PHD, Postdoc and Assist., assoc., and full professorships available
Northeastern University
Shenyang china
[Updated 4 April 2026]
The Mining Spatial Data Intelligence Research Hub at the College of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University (NEU), Shenyang invites applications from outstanding candidates across all career stages. Led by Professor Alex Lechner, Global Talent (Shuliang) Scholar, the hub integrates remote sensing, deep learning, GIS, and environmental risk assessment to address regional and global challenges in mining landscapes, land-use change, and ecological sustainability.
NEU is one of China's national key universities under the Ministry of Education and holds membership in the prestigious 211 and 985 development programmes. The hub operates within an international research network spanning Australia, Indonesia, Europe, and China, offering a genuinely global research and English-language environment.
PhD, postdoctoral, and faculty positions are open now - see details below. Send a CV and a short statement of interest to find out more.
Email: alexlechner@mail.neu.edu.cn
Subject line: "NEU Opportunity"
phd - landscape ecology, gis and remote sensing
PhD positions are available within the College of Resources and Civil Engineering under full-time doctoral supervision in English. Candidates undertake research designed to produce high-impact publications, develop cutting-edge technical skills, and prepare graduates for a global academic or industry career. Research topics are developed in alignment with the candidate's background and the hub's ongoing projects, with particular focus on mining landscapes, land-use change, ecosystem services, and spatial data science across Indonesia, China, Southeast Asia, and global scales.
Funding is available through NEU, the China Scholarship Council, provincial scholarships, or project-based sources, and typically covers full tuition, a monthly living stipend, university accommodation or a housing allowance, health insurance, and dedicated research expenses. The standard duration is 3 to 4 years.
Positions are well-resourced. Candidates are provided with a laptop, dedicated desk space, access to high-performance computing and GIS equipment including UAVs, and financial support for international research conferences and collaborative visits to partner institutions. Knowledge of Chinese is not required.
postdoc - landscape ecology, gis and remote sensing
Postdoctoral positions are available on a rolling basis within the hub, supporting researchers who want to build a strong, internationally visible career in a highly productive team environment. The group publishes consistently in high-impact journals spanning the full range of the discipline, from flagship interdisciplinary outlets such as Nature Sustainability and One Earth to leading field journals including Remote Sensing of Environment, and fellows are expected to lead and contribute to multiple projects papers and supervise PhD students in parallel.
This is a genuine career-building opportunity. Fellows gain authorship across a diverse portfolio of work, develop collaborative relationships with research partners across four continents, and benefit from dedicated funding for international conference attendance and overseas research visits. The breadth and volume of output, combined with the hub's global network, creates exceptional conditions for building the international track record needed for career mobility at the highest level.
Appointments are supported through NEU postdoctoral funding schemes and externally funded research grants, with competitive remuneration packages and access to well-resourced computing infrastructure and a dedicated equipment budget.
Assist., assoc., and full proffesorships
Faculty positions are available at all ranks on a continuing basis, both as full-time appointments and as visiting positions for researchers based at other institutions who wish to engage with the hub's research programme.
NEU offers competitive packages to attract exceptional academics, particularly under talent attraction schemes such as the Xingliao Talent Plan and equivalent national and provincial programmes. Appointees benefit from substantial start-up research funding, reduced teaching loads during the establishment phase, dedicated laboratory and computing infrastructure, and support for building and sustaining an internationally recognised research group.
Funding provisions include generous allocations for research equipment, fieldwork, and overseas travel and collaboration, reflecting NEU's commitment to world-class, internationally engaged research. Candidates with expertise in remote sensing, machine learning, environmental modelling, spatial ecology, or related disciplines are encouraged to make contact at any stage.