To further explore and improve the doctoral selection mechanism, in accordance with the relevant national documents, as well as the requirements of the "Shenzhen University Pilot Program for Recruiting Doctoral Students through the 'Application-Review' Method" (Shenzhen University [2014] No. 303) and the "Shenzhen University Graduate Degree Application Innovative Achievement Standard Regulations" (Shenzhen University Document [2021] No. 152), the implementation details for the recruitment of doctoral students in our school in 2024 for the combined master's and doctoral programs and the "Application-Assessment" system are hereby announced as follows:

I. Basic Principles

(1) Admit the best candidates, ensure quality, and avoid quantity over quality.

(2) Foster intrinsic motivation for quality improvement through moderate competition between supervisors and disciplines.

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

II. Majors, Admission Methods, and Expected Enrollment Numbers

Major: Optical Engineering (080300)

Admission Methods: Combined Master's and Doctoral Programs, and "Application-Assessment" System

Expected Enrollment: 15 (including 1 provisionally admitted doctoral student)

III. Application Requirements

(A) Requirements for Combined Master's and Doctoral Programs (Must meet all conditions simultaneously)

1. Meet all the application conditions specified in the "Shenzhen University 2024 Doctoral Admissions Regulations."

2. Applicants for the combined master's and doctoral programs must be full-time master's students in their second year of study (enrolled in September 2022) at our university, majoring in a related or similar discipline to the applied major.

3. Achieve excellent grades in all first-year courses as stipulated in the master's program curriculum; combined master's and doctoral program candidates must also pass the midterm assessment during the master's stage.

4. Demonstrate strong academic research ability, innovative spirit, and research capability, with outstanding performance during the master's studies and potential for further development; priority will be given to those who have published high-quality academic papers in professional academic journals or have other forms of innovative achievements under equal conditions.

5. Meet the application conditions specified by the school's regulations or implementation rules.

(B) Requirements for the "Application-Assessment" System (Must meet all conditions simultaneously)

1. Meet all the application conditions specified in the "Shenzhen University 2024 Doctoral Admissions Regulations."

2. The applicant's master's major should be in the same first-level discipline or a related discipline to the applied doctoral major.

3. Individuals who have obtained a master's or doctoral degree, or those who will graduate with a master's degree (must obtain the master's degree before enrolling as a doctoral student). Holders of master's degrees from overseas universities must undergo authentication by the Ministry of Education's China Service Center for Scholarly Exchange and submit an authentication report. Overseas candidates who have not yet obtained a master's degree must provide a school enrollment certificate (stating the expected date of obtaining the master's degree). If admitted, they must provide the master's degree certificate and the authentication report from the Ministry of Education's China Service Center by April 30, 2024 (or provide an explanatory letter issued by the Ministry of Education's China Service Center first, and provide the authentication report before enrollment), otherwise, the admission qualification will be revoked.

4. Except for applicants who graduated from the top 200 universities worldwide (according to the latest QS rankings), they must have obtained at least one officially published, disclosed, authorized, or socially recognized achievement in the field of optical engineering (excluding the thesis). Achievements may include formally published high-level academic papers, authorized invention patents, software copyrights, formally published academic works, or certain level of research awards.

   (a) For achievements in the field of academic papers in optical engineering, the applicant must be one of the first two authors (if the applicant is the second author, their graduate supervisor must be the first author of the achievement). For jointly first-authored or multiple corresponding-authored academic papers, the number of papers should be calculated based on the number of co-authors, with the calculated number of papers not less than 1 or the calculated latest impact factor from the Chinese Academy of Sciences not less than 1.

   (b) For achievements in invention patents, the student should be the first inventor (or the supervisor is the first inventor, and the student is the second inventor) of at least 1 authorized invention patent.

   (c) For achievements in software copyrights or formally published academic works, the student should be the first author (or the supervisor is the first author, and the student is the second author) of one work.

   (d) For award-winning achievements, students who participate in disciplinary competitions should rank first and achieve national third-class or higher awards or provincial second-class or higher awards (e.g., China Graduate Electronic Design Competition, National University Student Optoelectronic Design Competition). Professional master's degree students should receive national second-class or higher awards or provincial first-class awards. Research-oriented awards should be national-level (top eight), provincial-level (top six), or municipal-level (top three).

5. Agree to the non-directed admission category, and once admitted, changes to the admission category are not allowed. Before admission, organizational relationships and personnel files must be transferred to the Shenzhen University Graduate Archives Office. Otherwise, the "Admission Notice" will not be issued, and after admission, full-time study is mandatory.

6. Demonstrate strong language proficiency, with a high level of foreign language proficiency, and must provide corresponding English proficiency test scores (specific requirements are detailed in item (9) of the materials to be submitted for individual applications).

7. Meet the application conditions specified by the school's regulations or implementation rules.

Ⅳ.Selection Process

(1) Personal Application

Applicants need to contact the prospective supervisor in advance and submit their application after obtaining the supervisor's consent.

