Warwick launches new Joint PhD programme with Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Warwick has launched a Joint PhD programme with Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) to further strengthen our research collaboration and support the development of our future research leaders. Applications are now open for scholars to join the programme for the Autumn 2025 intake.
Researchers will benefit from this new collaboration that will see the recruitment of up to eight co-supervised PhD students per year. For the past five years Warwick and SJTU have offered a Joint Seed Fund to support research collaboration projects across a wide variety of disciplines. The partnership has further strengthened this year through the Marco Polo International Programme which aims to create connections across cultures and across the globe.
To support further research collaboration, the two universities have developed an institutional framework for joint PhDs. The first cohort of PhD students will enrol in Autumn 2025 and will enable supervisors with an SJTU-Warwick Joint Seed Fund award to further develop their research projects.
Professor Sai Gu, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (East and South East Asia) said: “This new joint PhD program represents a significant step forward in our shared commitment to nurturing the next generation of research leaders. It offers a fantastic opportunity for scholars to benefit from the combined expertise of both universities. We are excited to welcome up to four co-supervised PhD students to Warwick, where they will receive comprehensive support in their journey to becoming emerging scholars capable of addressing and solving global challenges.”
SJTU – Warwick Joint Seed Fund
The SJTU-Warwick Joint Seed Fund was established with the specific intention to foster new initiatives with high potential for global impact that combine complementary aspects of each institution towards novel research outcomes. This year marks the 5th anniversary of the scheme following its establishment in 2019. Our joint seed fund agreement, renewed in 2023 for a further five years, provides for joint awards of travel grants of up to £5K + RMB50,000 to support the development of research leading to co-publications or joint funding applications.
To date, a total of 45 awards have been made from this fund over the five rounds.
Projects that have been awarded funding span across a wide variety of disciplines, including biomass conversion, catalyst materials in clean energy applications, Chinese British writers and the practice of world literature and English language teacher training in rural China.
A recent collaboration between Dr Jianhua Yang, WMG, Warwick and Professor Geoffrey Rhodes, SJTU, aimed to support the museum and tourism industry in selecting which new technologies would best provide immersive experiences for their visitors.
Combining their expertise in museum exhibition, VR and AR media production, and the development of computational tools used in molecular biology, the researchers were able to update and expand existing research on audience analysis and social media through the development and analysis of a large and novel dataset. This will help museums around the world chose the most appropriate media to support education, revenue streams and enhance audience experiences.
Supported by graduate students from WMG and SJTU, the team are preparing to publish five research papers and actively seeking a sustainable source of external funding to continue to expand the research.
Dr Jianhua Yang said: “The SJTU-Warwick seed fund has enabled us to establish a strong collaboration between our project groups through virtual meetings, physical visits to each other's campuses, co-authoring research articles, and jointly applying for external research grants. An essential aspect of the research is to collect data and evaluate experiences internationally and we have been able to conduct this in English and Chinese, across social media and institutions within China, the UK, and the USA. The use of multiple languages and international institutions has given us a robust dataset and the identification of important cultural, national, or other distinctions in practice. We have been able to leverage each other's strengths and drive innovative research in the field.”
Professor Michael Scott, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International) said: "We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Joint PhD program with Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), representing an important milestone in our partnership. The ongoing success of the SJTU-Warwick Joint Seed Fund further highlights the importance of continuing to support innovative research and academic exchange, sharing our expertise and leveraging our collective strengths to drive impactful outcomes. Earlier this year, Warwick and SJTU hosted a joint conference for the Marco Polo International Programme, a year-long initiative commemorating the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo’s death, dedicated to promoting cultural interaction, engagement, and discovery. I am looking forward to returning to Shanghai in November, where we’ll be working with our partners in China to strengthen our ties and explore new avenues for collaboration.”