Joint PhD Programme by Imperial College London and Hong Kong University

What is the Imperial-HKU Joint PhD Programme?

• This is a 3/4 year joint PhD programme
• The student is required to spend 50% of their time at each institution
• Students apply to Imperial if they wish to have Imperial as their ‘home’ institution
• Supervisors are expected to collaborate and engage with each other throughout the PhD
• The student will receive a joint PhD at the end of the programme conferred by both institutions
• This is a university-wide programme offered in all faculties and departments.

This programme may be of interest to prospective students with:

• Research that would benefit from the expertise of two academic research groups, – one at Imperial, one at HKU - including access to research facilities
• An interest in existing collaborative projects involving Imperial and HKU
• Research that would benefit from being undertaken in two different locations, in an international context
• Projects with a strong interdisciplinary element
• A strong interest in an international research career

Programme Requirements :

• It is important that any application to a joint PhD explains why/how the project will benefit or be enhanced by the student splitting their time between Imperial and HKU. Reasons might include complementary resources, facilities, or expertise.
• Students will be supervised by a minimum of two supervisors, with at least one from each institution.
• Students must spend the last six months before submission of thesis at their home institution.
• Students can start their candidature at the beginning of any semester during the academic year, although beginning at the start of an academic year is generally recommended (not essential) to enable students to participate in Orientation Week activities.
• On completion of the programme, students will be issued with a joint Diploma: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The field of study or thesis title will be recorded on the transcript. Students will have their degree jointly conferred but can choose whether to have it presented to them in London or Hong Kong.

How to Apply :

Interested students can apply for the HKU-Imperial Joint PhD to either institution. Below are the guidelines for applying to Imperial.

1. Students are expected to contact an Imperial supervisor who has sufficient links with HKU. At this stage students will discuss their research with the academic. Once the student has developed a research proposal with both potential supervisors they can proceed with their application to Imperial.
2. The student applies to Imperial via the standard application process. Imperial has an online application system, which contains full details on how to apply as well as guidance notes. Students should cite in their application that they are applying for the Imperial-HKU Joint PhD Programme.
3. As this is a joint degree award students will also need to be approved by HKU. The following documents will need to be submitted to the International Office at Imperial.
• a research proposal;
• a statement on the applicant’s aspiration/vision for studying the joint PhD programme; this should include demonstrable enthusiasm for overseas study.
• a CV detailing the applicant’s academic qualifications, working experience, publications, professional qualifications, prizes and awards, extracurricular activities, volunteer work and community services;
• a letter of support from the non-Imperial (partner institution) supervisor stating their plans for jointly contributing to the supervision of the candidate and which parts of the proposed PhD project will be conducted at the partner institution;
• a letter of support from the Imperial supervisor stating their plans for jointly contributing to the supervision of the candidate and which parts of the proposed PhD project will be conducted at Imperial;
• a research plan detailing the study period and dates to be spent at each institution and research training arrangements;
• scanned certificates/transcripts of the applicant’s Bachelor’s (and Master’s if applicable) degree qualifications; and
• Reference letters from two referees who are able to comment on the applicant’s academic and research capabilities. This will normally be academic staff involved in the applicants undergraduate or Taught Postgraduate courses.

Information for Supervisors :

• International collaborations give supervisors the opportunity to both co-supervise a PhD student and also develop international research links.
• Supervisors who already have collaborative links with an academic at HKU and are interested in supervising a joint PhD student should contact the International Office. Supervisors interested in beginning a new collaboration can contact the International Office for help in aiding the process.
• The joint PhD will allow students to study at both HKU and Imperial. The student must spend 50% of their time at each institution and would normally spend the last 6 months of their PhD at their home institution. For the remainder of the time, students and supervisors can decide how the student’s time should be split, according to the needs of the research.
• Although students formally apply to Imperial as mentioned on the How to apply page, students will also need to be accepted by the Joint Degree Programmes committee based at Imperial which consists of senior International Office and Graduate Schools staff. The International Office will be able to facilitate this process and should be informed of the student’s intention to apply before the student completes their online application. All documents as highlighted on the How to apply page should be sent directly to the International Office.

Contact :

For supervisors and students interested in the joint PhD programme please contact :

Christine Doran - internationalphds@imperial.ac.uk