HKPFS Awardees' Sharing
CHU Yung Jeh
Place of Origin: Malaysia
Programme of Study: PhD in Architecture and Civil Engineering
I was awarded a Master of Engineering Science degree (Pass with Distinction) in the field of Energy by the University of Malaya in the year of 2018 and am currently a PhD student. My current research investigates the novel flexible folding blades wind turbine inspired by the wings of Borneo camphor seed. My areas of expertise include renewable energy (wind and water turbines), computational fluid dynamics, aerodynamics, fluid mechanics, biomimetics, and structural dynamics. During my period of study, with great assistance from the supervisor, research team, and management team at the City University of Hong Kong, I managed to publish 4 ISI journal papers and 3 conference papers, attended 3 prestigious conferences, received a best student presentation award at the 24th Annual Conference of the Hong Kong Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, and received other scholarships and awards from the City University of Hong Kong. My ongoing work includes 3 draft manuscripts, 2 conference papers, 1 patent filing, and preparation for an award nomination. I am grateful for the opportunities and platform given by the City University of Hong Kong and will strive hard to achieve more in the coming years.
LI Qing
Place of Origin: China
Programme of Study: PhD in Materials Science and Engineering
My major for Bachelor's and Master's degrees is associated with Material Science and Engineering. As an undergraduate, I participated in many campus activities and received a national scholarship when I was a sophomore. During my three-year master's period, my research topic was developing advanced Lion batteries. As the first author or co-author, two research papers were published during that period. I also proactively participated in related conferences such as “International Forum on Graphene in Shenzhen”. Before I pursued the PhD degree, I worked at a Li-ion battery manufacturer as a production engineer for battery development and served as the project management engineer manager for several months. The City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has the first department of Materials Science and Engineering in Hong Kong which provides targeted education and equipment for students in the materials background. During my time at the CityU, I managed to publish six journal articles, and this is inseparable from the guidance of my supervisor, the funding received from Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS), and the platform and excellent research atmosphere at the CityU. I really appreciated the excellent support for my HKPFS application providing by the CityU.
HUSSAIN Iftikhar
Place of Origin: Pakistan
Programme of Study: PhD in Mechanical Engineering
My main research is focused on novel electrode materials for energy storage systems, particularly super-capacitors. In general, fossil fuel is continuously depleted, and adverse effects have been noted in our surroundings, like the emission of greenhouse gases, climate change and harmful effects on human health. Thus, there is strong support amongst government and even researchers like me to provide clean, green, and renewable sources of energy and their storage that can replace fossil-fuel-generated energy. With the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) granted to me in my PhD studies, I was fortunate to study and develop new and novel materials that can be used as batteries and super-capacitors. The scheme also helped me to collaborate and be in an exchange program under the supervision of Professor Yury GOGOTSI in the United States. There, I enjoyed international conferences, enjoyed cultural exchange programs, talked to leading scientists and engineers and made numerous collaborations that I am looking forward to working with them in the future. Because of the support of the HKPFS, I was fortunate to publish dozens of scientific papers together with collaborative works in Australia, South Korea, United States of America, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, etc. and win awards. All these achievements were not possible without the support of HKPFS, City University of Hong Kong, and my supervisor, Professor ZHANG Kaili.
Dr Yvette TO
Place of Origin: Hong Kong
Programme of Study: PhD in Asian and International Studies
I began a challenging and worthwhile research journey on China’s technological upgrading with the support of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme. As a political economist, I am interested in China’s modernization and what it means for the country and the rest of the world. In my research, I examined various innovation and technology policies of China and explained the driving forces behind them. I spent a few months doing field research in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou interviewing company executives, industry experts and think tanks. The funding also enabled me to present my research at several international academic conferences where I obtained helpful feedback to improve my PhD thesis. Following my PhD, I was awarded the Hong Kong Postdoctoral Fellowship to continue my research on China. I am now investigating the global race of 5G technology, China’s role in the contest, and how China’s ambitions transform its relationships with the United States and its allies. My research will contribute to existing debates of big power rivalries in a world where power and competitiveness are increasingly dependent on the control of critical technology.
