Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme for International Students, 2018-2019

Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong offers PhD Fellowship Scheme for international students in Hong Kong. More than 230 PhD Fellowships will be awarded for a period of up to three years in the 2018/2019 academic year.

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.

The Research Grants Council (RGC), which was established in 1991, operates under the aegis of the University Grants Committee (UGC) and functions as an advisory body on research matters within the organizational structure of the Committee.

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.

Course Level: Fellowships are available for pursuing PhD degree at eight institutions mentioned above.

Study Subject(s): Fellowships are awarded to study any of the courses offered by the City University of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Baptist University; Lingnan University; The Chinese University of Hong Kong; The Hong Kong Institute of Education; The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; The University of Hong Kong.

Number of Awards: More than 230 PhD Fellowships will be awarded in the 2018/19 academic year.

Scholarship Award: The Fellowship provides an annual stipend of HK$240,000 (approximately US$30,000) and a conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$10,000 (approximately US$1,300) per year to each awardee for a period of up to three years. More than 230 PhD Fellowships will be awarded in the 2018/19 academic year*. For awardees who need more than three years to complete their PhD studies, additional support may be provided by the chosen universities. For details, please contact the universities concerned directly.

Scholarship Provider: Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong

Scholarship can be taken in Hong Kong

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.

Nationality: International students can apply for this PhD Fellowship Scheme.

College Admission Requirement

Entrance Requirement: 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.

Test Requirement: No

English Language Requirement: 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.

How to Apply: Eligible candidates should first make an Initial Application online through the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme Electronic System (HKPFSES) to obtain an HKPFS Reference Number by 1 December 2017 at Hong Kong Time 12:00:00 before submitting applications for PhD admission to their desired universities. Applicants may choose up to two programmes / departments at one or two universities for PhD study under HKPFS 2018/19. They should comply with the admission requirements of their selected universities and programmes. As the deadlines for applications to some of the universities may immediately follow that of the Initial Application, candidates should submit initial applications as early as possible to ensure that they have sufficient time to submit applications to universities.

Step 1: Submit Initial Application to Research Grants Council

Step 2: Submit Full Applications to Proposed Universities

After completing an initial application, applicants should submit full applications for their selected PhD programmes to the proposed universities quoting their HKPFS Reference Number before the universities’ respective deadlines. As regards programme information, requirements for PhD admission, application methods, regulations and policy of individual universities, please refer to individual universities and PhD programmes for information.

Application Form

Application Deadline: The initial application deadline to obtain a HKPFS Reference Number is December 1,  2017 and following are the deadlines for PhD admission to desired institutions: City University of Hong Kong- December 1, 2017; Hong Kong Baptist University-December 1, 2017; Lingnan University-December 3, 2017; The Chinese University of Hong Kong-December 1, 2017; The Hong Kong Institute of Education-December 1, 2017; The Hong Kong Polytechnic University-December 1, 2017; The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology-December 4, 2017 and The University of Hong Kong-December 1, 2017.

Scholarship Link