Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (2026/27)

With strong research interests in sociolinguistics, specifically in language and identity and digital literacies, I reached out to Professor Michelle Gu Mingyue, who is listed in the “World Top 2% Scientists,” to discuss the possibilities of pursuing my PhD under her supervision. I am grateful for the unwavering support from Professor Gu and colleagues from the Graduate School throughout my application process, especially their encouragement and assistance with my application for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS).

I am honoured and thrilled to have been awarded the HKPFS by the University Grants Committee to pursue my PhD study at EdUHK. This fellowship offers me opportunities to engage broadly with academic communities in Hong Kong and internationally. The scholarship has enabled me to present my research at the 2025 American Association for Applied Linguistics conference in Denver and the 2025 AsiaTEFL conference here at EdUHK. Linguistics conference in Denver and the 2025 AsiaTEFL conference here at EdUHK. My training was further enriched by the Trans-Linguistics Summer Institute at Penn State University in 2025, which I attended with full sponsorship provided by the Graduate School. The expert writing instruction I received there has significantly strengthened my research and publishing capabilities.

Looking back on my first year of study and research at EdUHK, I feel incredibly enriched and fulfilled. The dedication and passion of both students and faculty across a wide range of educational and interdisciplinary topics continue to become a source of inspiration for me in my everyday study and research.

基于对社会语言学领域，尤其是语言和身份认同及数字素养的浓厚研究兴趣，我有幸联系到了入选‘斯坦福大学全球首2%顶尖科学家’榜单的语言学领域专家谷明月教授, 探讨在其指导下攻读博士学位的可能性。在申请过程中，谷教授及研究生院鼓励并大力支持我申请极具竞争力的香港博士研究生奖学金计划（HKPFS），对此我深表感激。

我深感荣幸获得香港教资会（UGC）颁发的HKPFS奖学金，并得以在香港教育大学开启博士研究之旅。这项奖学金不仅为我提供了与香港及国际顶尖学者广泛交流的宝贵机会，还支持我在美国丹佛举行的2025年美国应用语言学协会年会（AAAL）以及教大举办的2025年亚洲英语教学研讨会（Asia TEFL）上展示我的研究成果。在研究生院全额资助下，我获选参加2025年由宾夕法尼亚州立大学举办的‘跨语言夏季研修班’,有幸得到顶尖专家的写作指导，让我在研究能力与论文发表技巧上均获益良多。

回望在教大攻读博士的第一年，这段研学之旅令我收获颇丰、倍感充实。校园里每位师生在各类教育及跨学科议题中展现的热忱与激情，始终是我日常学习与科研中源源不断的灵感源泉。
（根据英语原文翻译）

基於對社會語言學領域，尤其是語言和身份認同及數位素養的濃厚研究興趣，我有幸聯繫到了入選‘斯坦福大學全球首2%頂尖科學家’榜單的語言學領域專家谷明月教授, 探討在其指導下攻讀博士學位的可能性。在申請過程中，谷教授及研究生院鼓勵並大力支持我申請極具競爭力的香港博士研究生獎學金計畫（HKPFS），對此我深表感激。

我深感榮幸獲得香港教資會（UGC）頒發的HKPFS獎學金，並得以在香港教育大學開啟博士研究之旅。這項獎學金不僅為我提供了與香港及國際頂尖學者廣泛交流的寶貴機會，還支持我在美國丹佛舉行的2025年美國應用語言學協會年會（AAAL）以及教大舉辦的2025年亞洲英語教學研討會（Asia TEFL）上展示我的研究成果。在研究生院全額資助下，我獲選參加2025年由賓夕法尼亞州立大學舉辦的‘跨語言夏季研修班’,有幸得到頂尖專家的寫作指導，讓我在研究能力與論文發表技巧上均獲益良多。

回望在教大攻讀博士的第一年，這段研學之旅令我收穫頗豐、倍感充實。校園裡每位師生在各類教育及跨學科議題中展現的熱忱與激情，始終是我日常學習與科研中源源不斷的靈感源泉。
（根據英語原文翻譯）

The HKPFS is one of the most reputable scholarships for PhD candidates. The scheme makes studying and everyday life easy for non-local PhD students. It creates an avenue for meeting and collaborating with peers with diverse interests and strengths worldwide.

Since joining the University, I’ve had learning opportunities beyond the curriculum. For example, I was the secretary of the 1st International Conference on Health, Environment Education, and Research 2024 (CHEER2024) hosted at EdUHK. The conference attracted over 200 experts from different countries. It was an exceptional, enriching, and interactive experience that fostered significant learning and engagement.

