Study in China: Hong Kong PhD Fellowship

By: Kelemu Fenta Gebeyehu

As part of our new China Scholarship Initiative, some of our Scholarship Ambassadors share their study abroad experiences in China, as well as their tips and advice for prospective Scholarship applicants who want to study in China. In the second part of this series, Kelemu Fenta Gebeyehu introduces the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme.

What is the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme?

I am Kelemu Fenta Gebeyehu, 4^th year PhD student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and one of the awardees of the Hong Kong PhD fellowship scheme (HKPFS) in 2021/22. As some of you might know, HKPFS is one of the globally competitive and generous scholarships that new PhD students can apply for and receive. Started in 2009, the fellowship aims to make Hong Kong the center of excellence by attracting globally talented students to pursue their PhD in the eight top universities.

It is managed and sponsored by the non-state institution of the Research and Grant Council (RGC) of Hong Kong. The fellowship is open to all citizen of the world, regardless of their gender, race, age, ethnicity, or work experience, who wish to attend PhD degree in various social and natural science fields given in one of the eight universities indicated in the link: https://cerg1.ugc.edu.hk/hkpfs/index.html.

As one of the most generous scholarships in the world, the council offers a stipend of around 43,230 USD and covers research-related travel allowances (approximately 1800 USD) for three years. This amount is given to more than two hundred applicants each year, and this year, 400 new applicants will be sponsored by the fellowship.

How you can apply for this fellowship

The evaluation committee considers four key parameters to select applicants without the official language tests. In order of priority, evaluators used academic performance, research abilities and potential, interpersonal and communication skills, and leadership experiences as the main checklist to screen applicants. Hence, applicants need to organize their application around these parameters, and further discussion is required with potential supervisors from the preferred universities.

As a piece of advice, securing a potential supervisor is one of the hidden gateways to getting the fellowship or the studentship awards each university gives. Above all, before submitting your complete application, please try to find and communicate with academic supervisors about their willingness to supervise you and research areas and plans. In this manner, I would recommend applicants check the brief video I produced about the step-by-step procedures, tips, and traps of applying to the fellowship: https://youtu.be/4BS04E48yvQ?si=Fb2p6Ioi2ynSnYve.

The Hong Kong PhD fellowship scheme is a two-phase application process: initial application to the RGC is mainly used to secure application reference numbers and final application to each university. However, from my experience, I could advise applicants to make the application with the triple steps outlined below. If you want to be a competent candidate for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme for 2025/26, you should do the following:

Step 1: Preparation
Understand the purpose of the fellowship before starting your application and stay organized by having hard and soft copies of the required documents, namely:

Academic credentials: high school to university diploma and transcripts;
Language certificates: letters of English language proficiency issued from schools, colleges, and universities, and though not mandatory, official English language tests (IELTS, TOFEL, and others) could make you more advantageous;
Certificate of any previous engagements in academic and extra-curricular activities;
Curriculum vitae (CV);
Passport or national identity cards;
Motivation letters or personal statements need to be customized to fit the specific contexts of each university;
Concept notes or research ideas could be prepared as communication essays indicating who you are, what you have, what your gaps are, and what you need from the fellowship.

Step 2: Initial Application and Reference Number

Familiarize yourself with the initial application requirements and deadlines.
Prioritize securing a supervisor before selecting universities.
Understand the significance of securing a supervisor and explore each university’s potential regarding intake capacity, programs, and supervisor availability.
Please note that you can update the initial application at any time before the deadline without changing the reference number.

Step 3: Final Submission

Thoroughly review the application procedures and requirements.
Stay informed about the procedures for communicating with relevant bodies in case of challenges during the process.
If they are willing, discuss with potential supervisors during the application process.
Keep track of deadlines and university rankings.
Ensure the reference number is correctly indicated.
Remember to write and include relevant essays before or after submitting your final application.

Finally, most universities invite applicants for interviews, so prepare yourself to answer the following typical questions, which are mainly taken from our motivation, essays, and documents submitted:

Why did you choose Hong Kong and the university? Check the RGC website and your preferred university to organize your answers. Focus on their potential for academic and research, global ranks, staff members’ profiles, your program’s uniqueness in local and international contexts, etc.
What is your area of research? Briefly describe it and why this study. What is your previous experience in this area? What are the methodologies to be employed and why? Internalize your essays and confidently state what you have without undervaluing and exaggerating your credentials.
What will your research contribute to the current literature and Hong Kong and China in general? State the contribution of your research to the academic partnership with Hong Kong universities and your local institutions. You could be an ambassador to Link Hong Kong, your country, and many more.
Others, including the rank of universities you have attended and your previous degrees, including Bachelor and Master education, check their status from local and international websites and share their outstanding and unique marks and contributions.

