HKUST Business School
PhD
7
O
ur PhD graduates have become highly sought
after by other universities and are achieving a
remarkably high rate of job placement despite the
economic downturn – a sign of recognition of the
School’s intellectual vigor and strength.
All 12 PhD students graduating in 2007-08 secured
positions with institutions keen to tap into their
PhD Talent in Demand
training and expertise. That success rate has
continued in the 2008-09 academic year, where four
of the 17 students have already completed their
studies and all secured employment.
A total 13 recent graduates now have faculty
positions in such places as Cambridge University, the
University of Toronto, the National University of
Singapore, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Georgia
State University, the Max Planck Institute of
Economics and the University of Guam, as well as
Hong Kong universities.
Another two have secured senior positions in banks
and one with the Hong Kong Police Force.
“Well trained talent is always in demand, even if the
markets are tough,” Professor Inchi Hu, Director of
PhD program, said.
“Our program trains PhD students to not only create
new knowledge through research, but also to think
critically and communicate academic research results
with clarity. These attributes will have long lasting
value to their future as scholars.”
The School admits about 15 PhD students per year
and encourages those from disciplines outside
business to apply, such as science, engineering and
the arts. The PhD program typically takes about five
years to complete.
Overseas
44%
local
37%
Banks
13%
Government
6%
Universities
81%
Placement of Recent PhD Graduates
Total: 16
V
incent Mak has a resume that would pique the interest
of any manager. He is a writer of fiction, prose essays,
and music criticism, who is also armed with an MSc in
physics from Cambridge and several years’ experience
penning general features for newspapers. Now he can
add PhD in marketing to his achievements.
“I could have done a PhD in fluid mechanics but I wasn’t
that deeply interested in working on the flow of fluid day
in and day out. When I came back to Hong Kong from
Cambridge, I didn’t rush back into academia,” he said.
“I tried writing and reporting for newspapers, then I joined
the University of Hong Kong as a case writer. I became fascinated with the
applicability and practicality of business research and I wanted to dig deeper,
especially in the field of marketing. My colleagues told me that, given my
background and training, if I wanted to study for a PhD in marketing in Hong Kong,
I should go to HKUST.”
He graduated last year, having had opportunities to conduct research, co-author
papers with established scholars in their fields, teach and go on exchange to Duke
University as a visiting scholar.
His research interests include game theory and experimental economics, and he
has even found a topic that links his enjoyment of music with his studies.
“One of my interests is the pricing strategy and operation model of Radiohead, a
British band that asked people to name their price for downloading their recent
album,” he said.
His body of achievements made him a strong candidate for academic positions,
and in the fall he will join the Judge Business School at his alma mater, Cambridge,
as Lecturer/Assistant Professor.
A Scholar and a Writer
“I became fascinated
with the applicability
and practicality of
business research”
Cambridge University
Vincent Mak
W
hen Ling Cen started his PhD studies at the School five years ago, it was a
little like a homecoming.
As a teenager on a two-year scholarship to the Li Po Chun United World College in
Hong Kong, he used to visit HKUST’s library, which was much better stocked than
that in his secondary school.
“I was impressed with the beautiful campus and the
academic atmosphere and I learned about the
University. When I decided to do my PhD, HKUST was
my obvious choice,” he said.
Ling is originally from Zhejiang province and returned to
the Mainland after completing his secondary school
studies to do an undergraduate degree in Economics.
He then went to The University of Warwick where he
received an MSc in Economics and Finance with
Distinction and worked for a short period with an
investment company, before deciding he belonged in
academia.
“I find research fascinating because nothing matters but the beauty of thinking in
the pursuit of truth,” he said. “The current financial crisis will provide a lot of
interesting subjects for future research.”
He has also proven to be a gifted teacher. Most of the senior PhD students plan
and teach a full summer course, and Ling was recognized with a runner-up award
in the School’s annual Franklin Prize for Teaching Excellence last year.
Ling has recently completed his PhD and in the fall he will join the Rotman School
of Management at the University of Toronto, a leading center for finance research.
A Chance to Pursue the Truth
“I find research fascinating”
University of Toronto
Ling Cen
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