1. Online Registration: Eligible applicants need to register online on the "China Graduate Admissions Information Website." For this program, there are two batches: the first batch is exclusively for Shenzhen University's recent master's graduates or applicants from integrated master's and doctoral programs, with a registration deadline of December 28, 2023. The second batch is for other applicants, with a registration deadline of December 29, 2023.

2. Submission of Materials: Applicants in the first batch (Shenzhen University's recent master's graduates or applicants from integrated master's and doctoral programs) must send the required application materials via express mail (using Shunfeng Express) before December 29, 2023. Applicants in the second batch must submit their materials before December 31, 2023 (postmark date). The materials should be mailed to the respective doctoral admission discipline points (Address: Building 1411, Zhiyuan Building, Canghai Campus, Shenzhen University, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, Contact: Zhang, Tel: 0755-26732152). Unless otherwise specified, applicants for integrated master's and doctoral programs and those applying under the "application-assessment system" must submit the following:

(1) "Online Application Information Form for Doctoral Degree Candidates" (applicants should log in to the China Graduate Admissions Information Website (http://yz.chsi.com.cn/bsbm), complete the online registration, print, and sign the form for confirmation).

(2) Integrated master's and doctoral program applicants should submit the "Application Form for Integrated Master's and Doctoral Programs at Shenzhen University for the Year 2024," while applicants under the "application-assessment system" should submit the "Application Form for Pursuing a Doctoral Degree under the 'Application-Assessment System' at Shenzhen University for the Year 2024."

(3) Integrated master's and doctoral program applicants and recent master's graduates must submit the "Political Review (Performance in Reality) Materials for Doctoral Candidates at Shenzhen University for the Year 2024," to be filled out and stamped by the Party Committee of the applicant's college (this item may be temporarily omitted during application, but must be provided according to the requirements of the form after passing the interview).

(4) Copies of degree and diploma certificates (recent master's graduates must submit proof of enrollment from the graduate school or department of graduate studies of their current institution; current master's students at the university do not need to provide this), and integrated master's and doctoral program applicants should submit copies of their student ID cards (which should include personal information, photo, and registration status; please copy on the same page).

(5) Original transcript of master's courses (with the official seal of the department managing student grades); integrated master's and doctoral program applicants should submit the original printout of the first-year grades issued by the graduate school.

(6) Master's thesis (recent master's graduates may provide a thesis abstract and table of contents; integrated master's and doctoral program applicants do not need to provide this).

(7) Written recommendations from at least two associate professors or experts with equivalent professional titles in the field of study applied for (recommendation letters must use the template provided by the university, and must be signed and stamped).

(8) Submission of a scientific research proposal for pursuing a doctoral degree (not less than 3000 words, as specified in the application form).

(9) Applicants must provide proof of English proficiency, such as one of the following: (a) passing the National College English Level 6 (with a score of at least 425) or Level 4 (with a score of at least 425); (b) TOEFL score of 75 or above (550 for the old TOEFL); (c) IELTS score of 6 or above; (d) passing PETS Level 5; (e) GRE score of 1200 or above (310 for the new standard); (f) obtaining a master's or doctoral degree in an English-speaking country or region; (g) publishing an academic paper in English as the first author (or as the first author under the guidance of the supervisor).

(10) Copies of award certificates, copies of published academic papers, evidence of patents, and other proof of original innovative achievements.

(11) Physical examination certificate issued by a Grade A tertiary hospital or above (not required for integrated master's and doctoral program applicants).

(12) Copies of both sides of the second-generation ID card (copied on the same page).

(13) Other relevant materials required by the applied major.

Applicants must ensure the authenticity and accuracy of the above materials. Applicants found to have provided false information will have their examination and admission qualifications revoked upon verification.

1. Applicants must register on the "2024 Shenzhen University Doctoral Graduate Enrollment System" based on the registration number from the online registration form, complete the registration process as prompted by the system, and upload their application materials (in electronic format). If an applicant has multiple registration numbers, the registration number used for the final submission of application materials will be considered valid. Applicants must complete all relevant operations on this application system; otherwise, their registration will be invalid.

(2) Qualification Review

After receiving the applicant's materials, the college organizes a qualification review by at least three people against the admission conditions. The review results are submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office, which conducts random checks on the results before making them publicly available.

(3) Supervisor Recommendation

The college forwards the applicant's materials to the prospective supervisor, who reviews the materials, provides recommendations, and ranks applicants who have applied to work with them.

During this stage, the autonomy of the supervisors in recruiting students should be respected. Supervisors can recommend applicants to the discipline point at a ratio not exceeding 1:3.

(4) Initial Discipline Review and Determination of Assessment List

The college forms a disciplinary expert group to carefully review the applicant's materials according to the relevant implementation rules formulated by the discipline and to conduct a preliminary evaluation of the applicant's research and innovation capabilities. Based on the intentions of the recruiting supervisors, the discipline point determines the list of applicants who will proceed to the assessment stage (interview and professional written test) according to a certain margin for re-examination. Applicants without supervisor recommendations do not proceed to the assessment stage. The list of applicants who are expected to proceed to the assessment stage is published on the college's website (http://cpoe.szu.edu.cn/).

