HKUST and POSTECH Launch Joint Degree PhD Program in Engineering
The School of Engineering at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and the College of Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Korea, have reached an agreement for academic and research collaborations, under which the two institutions will establish a joint degree PhD program allowing students to conduct academic exchange at both universities.
The 4-year program requires students to spend 2 years each at HKUST and POSTECH. Each student will be assigned two faculty advisors, one from each institution, based on their research interests. The advisors and their student will then develop an academic plan together, for approval by the department heads of both institutions, before the student commences his or her study. Graduates of the program will become alumni of both institutions. The first cohort of students is expected to be admitted in Fall 2012 at the earliest.
With a strong global presence, HKUST’s School of Engineering seeks to further expand its international network and sustain visibility by forming alliances with top institutions in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Blending the experience and expertise of the faculty from two leading institutions in the Asia Pacific region, the joint degree PhD program provides a competitive edge for students to conduct research at the forefront and in an international context. The program will continue to enhance the internationalization of HKUST’s postgraduate community and raise its level of research excellence.
The HKUST/POSTECH joint degree PhD program marks another successful collaboration between HKUST’s School of Engineering and other top engineering schools for joint PhD program. In 2009, the School signed an agreement on joint PhD program with Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), one of the top research universities in Korea.