EdUHK faculty and administrative staff are very supportive of the welfare of students, even in the application stage for PhD studies. My application period was quite burdensome as I was trying to complete my MSc degree, prepare a compelling research plan and vision statement for the HKPFS application, and co-author a review article. Fortunately, I was successful. I am deeply grateful to my supervisor, Dr Tsang Yiu Fai, for his invaluable support and guidance throughout the application process.

I advise aspiring HKPFS scholars to multitask if needed, as this is a great scholarly attribute and a transferable skill for survival in the 21st century. Effort reaps the rewards. Put in your best and pay attention to details during the application, and it’s never too late until it’s late.

HKPFS是最负盛名的博士奖学金之一。对我这样的非本地学生来说，它让求学和生活都更加从容，让我们有机会结识世界各地的同侪，开启跨地域合作的可能。

自从来到教大，我在学习之外也得到了成长。比如，我担任了在教大举办的首届‘2024健康、环境教育及研究国际会议’（CHEER2024）的秘书处工作。这场会议汇聚了来自全球超过200名专家学者，互动交流非常热烈，促进了深刻的学术对话，也让我收获满满。

教大的老师和行政团队全力支持学生福祉，这一点从博士申请阶段就能感受到。回想我的申请期其实非常不易——那时我一边要完成硕士学业，一边撰写申请HKPFS需要的极具挑战性的研究计划与愿景陈述，同时还在合著一篇综述文章。好在，我最终成功了。我特别想感谢我的导师曾耀辉博士，他在整个过程中给了我宝贵的支持与指引。

我想对有志申请HKPFS的同学们说，不妨试着培养同时处理多项任务的能力，这不仅是21世纪学术人的重要素养，也是一种可迁移到任何领域的核心技能。请相信，付出终不会被辜负。在申请中尽力而为，不放过每一个细节，也要记得：结果未出之前，你我皆有机会！

（根据英语原文翻译）

HKPFS是最負盛名的博士獎學金之一。對我這樣的非本地學生來說，它讓求學和生活都更加從容，讓我們有機會結識世界各地的同儕，開啟跨地域合作的可能。

自從來到教大，我在學習之外也得到了成長。比如，我擔任了在教大舉辦的首屆‘2024健康、環境教育及研究國際會議’（CHEER2024）的秘書處工作。這場會議彙聚了來自全球超過200名專家學者，互動交流非常熱烈，促進了深刻的學術對話，也讓我收穫滿滿。

教大的老師和行政團隊全力支持學生福祉，這一點從博士申請階段就能感受到。回想我的申請期其實非常不易——那時我一邊要完成碩士學業，一邊撰寫申請HKPFS需要的極具挑戰性的研究計畫與願景陳述，同時還在合著一篇綜述文章。好在，我最終成功了。我特別想感謝我的導師曾耀輝博士，他在整個過程中給了我寶貴的支持與指引。

我想對有志申請HKPFS的同學們說，不妨試著培養同時處理多項任務的能力，這不僅是21世紀學術人的重要素養，也是一種可遷移到任何領域的核心技能。請相信，付出終不會被辜負。在申請中盡力而為，不放過每一個細節，也要記得：結果未出之前，你我皆有機會！
(根據英語原文翻譯)

With the travel allowance from HKPFS, I attended international conferences domestically and internationally. The conference opportunities have also led to awards and research outputs. My co-presentation with my supervisor, Dr. Li Zhen, was awarded the Richard Pemberton Prize for Best Postgraduate Paper at the British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL) Conference. Our study on coteaching in K-12 second/foreign language classrooms has also been published in Language Teaching Research.

I also appreciate EdUHK’s support for students’ professional development, including Three Minute Thesis Competition, Certificate in Introduction to Teaching in Higher Education, etc. Through these opportunities, I have received systematic training in research methods, developed academic presentation and writing skills, and connected with different professionals for career guidance.

HKPFS application requires careful consideration in the writing of the vision statement and research proposal. For the research proposal, I suggest consulting with your supervisor for detailed guidance. For the vision statement, each section should address the four criteria: academic excellence, research ability and potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities. Align your personal strengths with these criteria and highlight them strategically.

Although HKPFS is quite competitive, it is not an impossible mission. With support and guidance from my supervisor, Dr. Li Zhen, I saw the application as a self-discovery opportunity to reflect on my personal history and integrate all the meaningful moments into your application materials. Therefore, I encourage you to apply for HKPFS, for both potential rewards and the enriching application journey. I look forward to seeing you on the EdUHK campus in the future!

