HKBU Graduate School

Meet the Graduate School’s Student Ambassador: Kelly Deng

Kelly Deng, a second-year PhD student in Marketing, is one of the Graduate School’s first cohort of Student Ambassadors. She has been actively involved in student mentoring, orientation activities, and organising academic and social events to help new students adapt to campus life. She values building connections, creating a welcoming atmosphere, and supporting peers whenever possible.

With enthusiasm, patience, strong communication, and project management skills, Kelly is excited to continuously contribute to our research community.

About GS Student Ambassadors:
As authentic RPg voices, our Student Ambassadors aim to increase awareness of research programmes and academic pathways. Through their leadership, connections, and research excellence, we’re building a bigger, better-connected, and more vibrant research community.

From Foundational Training to Impactful Research: A Look Back at the ITS PhD Student Oral Presentation

What an inspiring two days! We are immensely proud of our first-year PhD students from the Institute of Transdisciplinary Studies (ITS) who showcased their initial research at their Oral Presentations. Prof. Cheung King-ho, Executive Associate Dean of Graduate School, kicked off both days with a warm and encouraging opening remark, setting a wonderful tone for the presentations.

This year, we are delighted to present 10 PhD students who have engaged in project-based training under the close guidance of their supervisors. Their research spans diverse transdisciplinary themes, including agentic AI, chemoresistance, bioelectronic sensing, thermoelectrics, multi-agent evaluation, neural imagery and computation, computational chemistry, secure 3D vision, and 3D representation learning. Together, these projects highlight the breadth and impact of transdisciplinary research.

The student presentations were the direct result of the intensive, project-based training provided by the ITS program, also a testament to the power of transdisciplinary training. It equips students with the analytical, communication, and collaborative skills needed to tackle complex, real-world problems. These presentations also showcased a remarkable range of innovation, with projects seamlessly bridging HKBU’s key research clusters.

A huge thank you to all who attended as an essential part of shaping the next generation of research leaders by providing invaluable feedback and support!

𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤" 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐃 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤📒

On 17 April, "𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐃 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤: 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬" came to life, offering a strategic advantage to students navigating the crucial "What's next?" question. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for this insightful session.

Our speakers, Dr. Kristen Li and Dr. Jason Ho, shared candidly about their journeys from academia to diverse leadership roles. A special congratulations goes to our outstanding Student Ambassadors, Ms. Yuqi Kelly DENG, who masterfully set the stage and managed our dynamic Q&A, and Ms. Ruby SHI, who led the deep-dive discussion with probing and thoughtful questions.

Guided by our moderators, the conversation went well beyond surface-level advice to explore the real challenges and decisions that shape a career. Instead of just success stories, we heard "real talk", including the setbacks that caused the guest speakers to question their direction, the interview questions that caught them off guard, and how their PhD training was both a gift and a challenge to overcome. It was an honest and unfiltered look at building a career in the real world.

A huge thank you to our speakers for their vulnerability and wisdom, and to Kelly and Ruby for making the conversation so meaningful. We hope the event inspired everyone who joined to see their own journey not as a single, fixed path, but as a "dynamic playbook filled with endless possibilities."

HKBU Career Centre

📕Don't miss out on 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐃 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤: 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 this Friday!

Gain firsthand insights from Dr. Kristen Li and Dr. Jason Ho on how to successfully pivot from research to diverse roles in academia and industry. Learn to translate your skills and gain valuable career insights. The sharing will be moderated by our Student Ambassadors, Ms. Kelly Deng and Ms. Ruby Shi, followed by a mingling session with refreshments.

Seats are filling up. Register now to secure your spot at https://sa.hkbu.edu.hk/en/career/events-and-news/events/The-PhD-Playbook--From-Thesis-to-Diverse-Career-Possibilities.html

HKBU Career Centre

Witness the Next Impactful Research: The ITS PhD Student Oral Presentation 🎤

Join us for a pivotal moment in our first-year PhD students' academic journey. As part of their project-based doctoral training, this session is more than just a presentation—it's a key milestone where students hone their presentation, analytical, and communication skills. It provides them with a solid foundation for their future research trajectories.

We invite all HKBU staff, students, and community members to attend, provide constructive feedback, and support these emerging scholars as they share their initial research outputs.

Event Details:
📅 Dates: 14 & 28 April 2026
🕒 Time: 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM
📍 Venue: Collaborative Computer Laboratory, 4/F, Main Library, HKBU

Be part of their research journey. Register by 13 April 2026 at https://gs.hkbu.edu.hk/its-phd-student-oral-presentation-2026

Hear directly from students shaping the future of AI in education — exploring opportunities, challenges, and the importance of using AI ethically and mindfully at TALES 7 on 17 April.

Learn more:
https://chtl.hkbu.edu.hk/workshops/tales-25-26-s2.html -4655ec43d6-item-6b22b343d8

🚀Ignite Your Research Ambitions at HKBU! The deadline to apply for our 2026-27 Research Postgraduate Programmes is fast approaching. Submit your application by April 15 and turn your vision into impact.

Seize this opportunity today: https://gs.hkbu.edu.hk/admission/research-postgraduate-programmes/application

📣 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗞𝗕𝗨—𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗡𝗢𝗪! 🌏✨

Ready to advance your academic journey and contribute to impactful discoveries? Applications remain open for the 2026-27 Research Postgraduate Programmes at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)!

