The School of Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and the Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University (THU), have reached an agreement on their first joint MPhil/PhD program, which allows students to conduct academic exchange at both universities.
The four-year PhD program requires students to spend two years each at HKUST and THU while the two-year MPhil program requires students to spend one year each at the two institutions. Each student will be assigned two faculty advisors, one from each institution, based on their research interests. The advisors and their student will then develop an academic plan together before the student commences studies. Graduates of the program will become alumni of both institutions. The first cohort of students is expected to be admitted in Fall 2013 at the earliest.
With strong global recognition, HKUST School of Engineering seeks to further expand its international ties and visibility by forming partnerships with top institutions around the world. Prof Khaled Ben Letaief, HKUST Dean of Engineering said, "The agreement established an important strategic alliance with Tsinghua University Graduate School in Shenzhen. This collaboration will go a long way in enhancing our future participation in research projects and activities in the Pearl River Delta region, as part of our goal of strengthening our Mainland network and influence."
By integrating the experience and expertise of the faculty from two renowned institutions, the joint MPhil/PhD program provides broadened learning opportunities for students to conduct research at the forefront and gain multicultural perspectives. The program will continue to promote the international mix of HKUST's postgraduate community and raise its level of research excellence.
The Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University is a highly reputable institution in Mainland China. Jointly established by Shenzhen Municipal Government and Tsinghua University in 2000, the Graduate School is one of the fastest growing institutions in the Asia-Pacific Region. It aims to achieve academic and research prominence by promoting inter-institutional collaborations. The current Dean of the Graduate School, Prof Feiyu Kang, is a PhD graduate of HKUST in mechanical engineering in 1997.
The HKUST/THU joint MPhil/PhD program marks another significant collaboration between HKUST School of Engineering and other top graduate schools for joint postgraduate research programs. In the past few years, the School had signed agreements on joint PhD programs with a number of leading research universities, including The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in 2008, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Korea, in 2011 and Sharif University of Technology, Iran, earlier this year.
