The Facebook page of the Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University has posted an announcement about the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS).

According to the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) website:

Background

Established by the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong in 2009, the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) aims at attracting the best and brightest students in the world to pursue their PhD studies in Hong Kong’s universities.

Eligibility

Candidates who are seeking admission as new full time PhD students in the following eight universities, irrespective of their country of origin, prior work experience and ethnic background, should be eligible to apply.

City University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong Baptist University

Lingnan University

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

The Education University of Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

The University of Hong Kong

Applicants should demonstrate outstanding qualities of academic performance, research ability / potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities.

Fellowship Award

The Fellowship provides an annual stipend of HK$319,200 (approximately US$40,900) and a conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$13,300 (approximately US$1,700) per year for each awardee for a period up to three years. 300 PhD Fellowships will be awarded in the 2021/22 academic year*. For awardees who need more than three years to complete the PhD degree, additional support may be provided by the chosen universities. For details, please contact the universities concerned directly.

* Universities in Hong Kong normally start their academic year in September.

Selection Panel

Shortlisted applications, subject to their areas of studies, will be reviewed by one of the following two Selection Panels comprising experts in the relevant board areas:

Sciences, Medicine, Engineering and Technology

Humanities, Social Sciences and Business Studies

• Selection Criteria

While candidates’ academic excellence is of primary consideration, the Selection Panels will take into account factors as follows:

Academic excellence;

Research ability and potential;

Communication and interpersonal skills; and

Leadership abilities.

The eight research degree-awarding universities taking  part in the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme are all well-known research institutions. The Thammasat University Library collection includes many books produced by researchers at the following universities:

CityU  City University of Hong Kong

HKBU            Hong Kong Baptist University

LU      Lingnan University

CUHK            The Chinese University of Hong Kong

EdUHK          The Education University of Hong Kong

PolyU  The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

HKUST          The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

HKU   The University of Hong Kong

This year’s initial application deadline is 1 December 2020 at 12:00 noon Hong Kong time.

For further information, please visit the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme website.

Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) with responses from the RGC:

General Information

• What is the amount of award under the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship?

The Fellowship provides each awardee with an annual stipend of HK$319,200 (approximately US$40,900) and a conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$13,300 (approximately US$1,700) per year for a period of up to three years. 300 PhD Fellowships will be awarded in the 2021/22 academic year.

• Am I eligible for Hong Kong PhD Fellowship?

Those who are seeking admission as new full-time PhD students in UGC-funded universities of Hong Kong, irrespective of their country of origin, prior work experience and ethnic background, should be eligible to apply. Applicants should demonstrate outstanding qualities of academic performance, research ability / potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities.

• I am not sure whether I am eligible to apply for the PhD programmes in Hong Kong. How can I obtain such information?

UGC-funded universities determine the eligibility requirements of their respective PhD programmes. Interested parties should consult individual universities on eligibility.

• I am currently a PhD student. Am I eligible to apply for the Fellowship?

You are eligible to apply for the Fellowship if you apply for another PhD programmes as a new full-time PhD student. However, it is up to the Selection Panel to decide whether the previous PhD study experience should be discounted so as to ensure a level playing field for those who do not have any PhD background.

• I have difficulties in obtaining transcripts/ certificates/ test results by the application deadline of the university I selected. Am I still eligible?

We encourage students with excellent academic performance and good potential in research work to apply for the HKPFS. Universities may give conditional offer to candidates who demonstrate outstanding ability and potential in their areas of studies. Since the candidates of the HKPFS are to be nominated by universities, applicants should consult the universities at which they intend to pursue their PhD studies directly in respect of their eligibility for admission to the PhD programmes concerned.

• Do I need to attain a required score from IELTS/TOEFL/GMAT/GRE before applying for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship?

For applicants from non-English speaking universities, unless they provide proof that English is the language of instruction for all courses, they are required to attach score results of TOEFL or IELTS in their PhD applications to the universities concerned. This requirement is exempted if their proposed PhD studies/programmes are specifically in non-English medium, e.g. in Chinese language. Please note that since the UGC-funded universities determine the admission requirements of their PhD programmes, whether applicants need to submit results of any other specific tests is subject to the requirements of individual universities. In general, good results obtained from an open examination widely recognised by international academic institutions will be very useful for universities and Selection Panels of the Scheme to assess one’s intellectual and language competency.

Application Process

• What is an initial application for Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme?

An initial application is the first step in making an application under the HKPFS.  The initial application must be submitted through the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme Electronic System.  The system will assign an HKPFS Reference Number which an applicant needs to quote in their application for admission to their selected universities…

• How are the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship awardees selected?

Individual universities may conduct interviews with applicants where necessary. Shortlisted applications, subject to their areas of studies, will be reviewed by one of the two Selection Panels with experts in the relevant broad areas – one for Sciences, Medicine, Engineering and Technology and another one for Humanities, Social Sciences and Business Studies.

• What are the selection criteria?

While candidates’ academic excellence is the primary consideration, the Selection Panels will take into account factors such as research ability and potential, communication and interpersonal skills as well as leadership abilities.

• When will the result of the HKPFS be announced?

The result of the HKPFS 2021/22 will be announced by April 2021.

• If I am not awarded the fellowship, does it mean that my application for PhD admission with the universities will also be turned down?

No. Universities may admit candidates not selected for the HKPFS and offer them regular postgraduate studentship if they are considered to be qualified by the universities.

• When should I register with the universities?

A successful candidate of the HKPFS is normally required to register with the respective university in July to September 2021.  This may be deferred to 31 January 2022 the latest if there are well justified reasons and subject to the approval of the Research Grants Council.

• What can I do if I have more questions?

For enquiries about the HKPFS, please address your questions to HKPF@ugc.edu.hk. For enquiries about the PhD programmes and admission requirements, please contact the respective universities for information.

(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)