The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is offering doctoral candidates a funding package worth more than US$232,400 across a normative study period, as competition intensifies among Asian universities for postgraduate talent from Vietnam.
The package, awarded under the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) and topped up by CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor's HKPFS Scholarship, combines an annual stipend with tuition fee waivers, a lodging award, and an allowance for conference travel and research expenses. Awardees also receive a first-year hostel fee waiver and guaranteed on-campus accommodation.
Vietnamese Enrolment Climbs Tenfold
The announcement lands amid a rise in Vietnamese enrolment across Hong Kong, where student numbers have grown roughly tenfold since 2022, according to the Vietnamese Students Association in Hong Kong. At CUHK, scholarships awarded to Vietnamese undergraduates rose from 30 in 2022 to nearly 110 in 2025.
For many candidates, the calculation is professional as much as academic. Hong Kong’s role as a financial and logistics hub concentrates multinational employers and industry networks in one place, while its universities offer laboratories, research funding and supervision that are difficult to access closer to home.
Why Choose CUHK for Your Doctoral & Master’s Studies?
Ranked 18th worldwide in the QS World University Rankings 2027, CUHK is internationally recognised for its academic excellence and research achievements. Its strengths span a wide range of disciplines, with 20 subjects ranked among the world's top 30. Notable examples include Education and Educational Research (#1), Gastroenterology and Hepatology (#2), Nursing (#6), Computer Science (#7), and both Arts and Humanities and Artificial Intelligence (#9).
Supported by approximately 250 research institutes and centres and four state key laboratories approved by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, CUHK offers students exceptional opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research. The University is also home to 431 scholars recognised among the World’s Top 2% Scientists, providing students with invaluable mentorship and inspiration from leaders in their respective fields.
To cater to diverse academic interests and career aspirations, CUHK offers more than 240 postgraduate programmes taught in English, spanning Arts, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Science, and Social Science. Prospective students can choose from research degrees such as PhD and MPhil, as well as taught doctoral and master’s programmes, postgraduate diplomas, and postgraduate certificates.
Where Academic Excellence Meets Opportunity
Beyond its academic excellence, CUHK is uniquely positioned in Hong Kong, one of Asia’s leading education and innovation hubs. Hong Kong brings together top scholars, entrepreneurs, and multinational companies, creating a highly international environment for learning and career development. As a gateway between East and West, the city offers students unparalleled exposure to both global and Chinese Mainland opportunities.
Financial support is another major advantage. All full-time MPhil and PhD students at CUHK are eligible for a Postgraduate Studentship within their normative study period, which amounts to approximately US$29,400 annually in 2026-27. Additional funding opportunities include the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) and the Belt and Road Scholarship. Notably, CUHK's HKPFS package is valued at over US$232,400 throughout the entire normative study period, covering tuition fee waivers, stipends, lodging awards, conference participation, and research-related expenses. For research degree candidates, it removes the need to work outside the laboratory and allows full attention on a multi-year project.
With dedicated overseas research grants funding her conference work abroad, Pham Nhat Vi DO, a Vietnamese PhD candidate at the Nethersole School of Nursing, has found that the opportunities extend well past the laboratory. “These experiences have allowed me to network with leading international scholars and share my findings on a globalworld stage,” she says. “A PhD at CUHK is not just a local degree; it is a passport to the global scientific community.”
Discover Your Future at CUHK
Prospective students are invited to join the upcoming virtual info session organised by the CUHK Graduate School and discover how the University can help transform their academic aspirations into reality.
Event details
- Date: 15 October 2026 (Thu)
- Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (HKT GMT+8)
- Language: English
Register here.