Recruiting (中文版)

I am actively seeking motivated Ph.D. students, MPhil students, research interns, and research assistants to join my lab starting Summer/Fall 2026. If you are passionate about computer architecture research and interested in pursuing cutting-edge research at CUHK, please read the guidelines below.

About Myself

I earned my bachelor’s degree from the Department of Electronic Engineering at Tsinghua University and completed my Ph.D. in Computer Science at UCLA under the supervision of Prof. Tony Nowatzki. My academic journey has equipped me with deep expertise in computer architecture and systems design.

About My Research

I am broadly interested in architecture, microarchitecture, compilers, and programming languages that support demanding applications on next-generation hardware. My research has been published on top conferences on computer architecture: ISCA, MICRO, HPCA, and ASPLOS. As technology scaling slows and complex applications (especially large language models) place increasing demands on computing systems, architects are turning to specialized and heterogeneous systems tailored for different scenarios.

As computer architects, our role extends beyond designing new hardware—we must create expressive abstractions that enable rich semantics to be efficiently conveyed throughout the entire computing stack, unlocking numerous co-optimization opportunities. This makes our field both critical and extraordinarily challenging, which is precisely what makes it so exciting.

About You

My research encompasses a diverse range of skills and expertise. Ideally, you should have experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Strong programming skills: Proficiency in C, C++, Python, and other relevant languages
• Hardware simulation and modeling: Experience with gem5, GPGPU-Sim, or similar tools
• Compiler implementation: Familiarity with LLVM, MLIR, clang, GCC, or related frameworks
• Application development: Experience in graph processing, large language models, computer vision, or other demanding applications
• Hardware design and prototyping: Knowledge of Verilog, synthesis tools, FPGA development, or related hardware design experience

Most importantly, you should have a genuine passion for computer architecture research. I firmly believe that interest is the best teacher—you can always acquire new skills during your research journey. As we delve deeper into our field, we often discover how much more there is to learn. You should also possess resilience and determination, as the research path is rarely smooth and requires persistence through challenges.

About CUHK

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is one of Asia’s top research universities with global recognition. Our beautiful campus sits on a mountainside overlooking Tolo Harbour, providing an inspiring environment for research and study. The Department of Computer Science and Engineering is internationally recognized with excellent research facilities and computing infrastructure. CUHK offers affordable on-campus housing (approximately 4,000 HKD per month for single rooms) and maintains a vibrant international community. Hong Kong’s strategic location provides excellent opportunities for collaboration across Asia and access to industry partnerships.

Guidelines

Drop me an email (zhengrongwang AT cuhk.edu.hk) with the subject “Apply-{PhD|MPhil|RA|Intern}-{Your Name}” (e.g., Apply-PhD-Trump). Please briefly introduce yourself and include your CV and transcripts in the email If you are on campus, feel free to drop by my office during student consultation time (Wed. 3-5 pm).

Admission Process

Detailed information about the MPhil/PhD application process can be found here. For the 2026 intake, there are three application deadlines:

• First round: October 9, 2025
• Second round: January 15, 2026
• Third round: March 31, 2026

I encourage early applications to ensure the best chance of admission and scholarship consideration.

Scholarship and Financial Support

All Ph.D. students in my lab will receive full financial support through a research scholarship (approximately 18,000 HKD per month). Exceptional candidates will be nominated for prestigious awards including:

• Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS): Approximately 28,000 HKD per month
• Vice-Chancellor’s PhD Scholarship: Competitive university-wide award

Additional scholarship details and application information can be found here. These scholarships not only provide financial security but also recognition of academic excellence.

Self-Assessment Questions

To help you evaluate your readiness and interest in computer architecture research, I’ve compiled some fundamental questions that I typically explore during interviews. If you can confidently answer about 70% of these questions, I’m convinced you have a genuine passion for computer architecture. If you find yourself struggling with more than 70% of them, we might not be the best match—but don’t be discouraged! Use this as a learning opportunity to explore these topics further.

Compiler and Programming Systems

• How is a program transformed from source code to binary executable? What are the key stages in this process?
• Can you describe some compiler optimization techniques and explain how they improve program performance?

Computer Architecture

• What is an Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) and why is it important?
• Explain the classic five-stage pipeline and its purpose in processor design.
• What types of hazards can occur in pipelined processors and how are they typically resolved?
• What are memory coherence and consistency models, and why do they matter in multiprocessor systems?

Performance Modeling and Analysis

• What is the roofline model and how is it used to analyze application performance?
• How would you estimate the performance of a workload on a given system?
• What’s the difference between event-based and cycle-based simulation, and when would you use each?

Practical Knowledge

• What CPU/GPU models are in your laptop, desktop, or smartphone? What are their key characteristics?
• Have you experienced any major hardware upgrades? What performance improvements did you notice?
• How do you currently use AI in your daily life or work? What computational processes happen behind the scenes?

Contemporary AI and Computing

• What’s the difference between the prefilling and decoding phases in large language model inference?
• Why has DeepSeek been considered a breakthrough in the AI field? What makes it special from a systems perspective?