Join the Lab
I am actively recruiting undergraduate project students and MS/PhD students. Please read everything below.
Current openings
I will join the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Taiwan University in August 2026. I am currently looking for:
- Undergraduate project students — primarily NTU undergrads (CSIE / Math and related departments) who are interested in research and able to commit time consistently; exceptional students from other schools with a strong topical fit are welcome to reach out and will be considered case by case.
- MS and PhD students — students in the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at NTU who want to do deep, focused research.
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:
- 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.
- Email shixinwang0214@gmail.com 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.