凭借HKPFS提供的差旅津贴，我参加了境内外多场国际学术会议，这些机会不仅带来了奖项，更促成了研究成果的发表。其中最宝贵的收获，离不开导师李蓁博士的携手支持——我与李蓁博士联合发表的报告，在英国应用语言学协会（BAAL）年会上荣获「理查德·彭伯顿最佳研究生论文奖」；我们合作开展的「K-12阶段第二语言/外语课堂合作教学」研究，也成功发表于《语言教学研究》期刊。

同时，特别感谢香港教育大学对学生专业发展的支持。学校提供的 “三分钟学术演讲比赛”、”高等教育教学入门证书课程” 等项目，不仅让我接受了系统的研究方法训练，提升了学术演讲与写作能力，还结识了各行各业的专业人士，获得了宝贵的职业规划指导。

HKPFS申请的核心要点是需要细心打磨两份材料：一是研究计划书，一定要多与导师沟通，寻求详细指导；二是发展规划陈述，每一部分都要对应学术水平、研究能力与潜力、沟通协作能力、领导力四大评审标准，要把个人优势与这些标准精准匹配，并有策略地突出。

虽然HKPFS竞争激烈，但绝非无法实现。这一路最关键的助力来自我的导师李蓁博士，在她的支持与指导下，我把申请变成了一次自我探索——回顾个人经历，将所有有意义的瞬间整合到申请材料中。无论是为了可能获得的奖励，还是这段充实的申请体验，都值得尝试申请HKPFS。期待未来能在香港教育大学校园与你相见！
（根据英语原文翻译）

憑藉HKPFS提供的差旅津貼，我參加了境內外多場國際學術會議，這些機會不僅帶來了獎項，更促成了研究成果的發表。其中最寶貴的收穫，離不開導師李蓁博士的攜手支持——我與李蓁博士聯合發表的報告，在英國應用語言學協會（BAAL）年會上榮獲「理查·彭伯頓最佳研究生論文獎」；二人合作開展的「K-12階段第二語言/外語課堂合作教學」研究，也成功發表於《語言教學研究》期刊。

同時，我也特別感謝香港教育大學對學生專業發展的支持：「學校提供的『三分鐘學術演講比賽』、『高等教育教學入門證書課程』等專案，讓我接受了系統的研究方法訓練，提升了學術演講與寫作能力，還結識了各行各業的專業人士，獲得了寶貴的職業規劃指導。

談及HKPFS申請的核心要點，應需細心打磨兩份材料。一是研究計畫書，一定要多與導師溝通，尋求詳細指導；二是發展規劃陳述，每一部分都要對應學術水準、研究能力與潛力、溝通協作能力、領導力四大評審標準，要把個人優勢與這些標準精准匹配，並有策略地突出」。

雖然HKPFS競爭激烈，但絕非無法實現。這一路最關鍵的助力來自導師李蓁博士，在她的支持與指導下，我把申請變成了一次自我探索——回顧個人經歷，將所有有意義的瞬間整合到申請材料中。無論是為了可能獲得的獎勵，還是這段充實的申請體驗，都值得嘗試申請HKPFS。期待未來能在香港教育大學校園與你相見！
（根據英語原文翻譯）

I chose EdUHK not only for its strong research fit, but also for its remarkable global exposure and supportive environment for early-career researchers. I benefited greatly from a two-week academic exchange at UNSW in 2025, which significantly strengthened my research and publication skills. I’m also currently applying for the three-month attachment scheme sponsored by the Graduate School, which will allow me to pursue part of my thesis research under the guidance of a distinguished scholar abroad.

What’s more, I’m thrilled that my paper has been accepted by AAAL 2026—one of the premier conferences in applied linguistics—where I’ll present my work to an international audience. This recognition not only highlights the growing attention on social media studies in applied linguistics but also reflects the quality of mentorship I’ve received.

I’m truly honoured to be supervised by Professor Gu Mingyue Michelle, who is among the World’s Top 2% Most-cited Scientists by Stanford University in language and linguistics. Her expertise, dedication and kindness have been invaluable throughout my PhD journey. Studying at EdUHK continues to sharpen not only my intellectual curiosity, but also my interpersonal and time-management skills. Looking ahead, I aim to build an academic career where I can contribute to applied linguistics and the wider Hong Kong society through meaningful research.