CUHK Vice-Chancellor's PhD Scholarship Scheme

About this scholarship

A scholarship for the strongest full-time PhD applicants at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, for the 2027/2028 intake. There is no separate form, and everyone who applies for a full-time PhD by the deadline is considered.

Funding type

Covers: an award of HK$80,000 (HK$40,000 in the first year and HK$20,000 in each of the second and third years), a studentship of HK$229,200 a year for the normal study period (the 2026/2027 rate), and HK$30,000 in total for conference and research travel. The scholarship page does not mention tuition. The research postgraduate fee for 2027/2028 is HK$49,500 a year, and the government tuition waiver is for local students only. The award continues each year only with satisfactory academic progress.

Tuition fees

Not specified

Living costs

Covered

Travel

Not specified

Insurance

Not specified

Eligibility requirements

Nationalities

All nationalities

Residence condition

No residence condition

Applicants for full-time PhD study at CUHK, with no restriction on nationality The scheme looks for outstanding academic or research achievement. The page lists possible criteria such as a GPA of at least 3.5 out of 4.0, academic awards, strong publications, strong references, or a PhD offer from a top-ranked university for the same year For the PhD you normally need a master's degree. For the PhD stream of an MPhil-PhD programme, a good honours bachelor's degree or a B average is enough

Minimum grade

Not stated

Work experience asked for

Not stated

Return condition

Return condition not stated

How to apply

With the admission application

Language requirements and exemptions

Language test required TOEFL iBT IELTS Other test Waiver possible

TOEFL iBT 79 (or 4.5 on the new scale) or IELTS Academic 6.5, unless your degree was taught in English. Results are valid for two years, and you must also share them with CUHK through the test provider. Some programmes ask for more.

University admission details

Admission included in application?

Apply for a full-time PhD in the CUHK online application system. You are then considered for the scholarship without a separate application. The scholarship page does not name a year, and the applications open now are for the 2027/2028 intake. Applications opened on 1 September 2026. Most PhD programmes have a main round deadline of 1 December 2026, and some also have a clearing round on 31 March 2027 if places remain. Deadlines differ by programme, so check the deadlines page. The time of day is not stated. The application fee is HK$500 for each programme. Offers are normally made between November and June. If you also apply for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS), its CUHK deadline is 1 December 2026 at 11:59 pm Hong Kong time.

Required documents

Degree certificates and official transcripts with grading schemes Proof of English Three referee reports Identity document Programme-specific materials if the programme asks

Application steps

Choose a full-time PhD programme at CUHK and check its deadline. Create an account in the online application system and fill in the form. Upload your documents, enter three referees and pay the HK$500 fee. Submit before your programme's deadline, which is 1 December 2026 for most PhD programmes.

Requirement checklist

Scholarship contacts

CUHK Graduate School enquiry form: Contact form (opens in a new tab)

Universities and contacts