QMUL - CSC PhD Studentship 2026
Primary supervisor: Dr Dimitrios Kollias (d.kollias@qmul.ac.uk)
Title:
Sustainable Edge Intelligence through Reasoning-Driven AI
Project Description:
This research aims to develop next-generation AI models and reasoning frameworks for sustainable edge computing. With the rapid growth of intelligent sensors, mobile devices and IoT systems, there is an urgent need for efficient, interpretable, energy-aware AI that can operate directly on edge devices, reducing latency, bandwidth use, environmental impact.
The project will focus on designing lightweight, adaptive, explainable AI algorithms capable of performing complex reasoning tasks in resource-constrained environments. It will explore:
(i) Sustainable AI design, including model compression, neural architecture search, green optimization to minimize computational cost and carbon footprint;
(ii) Edge intelligence, enabling distributed learning and on-device inference through federated, collaborative, privacy-preserving AI paradigms.
(iii) Neuro-symbolic reasoning, integrating deep learning with logical and causal reasoning to enhance interpretability, robustness, trustworthiness.
(iv) Real-world applications, focusing on behaviour understanding/analysis, smart healthcare, intelligent environments, human-centred analytics, where energy-efficient and privacy-preserving AI systems can deliver measurable social and psychological impact.
By advancing the foundations of sustainable edge AI and reasoning, this project aligns with the global vision for green, responsible, human-centred AI. The research combines innovation across AI, sustainable computing, cognitive reasoning, preparing the scholar to lead future developments in both academic and industrial AI for societal wellbeing.
Funding:
For successful applicants, QMUL will provide a full tuition fee waiver and then the CSC will provide living expenses (£1,350/month) for 4 years, visa costs and one return flight to the UK.
Application Deadline:
The deadline for prospective CSC candidates (of Chinese origin) to apply to QMUL is the 28th January 2026 (the expected start date of the PhD is for September 2026). Once applicants have obtained their offer letter from Queen Mary they should then apply to CSC for the scholarship. The CSC usually accepts applications between 10th-31st March. 2026 dates have not yet been confirmed. Instructions to complete this application will be available on the CSC website by the end of the year.
Who can apply:
Queen Mary and Dr Dimitrios Kollias are on the lookout for the best and brightest students. A typical successful candidate:
Should hold, or is expected to obtain an MSc in the Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related discipline
Having obtained distinction or first-class level degree is highly desirable
Eligibility criteria:
To be eligible, applicants must:
Be a citizen and permanent resident of the People’s Republic of China (and hold a Chinese passport)
Satisfy all eligibility criteria set out by the CSC. Please to refer to CSC website for full details: http://www.csc.edu.cn
Apply to QMUL for the scholarship (as instructed in the ‘How to Apply’ section below) by the deadline of 28th January 2026.
By the deadline of 17th March 2026 have submitted all the required documentation to support application; including having met English language requirements for their research programme. English language requirements must be evidenced by a valid English language proficiency test (typically less than 2 years old by the start date). QMUL and CSC English language requirements are in general higher than the UKVI requirements, and vary by School: http://www.qmul.ac.uk/international/englishlanguagerequirements/index.html. You are therefore strongly advised to sit an approved English Language test (e.g. IELTS) as soon as possible. Your test must still be valid when you enrol for the programme. They are valid for 2 years.
After submitting their application, applicants will have until 17th March to submit outstanding documents (e, g English language, transcripts etc). If an applicant does not meet the English Language requirements by this deadline, we will not be able to nominate them to CSC for funding.
How to Apply:
Applicants are asked to follow QMUL's usual online application process and identify themselves as CSC scholars in the funding section of their application. The application form for each subject can be found by selecting your subject area from the drop-down menu. Please make sure to choose "Semester 1" and "Full-Time". https://www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/applying-for-a-phd/.
The application should include the following:
CV (max 2 pages)
Cover letter (max 4,500 characters) stating clearly in the first page whether you are eligible for a scholarship.
Research proposal (max 500 words)
2 References
Certificate of English Language (for students whose first language is not English)
Other Certificates
Contact email:
d.kollias@qmul.ac.uk