A. Purpose of the Award
1. Postgraduate awards in the form of studentships are allocated to full-time research postgraduate students (RPgs) of the University to provide them with financial assistance for their daily subsistence, tuition fees and other related expenses during the course of their study. The studentship award is provided to ensure that RPgs do not need to be concerned with looking for other sources of income to support themselves. Full-time RPgs should devote full efforts to their studies.
2. Awards given are based on academic merit, English Language proficiency, and the suitability of the RPgs for the proposed program of study, as is the selection of applicants for admission to postgraduate studies.
3. PGS awards may be funded by the University, research grants secured by faculty members, donations, or a combination of these.
The terms and conditions for PGS awards described here apply to all PGS awards, regardless of their source of funding.
B. Eligibility
Only full-time regular RPgs of the University are eligible to apply for PGS.
Applicants who may simultaneously be recipients of government grants and loans will be treated like all others in the selection process. Holders of other scholarship(s)/award(s) may receive PGS provided that this does not violate the terms and conditions of the other scholarship(s)/award(s).
The studentship is conditional on demonstrated competency in English that satisfies the requirements of the University as well as the home department of the student concerned.
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C. Administration
The allocation and administration of PGSs to RPgs is the responsibility of the department the RPgs are registered with.
D. Amount and Duration of the Awards
1. RPgs, except awardees of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS), may receive a monthly PGS up to HK$14,000 in the 2013/14 year. The actual PGS rate a student receives is determined by the home department. The PGS rate, which is reviewed annually, may be adjusted upward or downward.
2. All new full-time RPgs are required to take a Spoken English test administered by the Center for Language Education at the start of the first regular term of their study at HKUST. Students whose test score is below the threshold score are required to take and pass an English Language course, LANG 5000, which has been designed to help improve their spoken English proficiency.
3. RPgs whose Spoken English test score was below the threshold score are not allowed to take up teaching assistant duties involving direct classroom interaction with students or any teaching-related duties involving communication with students in spoken English until they have passed LANG 5000. Department may link the performance of students in LANG 5000 with the PGS rate that RPgs receive by reducing the PGS rate by 25% for students who fail LANG 5000 a second time.
4. PhD students who have passed their qualifying examination and have done well in their work may receive, in the next term following the passing of the qualifying examination, a higher PGS rate of no more than $14, 490. The award of the higher PGS rate is not automatic, nor is it an entitlement for post-qualifying PhD students. The actual PGS rate for these PhD students is determined by the home department. Any PGS amount higher than HK$14,490 should be endorsed by the Office of Postgraduate Studies on a case-by-case basis. Neither UGC nor RGC funding may be used to support a higher rate of PGS to RPgs. The department’s
basis as the continued provision of PGS in subsequent years will depend on the performance and the study progress of the PGS recipients as well as funding availability.
5. For recipients of PGS, who occupy campus accommodation, room rental will be deducted from the PGS amount. Campus accommodation policies and details of the accommodation arrangements can be obtained from the Student Housing Office, a sub-office of the Student Affairs Office (SAO).
6. PGS award commences at the time when an RPg begins his studies at the University. PGS may be offered, at most, for one academic year only. Awards for the 2014/15 academic year will be reviewed and determined before the beginning of Fall Term, 2014/15, subject to the availability of funding and satisfactory performance of the awardees.
7. As a general rule, PGS recipients who are studying beyond their normative period should be supported by sources other than UGC and RGC funding.
E. Other Conditions
1. PGS recipients are not employees of the University, and PGS award is not taxable income.
2. As the provision of PGS award is to ensure that subsistence living of recipients is covered, RPgs should devote full-time efforts to their studies. During the regular Fall and Spring Terms, full-time RPgs are not allowed to engage in any full-time or part-time employment with the University or any other employer. This applies to both local and non-local students regardless of whether or not they are receiving PGS.
3. The only exception to the above rule mentioned in Para E2 is that full-time RPgs who are not receiving PGS may take up no more than 10 hours per week on-campus part-time work, subject to the prior approval of the department, the school and the Office of Postgraduate Studies. Non-local RPgs must also satisfy the
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conditions of their stay laid down by the Hong Kong Immigration Department.
4. During Winter or Summer Term, with the prior approval of the department, the school and the Office of Postgraduate Studies, an RPg may engage in full-time research assistantship (RA) work within the University. In such cases, the PGS will be temporarily suspended during the period of employment as a research assistant.
Students who wish to take up a RA appointment should seek the prior approval of the Office of Postgraduate Studies via their home department and school before they commit themselves for Winter or Summer RA work.
5. All recipients of PGS, including HKPFS awardees, may be required to engage in ancillary duties related to teaching or research, which supplement their formal degree programs. The nature of these assignments may change from time to time according to need.
However, they are limited to 36 effective hours per month on average. “Effective hours” includes both contact hours and preparation time. In the case of research-related duties, if the duties performed by an RPg are directly related to his own thesis research or project, the 36-hour limit should not apply. Such duties are not considered to be “work” as mentioned in the preceding study, including their ancillary duties, or who fail to demonstrate
competency in English that satisfies their home department, may lose their award or receive a partial award, but normally with at least one month’s written notice given by their home department.
Engagement in unauthorized work mentioned in Paras E2 - E4 above may also lead to the termination of PGS.
2. The PGS award is conditional on the PGS recipient undertaking and continuing full-time postgraduate studies at HKUST.
Unauthorized leave will result in the immediate cancellation of PGS without prior notification. One month’s advance notice is not required in such circumstances.
3. A PGS recipient who takes more leave than is allowed (see Para E6) may have his PGS payment suspended with no prior warning. For those who take leave from study or are required to take academic leave, their PGS will stop from the time they start their leave, or earlier as advised by the home department.
4. The payment of PGS will cease in the month the recipient has completed his program of study at the University, i.e. the month when a student submits his final thesis to the Academic Records and Registration Office (ARRO).
5. Under exceptional circumstances and with the support of Dean’s Office concerned and the PG Secretariat of the Office of Postgraduate Studies, the termination of a PGS award may be immediate without prior notification.
6. HKPFS awardees are also required to comply with the terms and conditions of the fellowship award.
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