What Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) 2027/28 actually covers.
The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS), administered by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) and supported by the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong, is one of the most prestigious doctoral funding programmes in Asia and is open to students of any nationality worldwide — explicitly including applicants from all African nations. The scheme was established to attract the brightest minds globally to pursue doctoral research at Hong Kong's leading universities: The University of Hong Kong (HKU), The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), City University of Hong Kong (CityU), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), and Lingnan University.
The HKPFS is among the most generous PhD fellowships in the Asia-Pacific region. Each year, 400 fellowships are awarded across all participating institutions and disciplines, with recipients receiving an annual stipend of HK$340,800 (approximately USD 43,500) — well above the average doctoral stipend at most global institutions — and a conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$14,200 per year. The fellowship covers a maximum period of three years, aligned with the normal duration of a doctoral programme in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong's universities offer doctoral programmes in virtually every academic discipline, and the city's unique position as a global financial centre, free port, and bridge between China and the rest of the world gives HKPFS fellows access to unparalleled research resources, datasets, and professional networks. For African scholars in economics, finance, public health, environmental science, materials science, and engineering, Hong Kong's proximity to and deep commercial connections with mainland China, East Africa, and Southeast Asia create research opportunities unavailable almost anywhere else.
Applications for the 2027/28 intake open in September 2026 and close on 1 December 2026. Shortlisted candidates are announced in the following spring. African students should submit applications to their chosen HK university simultaneously with their HKPFS initial application.
Who can apply.
Open to phd applicants seeking to study in Hong Kong. Eligible nationalities are listed below.
46 more eligible countries — full list available on the official application page.
Every academic discipline is accepted.
This programme does not restrict by field. Research proposals across humanities, sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are all accepted.
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Other scholarships worth a parallel application.
Same eligibility window or destination. Many strong applicants apply to three or four programmes per cycle.