University Admission

The single application serves both for admission and scholarship or the fellowship, so the application tips given above are given in response to tackling the challenges I had during my application. Hence, they will ease the typical challenges of new applicants.

Preparing for your studies in Hong Kong

Visa application: One of the exciting things newcomers need to know about Hong Kong’s visa application is that it is one of the most straightforward processes I have applied through. Unlike most visa applications worldwide, you should not visit an embassy. Instead, it is processed virtually by submitting authenticated copies of academic credentials and other related documents submitted in the final application. Then, you will receive your electronic visa within six to eight weeks of your visa application. So, to secure the visa, be alerted of queries from the visa processing personnel and give the required documents, but there is no visa interview.

Hence, your visa grants you permission to be in Hong Kong, but before coming to your university, you need to make sure to have the following taken care of as well:

Housing: universities have different modalities, and be familiar with the various procedures to have your accommodation and apply to it before the deadline

Arrival arrangements: The fellowship or university does not give formal arrival support; only your supervisors and friends in Hong Kong might guide you through the process. Moreover, new arrivals can communicate with the different African communities in Hong Kong, such as the Ethiopian community. It can be reached on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ethiopian.community.in.hong.kong/. You can use such platforms to settle doubts before coming to Hong Kong. I am also available to link students with potential guides if needed; you can use my telegram address: +251961069231

Initial costs: The fellowship doesn’t cover transportation costs, but a few universities have different reimbursement modalities. So, ensure you have enough money to cover the transport and living costs until you receive your scholarships. You may receive it within a month, and it is better to have $300-500 for your living cost until you receive your money.

Insurance: There is no insurance fee, but you can either have a free primary care service or get services at reduced cost in the university hospitals and clinics. In this vein, universities have different rules and mechanisms to indirectly handle insurance, and be aware of that from their websites.

Language and Communication

I had no prior knowledge of the Chinese language, mainly Cantonese, the primary communication channel in Hong Kong. For your information, you are not required to study either of the Chinese languages (Mandarin or Cantonese) at your university. However, I recommend learning the local community’s language to understand what is happening here. Unfortunately, I missed the opportunity and am planning to have it sometime in the future, especially in Mandarin, since it is commonly spoken by most Chinese and Hong Kongers.

Student Life

Unlike most Africans, who are relatively open to quickly communicating with others, the local students are culturally reserved to break the silence of communication with foreigners. However, they are kind and willing to help and actively interact with others if you approach them. From my practical experience, I had a lovely time with the local and Chinese students.

I lived with a Chinese roommate who was kind enough to talk to and help in different situations and was open to learning more about African culture and socioeconomic conditions. We occasionally discussed personal, professional, and social lives. Therefore, to have a wonderful time in Hong Kong and the adjacent regions, I advise new students to be culturally sensitive in order to live and interact with the local and Chinese students, at least initially. As we all know, a good life is a collection of experiences and open to new adventures and experiences. Otherwise, you will regret it at the end of your program, and beyond the academic journey, start to check local realities.

Lessons and Further Information

I have various experiences with scholarship applications, including information on the top-ranked fellowships in the world. For the last ten years, I have used my time to apply for different scholarships and attend my education through such opportunities. So, I have had prior information about the fellowship since 2014 through checking information from scholarshippositions.com.

As one of the special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong has become one of the educational hubs of students worldwide. Different scholarship opportunities are open for Africans to pursue their bachelor’s or doctoral degrees. These opportunities include the Hong Kong PhD fellowship scheme, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Scholarship, the post-secondary education fund, and road and belt scholarships. To learn more about such opportunities in Hong Kong, please check this link: https://www.studyinhongkong.edu.hk/en/hong-kong-education/scholarships.php.

I came to share many ‘aha’ moments I have experienced, from my application to the current stage. Beginning with the application phase, the main essay questions enabled me to audit myself regarding what I have, what I need, and how the fellowship could address these needs. The questions reminded me to include the services I provided but had forgotten. It forced me to reorganize my academic journey from lower grades to the current level.

After joining my university, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, I had a lot of aha moments in my personal, professional, and social lives. We might have different perspectives and experiences about the various situations in and outside universities. However, Hong Kong is a place that made me reorganize my purpose in my academic and other areas of life. Academically, the research-intensive nature of the curriculum exposed me to rethink how I could integrate previous experiences with new tips and produce worthy dreams in the field. The course and research professors shaped my academic and social life, especially what we can do with our knowledge. The dissertation was also about self-evaluation of health and well-being and enabled me to correct my understanding of happiness and life satisfaction.

Finally, all these made me design a balanced life that needs to be realized throughout my lifetime. I wish you all a successful application and a bright future in your academic journey here in Hong Kong and elsewhere!