PhD in Mechanical Engineering

About the University

City University of Hong Kong (CityU) is a globally recognized public institution. As of 2023, it held the 54th position in the QS World University Rankings. The programs delivered at City University of Hong Kong are all in English. 

About CityU

Located in the heart of Hong Kong, CityU has a well-earned reputation as an innovated hub for research and professional education and for addressing global issues and empowering positive change.

No 54, [QS] World University Rankings 2023

No 4, [QS] Top 50 under 50 in 2021

No 89, [QS] Graduate Employability Rankings 2022

Profile of Principal Investigator (PI)

Prof. Duan Penghao currently is an Assistant Professor at City University of Hong Kong. He obtained his doctoral degree from the University of Oxford and undertook postdoctoral research there during 2021-2022. Before joining Oxford, he studied for his master’s degree at ETH Zürich and wrote his master's thesis at the MIT Gas Turbine Lab as a ZKS-funded visiting scholar. He completed a dual bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Tongji University and Politecnico di Milano. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Prof. Duan is a reviewer for several journals (JoT, PoF, etc) and chaired sessions at academic conferences such as ASME TurboExpo, GPPS, and CITC. He is also a young editorial member for the Propulsion & Energy journal. Recognitions in his early career include awards from the ASME IGTI, both as a student and as an early career engineer. In his inaugural year at CityU, he was granted funding by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council's Early Career Scheme (ECS). His research primarily focuses on the optimization design of aircraft engines, multiphase/multiscale fluid computations, computational grid generation, and fluid computational software development. 

Recruitment Focus

The research group, PHD Lab, now has 6 PhD students and 4 Postdocs. We aim to develop efficient algorithms related to multiscale and multiphase fluid dynamics calculations and apply them to areas such as aircraft engines and drones. They have established collaborations with institutions like Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Tsinghua University, University of Oxford, etc. The group seeks candidates for Ph.D. focusing on: 

1. Aerothermal optimization calculations for gas turbines.
2. Algorithms related to multiphase flows and porous media.
3. Noise computation and analysis.
4. Urban wind field calculations.

Recruitment Requirements

Candidates with experience in OpenFoam or other open-source software, or commercial software like CFX or Fluent, and those with publications in relevant fields will be given preference. 

Compensation and Benefits

Ph.D.: Monthly salary of HKD 18,500. Outstanding candidates may apply for the Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme, which offers a monthly stipend of up to HKD 27,600, tuition waiver, and conference travel subsidies. Details can be found at https://cerg1.ugc.edu.hk/hkpfs/index.html 

Support from PI

• The PI assures tailored guidance and will collaborate with applicants to formulate a research plan, providing the following support: 
• Ample computational resources, including a dedicated 96-core high-performance workstation for each member and access to CityU's high-performance computing cluster.
• A pure research environment, modeled after top-tier international labs, ensuring students can concentrate on impactful, deep research without distractions.
• Encouragement for inter-laboratory and interdisciplinary collaborations. 

Application Procedure

Please send applications to: pengduan@cityu.edu.hk. Use the subject: Application [Position Name] + [Your Name] + [Intended Start Date]. Shortlisted candidates will be notified for interviews. Attach the following materials: 

• Personal CV.
• Undergraduate transcript.
• If available: 1-2 latest or representative publications or manuscripts (published or under review).

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