Host Institution & Funding
Project Description
We are recruiting four PhD candidates to join an interdisciplinary research project focusing on PM2.5–O₃ complex air pollution in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The project integrates explainable artificial intelligence and atmospheric chemistry to:
Analyse the driving mechanisms of extreme weather on pollution formation
Provide scientific support for air quality management and carbon neutrality
Address key challenges in long-term air pollution forecasting
Possible Research Focus Areas
1. Data Imputation
Integrate space–air–ground multi-dimensional observations (including UAV vertical profiles)
Develop GAN-based data imputation frameworks
Construct a long-term (≈30-year), high-resolution meteorological–pollution dataset
2. Pollution Mechanisms
Investigate the synergistic formation of PM2.5 and O₃
Characterize the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of complex air pollution events
3. Explainable Modelling
Develop physically constrained explainable machine learning models (e.g., PINNs)
Reveal nonlinear relationships between extreme weather and complex pollution
Conduct cross-validation against chemical transport models (CTMs)
4. Risk Forecasting and Policy
Analyse historical pollution trends
Project future emission scenarios
Build a pollution risk forecasting demonstration platform
Support evidence-based air quality governance and carbon neutrality pathways
BNBU and Supervisory Team
Beijing Normal–Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU) (www.bnbu.edu.cn) is a pioneering joint university established in 2005. It represents an unprecedented collaboration in higher education between mainland China and Hong Kong. BNBU adopts English as the medium of instruction and offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD degrees, which are conferred by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU).
This project is jointly supervised by:
The Artificial Intelligence team at BNBU
The Atmospheric Environment team at HKBU
PhD students will:
Participate in core research activities
Conduct theoretical and experimental studies
Engage in international academic exchanges
Collaborate across both institutions
Admission Requirements
Academic Qualifications (one of the following)
Master's degree from a recognized university or equivalent institution
First-class honours bachelor's degree from a recognized university, with evidence of research achievements or experience
Academic Background
Applicants should have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in one of the following:
Environmental Science
Atmospheric Science
Computer Science
Data Science
Statistics
Mathematics
Or a closely related discipline
Applicants should also demonstrate a strong academic foundation and strong interest in the research directions. Applicants with any of the following are especially encouraged to apply:
Experience in machine learning or deep learning
Knowledge of atmospheric chemistry or air quality modelling
Publications in relevant journals
Applications
Informal inquiries can be made to yangsh@bnbu.edu.cn. Applications should be submitted via the online application system (Apply Now → Research Postgraduate Programme), and “Computer Science and Technology” should be selected as the discipline.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until positions are filled.