisciplinary research direction, and a specific joint training program agreement will be signed. The research direction of doctoral students should be closely integrated with the main frontier explorations, key areas, and interdisciplinary directions of Academician Xie Heping's team. The entire process of recruitment and training for doctoral students in this talent reserve program (topic selection, mid-term assessment, graduation defense, etc.) is organized and fully participated in by the team of Academician Xie Heping. It adopts a cross disciplinary, cross college, cross school, and cross disciplinary, cross disciplinary and multi mentor collaborative guidance model to cultivate outstanding innovative talents.

2. Based on the actual professional requirements and the application situation, the admission ratio for the "application-assessment" system and the master's-to-doctoral continuous program will be determined comprehensively. After the Ministry of Education officially issues the 2025 doctoral recruitment plan, a second round of recruitment for the master's-to-doctoral continuous program and the "application-assessment" system will be launched at an appropriate time.

3. The final interpretation rights of this special recruitment program belong to Academician Xie Heping's team.