On behalf of the Oxford University Hong Kong Scholars Association, we would like to extend our warmest welcome to you for joining our Hong Kong PhD Symposium 2020 'Scholars’ Journal: Triumphs and Struggles beyond PhD' at the HKU Graduate House.
We are a group of enthusiastic scholars and researchers from Hong Kong now based at Oxford. Within Oxford, we aim to provide our members with a platform of knowledge exchange, and to facilitate academic and career-oriented collaborations among our members. Throughout the years, we have also been committed to a number of outreach projects in Hong Kong. We bridge our scholars with local institutions to raise the awareness of graduate programmes and academic career for prospective students in our workshops, seminars, and symposia. We believe there are many young generations to come that share the same vision with us in academia.
Oxford is celebrating the centenary of PhD this year, and believes PhDs 'changed the fundamental nature and make-up of the University, perhaps more significantly than at any time in the preceding 800 years'. A PhD is usually the terminal degree of all academic study paths. It celebrates a scholar’s achievement in producing a dissertation whose body of knowledge advances our understanding of the world and contributes novelty to the field. However, the story does not just end here – here, where the directions end and the long expedition begins.
We are most honoured to have 5 invited speakers with us, who are all established scholars with different backgrounds and at different career stages. We will also engage in interactive discussion with our panel speakers, who are more early-career scholars. All scholars will share with us their motivation to embark on their academic journey. They will tell us their moments of triumphs and struggles. They will walk us through how they navigated within and outside of academia, before finally reaching where they are now.
We want to let our audience know, there is an endless possibility beginning with an academic career.
We must thank both the HKU Graduate House and The Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences for their failing support that make this Symposium possible. We also thank all speakers for their insightful sharing and generous time.
Last but not least, we hope you will enjoy our Symposium today. We would also like to wish you a very prosperous year ahead, with all your aspirations and endeavours.
The Committee of Oxford University Hong Kong Scholars Association
Terence Tsui, President (Rhodes Scholar)
Alan Chau, Vice-President
Henry Hung, Academic Officer (Oxford-Radcliffe Scholar)
Kenneth Lee, Social Officer
Alex Tsui, Events Officer (Croucher Scholar)
Verna Shum, Secretary
Bryan Ng, Treasurer
