MPhil/PhD in Geography
Programme Overview
Mphil/PhD in Geography are research-based degrees that equip students with the ability to conduct independent, high-quality research in their chosen field:
- Conduct original research work culminating in the submission of a thesis
- Supervised by a principal supervisor and co-supervisor(s)
- Undertake coursework as required by the Department and the Faculty
- Participate in seminars and conferences organized by the Department
- Serve as teaching assistants
Admission information
The Department of Geography welcomes applications for MPhil and PhD studies. Applicants are encouraged to first study the research interests of our academic staff. Please refer to https://geog.hkbu.edu.hk/people/academic-and-teaching-staff.html, which contains information on their publications and research grants.
There are three modes of admissions to our research postgraduate programs: (1) Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS), (2) University’s research studentships, and (3) self-funded mode. The HKPFS and the University’s research studentships are highly competitive. Applicants for the PhD programme are strongly encouraged to apply for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme – qualified applicants of the HKPFS will be considered for the University’s research studentships simultaneously. Applicants are also urged to consider admission via the self-funded mode.
Application link: https://gs.hkbu.edu.hk/programmes/doctor-of-philosophy-master-of-philosophy-department-of-geography
Postgraduate Outstanding Publication Award
The Department has supported postgraduate students’ research via the Postgraduate Outstanding Publication Award since 1 September 2020. This Award aims to bring recognition to outstanding research contributions of postgraduate students’ in the Department of Geography and to encourage them to disseminate research findings through publishing in top-tier international journals. An award of HK$3,000 will be offered to eligible students. Awardees will be invited to present the published work in the Departmental Seminar Series.
Graduate Sharing
Dr. CHAN Yuen Tung, David
- PhD Graduate of 2020
- Currently a Post-doctoral Research Fellow and Senior Project Officer at Lingnan University
I am an economic geographer, and my research focuses on the global/regional production chain/network and regional developments. More particularly, my thesis studies the production relocation from China to Vietnam. I am now working at Lingnan University as a senior project officer, researcher and lecturer. I enjoyed very much my study journey in HKBU, and it led me to my position now. It has given me not only the chance to engage in different research-related activities, such as presentations, international conferences, and overseas field investigations, but also the opportunities for taking up teaching and administrative duties. I was able to be the tutor, and I was also able to help organize the overseas exchange tour and international conference for the department and the faculty. As our world has become increasingly competitive, it is always good to learn things apart from our research field. And I think the department and HKBU did offer me a complete learning package.
Professional Profile: https://www.ln.edu.hk/osl/introduction/our-staff/dr-chan-yuen-tung-david
Dr. GUAN Xiaodong
- PhD Graduate of 2020
- Currently a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at Utrecht University
The topic of my thesis is "the links among the built environment, travel attitudes, and travel behavior: a household-based perspective". In this research, I aim to explore the decision mechanism of the household couples in location and travel choices. Based on the household travel survey data in Beijing, 2016, and a series of multivariate analyses, I find that the couples do play different roles in household decisions. Specifically, the husband's travel attitudes matter more in long-term choices like the residential location and car ownership, while the wife's dominant shortterm decisions such as daily travel in urban China. In addition, the husband tends to adjust his travel behavior in accord to the wife's travel pattern, but not the other way around.
Besides providing a new (household) perspective to future academic research on the built environment and travel behavior, this thesis also has important policy implications for future urban and transport planning. In particular, urban planners should better take the household rather than the individual as the audience of land use and transport-related policies. Travel is a way to meet personal needs in daily life, and thus improved wellbeing should be the ultimate policy goal in transport. In future works, I will extend the current research framework by including social equity and travelers' subjective wellbeing into analysis.
Professional Profile: https://www.uu.nl/staff/XGuan
Dr. HOU Guolong
- PhD Graduate of 2021
- Currently an Associate Research Fellow at South China Normal University
During my doctoral study, I was involved in the project "Use of carbon sequestration to finance afforestation of poor farmers' marginal farmland: A case study of China". My PhD thesis mainly assessed the carbon sequestration by tree biomass and soils, and its economic value.