(Ⅴ) Discipline Assessment (Including Professional Written Examination)

The discipline points of our institute organize experts to conduct scientific assessments, and the specific time and location will be announced on the institute's website. The assessment requirements are as follows:

1. The assessment content includes four parts: foreign language proficiency, professional quality, research potential, and comprehensive ability. The assessment focuses on the applicant's research innovation ability, whether they possess the potential and quality for doctoral training in this first-level discipline, as well as their ability to analyze, solve problems, and innovate comprehensively. The assessment of professional quality is in the form of a professional written examination, evaluating the applicant's basic knowledge and professional qualities. In addition, the comprehensive qualities of the applicants, including ideological and political awareness, psychological state, and moral character, will also be assessed. The total score of the assessment is 500 points, and applicants scoring below 300 points will not be admitted.

2. During the assessment process, each applicant is required to present a personal introduction, academic achievements, research topics, scientific research results, and proposed research plans during their doctoral studies using PowerPoint (PPT). Recommended supervisors may provide additional information about the applicants, but must refrain from participation during the scoring discussion.

3. The assessment process must be standardized, with each interview lasting no less than 20 minutes and including on-site records of scores and comments. The entire assessment process must be recorded on video for reference, and if deemed necessary by the Graduate School/Commission for Discipline Inspection, observers may be sent.

4. Interview methods may include online remote interviews or on-site interviews. Interviews may be conducted in batches, with consistent assessment standards for different batches. The interview methods for the same batch should ideally be the same.

5. A professional written examination will be conducted to assess the applicants' basic knowledge and professional qualities. The subject for the Optical Engineering examination is "Modern Optics," with two sets of exam papers, A and B, randomly selected for use as examination papers.

6. In mid-January 2024, the discipline points will submit a list of proposed admissions to the school in order of their total assessment scores (not exceeding the number of candidates planned for admission in the 2024 doctoral admissions professional directory). Relevant materials will also be submitted to the Admissions Office (application materials, assessment records (including written examination papers), audio and video recordings, etc.).

(Ⅵ) School Graduate Admissions Work Leadership Group Review

The school's graduate admissions work leadership group will review the qualifications, application materials, supervisor recommendations, discipline point recommendations, etc., of candidates who have passed the discipline assessment. Applicants who pass the review within the quota for each enrollment major will be eligible for admission. The results will be publicly announced for 10 working days in accordance with relevant regulations of the Ministry of Education.

Supervision Mechanism

(1) Information disclosure: For the integrated master's and doctoral programs and the "application-assessment" enrollment mode, information collection should be accurate, procedures for public disclosure should be standardized, and content should be timely published according to the requirements of the Ministry of Education regarding information disclosure. The Graduate School and the colleges, according to their respective responsibilities, will proactively disclose enrollment policies, enrollment regulations, enrollment plans, enrollment professional directories, applicant eligibility, application procedures, admission results, consultation and appeal channels, major violations and their handling results. The colleges will promptly publish information about the number of admissions and all applicants participating in the assessment on their respective websites. If there are changes to the list of proposed admissions during the public announcement period, specific explanations must be provided for the changed parts, and the revised content must be publicly announced for an additional 10 working days. Applicants who have not been publicly announced cannot be admitted.

(2) Applicants must truthfully provide application materials. If it is discovered that applicants have submitted false materials, cheated, or engaged in other disciplinary violations, they will be seriously dealt with according to the severity of the situation, in accordance with relevant laws, regulations, and the Ministry of Education's provisions. If such actions lead to disqualification for admission or other consequences, the applicants themselves will bear the consequences.

(3) The Graduate School and the school's disciplinary (supervision) office have established reporting hotlines and email addresses for reporting enrollment violations:

Supervision Hotline: 0755-22671162 (Discipline Inspection Commission), 0755-26536177 (Admissions Office);

E-mail:jiwei@szu.edu.cn(Discipline Inspection Commission),szuyz@szu.edu.cn(Admissions Office).

Other Instructions

1. The institute will coordinate to determine the ratio of admissions between the "application-assessment" enrollment mode and the integrated master's and doctoral programs based on the actual disciplines and application situations.

2. In principle, each supervisor can only admit one academic doctoral student in 2024.

3. After the Ministry of Education officially issues the 2024 doctoral admissions plan, the second round of integrated master's and doctoral programs and "application-assessment" enrollment will be initiated in due course.

4. Applicants who pass the qualification review cannot apply for the next round of enrollment in the same major.

5. For relevant document templates and registration websites, please refer to:

"Shenzhen University's 2024 Doctoral Admissions Implementation Plan"https://yz.szu.edu.cn/info/1012/12705.htm;

"Shenzhen University's 2024 Graduate Admissions Regulations"https://yz.szu.edu.cn/info/1011/12703.htm

School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University