HKUST tops 1,000 PhD fellowship admissions milestone
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology said it has attracted more than 100 Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme awardees for the 2026/27 academic year, with the group set to receive more than HK$112 million in scholarships and research allowances from the government over the next three years. The university said its cumulative intake of fellowship recipients has now exceeded 1,000, making it the first university in Hong Kong to reach that mark. HKUST linked the result to the internationalisation of its research community, saying its fellowship awardees come from more than 50 countries and regions. It also highlighted funding support, academic career outcomes and individual student decisions to return to or remain in Hong Kong for doctoral study
Key Points
- The Research Grants Council launched the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme in 2009, and the government increased annual places to 400 in last year’s Budget
- HKUST said more than 100 new awardees joined in 2026/27, bringing total admitted fellowship recipients past 1,000, a first among Hong Kong universities
- Dean of the Fok Ying Tung Graduate School Shi Yiming said postgraduate applications since 2024/25 rose 44%, while international postgraduate numbers jumped 115%
- Each fellowship recipient receives about HK$358,000 a year for three years from the Research Grants Council, plus exchange support and HKUST top-up funding
- With HKUST’s Redbird PhD Scholarship and other support, doctoral students can receive up to nearly HK$1.7 million over four years, the university said
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the announcement points to intensifying competition among universities to attract global research talent as the government expands publicly funded doctoral places. It also suggests local institutions are positioning themselves as alternatives to overseas study for Hong Kong students and as longer-term academic or professional bases for international researchers