Cai Linfeng, an undergraduate who entered the School of Materials Science and Engineering of Yunnan University (YNU) in 2014, has recently obtained financial assistance from the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) to study for a PhD in the physics department at Hong Kong Baptist University.

HKPFS, established by the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong in 2009, aims to attract the best and brightest students in the world to pursue their PhD studies in Hong Kong’s universities.

Only Applicants demonstrating outstanding qualities of academic performance, research ability or potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities can obtain financial assistance. And there are only 230 PhD fellowships available each academic year.

Cai Linfeng, a student studying on one of the scholarships, has won national scholarships, Yunnan provincial government scholarships, Yunnan annual task nomination awards, and first-class scholarships.

He is disciplined, motivated and hardworking –– and gets excellent results. Cai even published a paper cited in the SCI index as an undergraduate student.

He was assisted by the summer research experience program at the physics department of Hong Kong Baptist University during his junior year, to conduct research into perovskite solar cells, which played an important part in his future application process.

The School of Materials Science and Engineering creates opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in scientific research.

Under the guidance of a university teacher and research team, Cai hosted a college-level innovative experimental project and participated in a national-level program.

Benefiting from such a training model, he was able to apply what he learned in class to actual scientific research.

Thanks to the scholarship, Cai will now be able to use his skills and knowledge while studying for his PhD in Hong Kong.