How to Apply

If you are a domestic student, please refer to https://www.slai.edu.cn/page/287 for more details.

SLAI does not award doctoral degree. Instead, SLAI provides various joint PhD programs with top 37 ranking universities in China, including 6 Hong Kong Universities, with a particular emphasis on collaboration in the Great Bay Area.

As a pilot run to recruit international PhD students, SLAI is partnering with The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-SZ) to offer the very first joint PhD program, targeting the recruitment of international talent.

The SLAI × CUHK-SZ Joint PhD Program is a doctoral training pathway jointly supported by SLAI and CUHK-SZ. Under this arrangement, CUHK-SZ provides tuition fee reduction, while SLAI and CUHKSZ jointly provide funding support, including tuition scholarships, free accommodation and living allowances. SLAI also takes responsibility for student selection and day-to-day student management for participants in the programme.

SLAI is also actively initiating such joint PhD programs with other Hong Kong universities, such as Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. And more information will be released in due time.

In our first pilot run, the final PhD degree of the SLAI x CUHK-SZ joint program will be awarded by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). CUHK-SZ follows CUHK’s degree-awarding standards, and students who fulfill CUHK’s graduation requirements will receive a degree certificate awarded by CUHK.

Applicants should submit their application through the official SLAI admissions portal https://sis.slai.edu.cn/admission/ and prepare all required supporting documents. At the same time, they should follow the official application checklist and requirements of the CUHK-Shenzhen programme to which they are applying.

The deadline for 2026 entry is 30 May 2026.

Shortlisted applicants are typically invited to an online interview designed to evaluate both technical preparation and research fit. The interview usually lasts around 30 minutes, including a 6-minute presentation and approximately 20 minutes of Q&A. Depending on the lab or prospective supervisor, applicants may also be asked to discuss a paper or provide evidence of previous technical work.