Specifically, the effects of tree groups (article in Plant and Soil) and slope gradients (article in Ecological Engineering) on soil carbon sequestration are significant after afforestation. In addition, using carbon value to compensate farmers' opportunity cost of their retired farmland is feasible (article in Forests) while the carbon accounting methods play an important role in the rotation period of forest plantations (article in Forest Policy and Economics). Overall, the research contributes to the efficient and sustainable management of forestry projects using carbon sequestration.
My life in HKBU was memorable. I learned a lot from our knowledgeable professors and lovely peers. The university also provided us many opportunities to communicate with world-class scholars. I can’t forget my two-month attachment in Switzerland. All these experiences are my precious treasure that will benefit all my life.
Now I’m doing research in South China Normal University. The working environment in Mainland China has been improved a lot and will continue getting better. To me it’s a good time to come back to work and stay together with my family.
My supervisor always reminded me to work hard during my PhD study which I also want to remind you. Even if there may be many obstacles in your study, don’t give up and keep fighting. You’ll finally succeed.
Ms. HU Guohua
- MPhil Graduate of 2020
- Currently an Engineer at Zhejiang Development & Planning Institution
My thesis is titled as ‘The State (re)Production of Scale A Case Study of Shenshan Special Cooperation Zone, China’, by which you may find the content deals with the scale theory and economic zones of China. I hope such research will contribute to enrich the process-based approach of scale jumping and present an ongoing institutional test on the ‘enclave economic development model’.
Most of my time was spent in students’ office, and the most impressive memory was reading hundreds of paper and books to figure out what is scale and how it works, which took me almost one year’s time. Yet now I’d like to say, it’s all worth it! Such accumulation of knowledge has helped me a lot in both doing research and developing ways of thinking.
Dr. WU Shuang
- PhD Graduate of 2020
- Currently an Assistant Professor at BNU-HKBU United International College
The topic of my PhD thesis is "Workers' Everyday Lives and the Transformation of China's Post-reform State-owned Enterprises (SOEs)". The aim is to understand the transformative changes of China's SOEs from workers' everyday lives. Funded by HKPFS, I deployed a case study of SOEs in Northeast Provinces of China by using a qualitative research method with a phased approach. This research renovates in re-conceptualising SOEs as sociospatial formations with a focus on everyday life of each worker. Extending my PhD research, I'm now conducting a research project on affective China's SOEs under Covid-19.
I spent a 4-year meaningful PhD life at Geography department, thanks to all the insightful and friendly faculties, peers, and supporting staff. I received not only academic nurturing but also compassionate care all through my PhD years.
I'm now an assistant professor in the programme of Globalisation and Development at BNU-HKBU United International College in Zhuhai.
Professional Profile: https://dhss.uic.edu.cn/en/faculty/faculty.htm#/shuangwu/en
Dr. LIU Huizeng
- PhD Graduate of 2019
- Currently a Post-doctoral Researcher at Shenzhen University
I studied at HKBU since 2015 and received a doctorate in 2019 for my thesis, “Ocean Color Atmospheric Correction based on Black Pixel Assumption over Turbid Waters” (supervised by Prof. ZHOU Qiming, Prof. LI Qingquan and Prof. LI Jianfeng). Since my graduation, I have been a postdoc researcher in the MNR Key Laboratory for Geo-Environmental Monitoring of Great Bay Area, Shenzhen University. I am recognized as an Overseas High-Caliber Personnel (Level C) in Shenzhen.
My research focuses on the basic theory, methodology and application of remote sensing for environment monitoring, and my research interests include radiative transfer, ocean color remote sensing, atmospheric correction, earth radiation budget and machine learning modeling. I have published more than 30 peer-reviewed journal articles, and most of them are published in top-ranked international journals.
As a HKBU graduate and a young researcher, I would suggest my schoolmates to: 1) find a continuable field you are interested in; 2) identify a real scientific question you will answer through your PhD study; 3) be curious and brave to explore the scientific and the real world; 4) have keen insight to find research gap and master problem-solving skills; 5) seek advice from your supervisor when needed; 6) be and keep active in your research field.
Professional Profile: https://facultyce.szu.edu.cn/HuizengLiu/zh_CN/index.htm