Shih-Hsin Wang 王士欣
中文
Lab Handbook

🌱 Joining the Lab RECRUITMENT QUEST NODE 1/3 Jul 2026

Join the Lab

Living 中文

Undergraduate project places are full for now, and MS/PhD depends on where things stand. Please read everything below before writing to me.

Current openings

I will join the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Taiwan University in August 2026. The lab is just starting, and here is where things stand:

  • Undergraduate project students — not taking new ones for now. The people already here need enough of my time, and I would rather not take someone on without being able to advise them properly. I will update this page if that changes.
  • MS and PhD students — depends on capacity. If your direction fits ours, do write — I will tell you honestly whether there is room. Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at NTU.

Research assistants and other forms of collaboration are also welcome to reach out. For research directions, please see Publications and Notes.

Is this lab right for you?

I care more about how you think than about what you already know. You may fit well here if you:

  • Like designing methods themselves — you want qualitative breakthroughs that change outcomes at the source, not wins that come only from tuning parameters or swapping architectures.
  • Like asking questions and want to understand root causes, not just surface results.
  • Have a mathematical foundation, or at least don’t shy away from mathematical thinking.
  • Are willing to proactively invest time learning what you don’t yet know.
  • Are willing to spend time understanding your own preferences and shaping your own taste.
  • Like discussing with people and thinking things through together, rather than grinding alone.
  • Can honestly say “I don’t know” — and treat figuring it out as fun rather than a burden.

Conversely, if you prefer problems that have already been clearly defined and have known answers, or want explicit instructions every day, this may not be the best environment for you — that’s not a flaw, just a matter of fit.

To get a fuller picture of how I (we) do research, read How We Do Research — it will also help you fill in the reflection questionnaire.

How to apply

Just two steps:

  1. Browse the rest of the site — home, About, Publications, Notes — to see what we actually work on. An email that shows you know what you’re applying to, and what you want to research, stands out immediately.
  2. Email shwang@csie.ntu.edu.tw with:
    • Your answers to the Research Reflection Questionnaire (as a PDF);
    • A short introduction: who you are, what you’re curious about, and why you want to do research with me.

Please keep your email concise, thoughtful, and specific. Quality matters much more than length.

I will do my best to reply within five days of receiving your application. If you have not heard back after one week, please feel free to send a polite follow-up email. Occasionally, messages are filtered or lost, and I apologize in advance if that happens.

If we schedule an interview, please have your CV and academic transcript ready. You are also welcome to include them in your initial email, although this is not required.

Research Reflection Questionnaire

The questionnaire is the most important part of the application. The full instructions and questions are on the Research Reflection Questionnaire page.

You can download the Word file, fill it in, convert it to PDF, and attach it to your email:

FAQ

Still have questions? Start with the FAQ — background, math and coding ability, working style, and what happens if research doesn’t go well or you find it isn’t for you, all answered honestly.

OPTIONAL A checklist for yourself

This isn't a test and there's no score — it doesn't affect how I read your application, and I never see the answers. It's here because the reflection questionnaire takes a few hours, and it's better for both of us if you find the mismatches before you spend them.

  1. I can handle several months without a positive result, because most ideas do not work.

    If this one is not you: I can walk you through what progress actually looks like here, and how I usually decide whether a direction is still worth continuing when there is nothing to show yet.

  2. I am willing to show a half-formed idea and let people pick holes in it.

    If this one is not you: Ask me how the group meeting actually runs. It is more like looking for the problem together than being graded — though I know that is not very convincing until you have sat through one.

  3. I would rather have one paper people still read in five years than three that few people read.

    If this one is not you: We should talk about the timeline pressure you are under — graduation, applications, military service, what your family expects — before we decide how big a problem to take on. That is not a small thing and it is worth saying out loud early.

  4. Faced with a new idea, I tend to check it on a very small example before running anything large.

    If this one is not you: This is something you practise, not a bar you have to clear. Ask me how the first month works — mostly I will do the first one together with you.

  5. After two days stuck, I would say so rather than push on alone for another week.

    If this one is not you: Ask me what asking for help actually looks like here, and how I respond to it. I do this too — I used to do it a lot — so I am not going to hold it against you.

  6. I like explaining complicated things to people from different backgrounds using everyday examples.

    If this one is not you: Ask me how much weight explaining carries here, and what I will ask you to walk me through at the interview. I care about this a lot, so it is worth knowing in advance.

  7. I am willing to spend time on talks outside my field, or on conversations with people in other areas.

    If this one is not you: Ask me how that apparently inefficient time fits into our rhythm. I am not saying you have to go every week — I just hope it does not get squeezed out entirely.