As a research-led liberal arts university in Asia, HKBU offers a supportive environment with advanced research facilities, opportunities for close collaboration and supervision by world-class scholars, and comprehensive support—including studentship, conference funding and research-related travel allowance—everything you need to pursue impactful research and academic excellence.

With 30 programmes spanning six faculties/schools, HKBU is the place for the curious, the creative and the bold—whether you’re pioneering new theories, tackling real-world challenges, or forging paths in creative-practice research! 🌟

⏰Deadline for applications: 15 April 2026
🚀 Don’t wait—seize this opportunity and start your research journey today:
https://gs.hkbu.edu.hk/admission/research-postgraduate-programmes/application

Are you ready to translate your research skills into career success?
This upcoming session, co-organised with the Career Centre, provides a practical playbook for navigating diverse professional landscapes—from academia to industry. Gain valuable insights and connect with peers and mentors.

Register now at: https://lnkd.in/gNhJNBk7

📕The PhD Playbook: From Thesis to Diverse Career Possibilities

💭Curious about where your PhD can take you outside the lab or research roles? Co-organised by the Career Centre and the Graduate School, this session is your launchpad for diverse career possibilities.

Gain firsthand insights on how to:
🔓Unlock and reframe your PhD experience as a versatile toolkit for any industry.
👨🏻‍🏫Navigate successful career pivots—from research to teaching to industry.
👩🏻‍💻Translate your research skills and academic achievements into the language employers value.

Dr Kristen Li is our home-grown graduate and a distinguished educator and researcher at HKBU. Dr Li has been recognised with the 2024 UGC Teaching Award and the 2023 HKBU President’s Award for Outstanding Performance in Individual Teaching.

Dr. Jason Ho received his PhD in Comparative Literature from The University of Hong Kong in 2011. His career kick-started in academia since then, before he moved to HKBU in 2019, shifting his work from teaching and research to service-learning and alumni affairs. After taking a one-year career break in 2024, he entered the corporate world and is now CEO of a startup innovating the concepts of health and well-being.

The sharing will be moderated by Ms Kelly Deng and Ms Ruby Shi, current PhD students from the Department of Management, Marketing, and Information Systems, School of Business.


📅Date: 17 April
🕐Time: 4:00–5:30 pm
☕Venue: Chapter Coffee, UG/F, Jockey Club Campus of Creativity, HKBU
Format: Sharing and Q&A, followed by a mingling session with refreshments
Registration: https://sa.hkbu.edu.hk/en/career/events-and-news/events/The-PhD-Playbook--From-Thesis-to-Diverse-Career-Possibilities.html

Welcome First Cohort of Graduate School’s Student Ambassadors! ✨

We are proud to announce the official launch of the Graduate School's Student Ambassador Programme. It is with great excitement that we welcome our inaugural cohort of dedicated ambassadors, chosen to represent the passion, diversity, and collaborative spirit of our community.

Serving as a vital link between HKBU and prospective students, our ambassadors will share their authentic experiences with both new and current students alike. They are set to play a key role in a variety of engagements and events, helping to expand our research community. Their perspective is invaluable in shaping a supportive and dynamic learning environment for everyone.

We recently celebrated the programme's debut with a kick-off lunch, which provided a wonderful opportunity for the team to connect and share their aspirations for the year ahead.

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to all the ambassadors. We look forward to the positive impact they will undoubtedly make!

: From Studying to Nurturing—Challenging yet Rewarding 🌍

Dr Ronald Hung Tsz Hin, a graduate of HKBU’s Department of Accountancy, Economics and Finance (Economics), is developing an academic career focused on economics and data-driven inquiry. His research brings together artificial intelligence, big data analytics, machine learning, econometrics, and statistics, and applies these tools to areas such as digital economics, macroeconomics, real estate, and e-commerce. Through this interdisciplinary approach, he aims to better understand how technology is reshaping markets and economic behaviour.

Ronald’s PhD journey was powered by strong support from HKBU and the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS). Funding and mentorship enabled hands-on research in AI, big data, and machine learning; academic exchanges and seminars that fostered collaboration; and opportunities to present at respected conferences organised by the Econometric Society, as well as events at Hong Kong Science Park.

He expresses deep gratitude to his principal supervisor, Prof. Shui-ki Wan, for patience, guidance, and encouragement that shaped his research direction and strengthened his teaching. He also thanks all the professors in the School of Business for their generous support and mentorship, which broadened his academic perspective and opened new avenues for exploration.

His advice for future PhDs:
PhD life is challenging yet rewarding—stay persistent, curious, and balanced. Build a strong foundation in theory, methods, and tools, and explore beyond traditional boundaries. Engage with the research community through conferences, workshops, and collaborations (including with industry) to refine ideas and gain real-world perspectives. Research is about communication as much as discovery: write often, share progress, and embrace feedback. Reflect on your motivations and celebrate small wins—they lead to long-term success.

What is ?
“WEBuild” merges “WE” and “BU” to spotlight how HKBU alumni are building a better world across diverse professions after graduation.

Learn more from our alumni journeys and get inspired:
https://gs.hkbu.edu.hk/prospective-students/why-hkbu/alumni-student-sharing

Hong Kong Baptist University - School of Business