A PhD takes three and a half to four years of your life on one or two highly specialised problems, so the first question to ask yourself is: why do you want one? The best answer, in my view, is a strong curiosity about a problem — the feeling that you wish someone would give you the time and freedom to try out all of your ideas.
I am a fairly hands-on advisor: regular meetings, close attention to progress, and quick, honest feedback. From my own experience, I am probably not the smartest person in the room, but I have always tried to be one of the most hardworking — so what I value most in a student is commitment and curiosity, not brilliance. In return, I will invest heavily in you, and I deeply respect my students and their ideas: a PhD is your journey, and my job is to help you become an independent researcher.
A short AI-assisted programming test. I will send you a simple "do at home" task, and you are encouraged to use AI assistants (ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot) — working effectively with them is part of what I want to see. It filters out mass-emailers and shows me how you approach a problem. No hard deadline, but how long you take counts.
An online talk — not an interview. No grilling; we will chat about why you want a PhD, what ideas excite you, and about life: Leeds, funding, and what working with me day-to-day looks like. Use it to evaluate me too.
The formal application and funding. If we are both happy, you apply through the University (transcripts, CV, references, and a short research proposal for self-proposed projects — I will help you polish these). Scholarships may be available for outstanding candidates and we will pursue them together; overseas funding is more competitive, but it is very often found for great students (browse scholarships).
Set by the School of Computer Science (I cannot waive them): a bachelor's degree with a 2:1 (Hons) or a good Master's in a relevant subject, and IELTS 6.5 overall with not less than 6.5 in writing and 6.0 in other components (or TOEFL iBT 88). International applicants may need an ATAS certificate.
If my research interests and publications grab you — or you have a great idea of your own — email me at scshwan@leeds.ac.uk with your CV and a short description of your background. I read every serious email.