History

The University has endeavoured to provide research postgraduate students with financial assistance to enable them to devote full efforts to their studies and to facilitate their research studies and professional development.

Fellowships and Studentships

A full-time PhD student will normally be awarded with either a PhD Fellowship* or a Postgraduate Studentship. A full-time MPhil student will normally be awarded a Postgraduate Studentship.

1. PhD Fellowship
   PhD Fellowship awardees will be provided with a Fellowship with a monthly stipend for a maximum period of 3 years.  The monthly stipend for 2023-24 is HK$27,600 (subject to annual review). For awardees with a normative study period of 4 years, the University will offer the same level of Fellowship for their fourth year of study.
   (*For more details on PhD Fellowship, please refer to the webpage of Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme.) (US$1 = HK$7.8)

2. Postgraduate Studentships
   Postgraduate Studentships (PGSs) are awarded to full-time MPhil/PhD students to support their daily subsistence, tuition fee and other expenses that may incur during the course of their studies. The full monthly stipend for 2023-24 is HK$18,270 for an MPhil student; HK$18,530 for a PhD student before confirmation of candidature; and HK$18,890 for a PhD student after confirmation of candidature. A partial studentship which is a fraction of the amount for a full studentship may be awarded. For details, please refer to Terms and Conditions of Postgraduate Studentships. (US$1 = HK$7.8)

As part of the training for postgraduate degree studies, fellowship or studentship recipients are required to perform, under supervision, teaching duties and/or research support duties of up to 12 hours per week on average. Please refer to Terms and Conditions of Postgraduate Studentships.

Research Postgraduate Student Conference/Field Trip Sponsorships

The University deems it important to provide support to research postgraduate students in academic activities, mainly conference attendance and conducting field trips, to nurture their academic and/or professional growth.

The funding limit for supporting conferences, field trips and/or other exceptionally approved academic activities is HK$19,000 for an MPhil student and HK$25,000 for a regular PhD student during his/her entire period of study at Lingnan.

An annual sponsorship will be provided to a PhD Fellowship awardee for a maximum period of 3 years, and the rate for 2023-24 is HK$13,800 (subject to annual review). For an awardee with a normative study period of 4 years, the University will offer the same level of sponsorship for his/her fourth year of study.

Research Postgraduate Scholarships for Overseas Research Visits

A full-time PhD student who wishes to undertake a short-term visit at an overseas institution for a term and up to 6 months can apply for the scholarships. During the period of visit, the PhD student will be immersed in a research environment different from his/her original, and expected to participate in research activities under the co-supervision by Supervisors from Lingnan and the host institution. MPhil and PhD students at Lingnan are expected to benefit from the academic exchanges with in-bound overseas research students.

The Scholarships are offered on a competitive basis. Depending on the destination of the host institution and the period of stay, a selected PhD student may receive support ranging from HK$25,000 to HK$50,000 for a 6-month visit.

Other Scholarships

In addition, research postgraduate students are eligible for a number of scholarships, which are normally awarded based on academic merits and recommendation of department/programme concerned.

Tuition Waiver

1. PhD Fellowships Awardees
   Starting from the 2019-20 academic year, the full tuition fee for the first year of study of a PhD Fellowship awardee will be waived.