PolyU and the University of Surrey (Surrey) have signed an agreement to establish a dual Ph.D. degree relationship. The new joint programme will be launched in the research fields of hospitality and tourism, to be further extended to other academic disciplines in the future.
As a start, experts from the SHTM at PolyU and the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Surrey will jointly supervise postgraduate students as they
prepare their theses and the two universities will award dual degrees. Students will spend at least 18 months at each institution with the first intake of students expected in the academic year 2020/21.
The signing ceremony took place on 17 October 2019 at PolyU was presided over by Professor Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU, and Professor G. Q. Max Lu, President and Vice-Chancellor of Surrey. The ceremony was witnessed by senior management and representatives of both
institutions.
At the ceremony, Professor Teng said that collaboration between academic institutions was the prevailing trend in higher education. This strategic agreement would be an important milestone exemplifying PolyU's vision of strengtening and sharing resources with other internationally renowned universities, as well as benefiting students from both institutions. This would be an exceptional opportunity for students to participate in academic research led by international
experts in their fields.
Professor Lu remarked that it was fantastic seeing collaboration between the two strong institutions beginning with the dual Ph.D. programme in hospitality and tourism management – disciplines in which both universities are world leaders. He hoped that other complementary fields would soon follow suit to further enhance the two institutions' global reputations.
The collaboration aims to bring together the complementary expertise of PolyU and Surrey for
enhancing research and knowledge exploration. The innovative joint programme will also broaden the international experience of Ph.D. students in both institutions.
PolyU and Surrey have had a longstanding partnership since 2009. The wide range of collaborative activities include joint research projects in the field of hospitality and tourism management, as well as more than 60 student exchanges in disciplines including construction and environment, design, engineering, marketing,
language studies and logistics. Despite the long-term PolyU-Surrey collaboration, it is the first Joint Ph.D. programme leading to dual awards between the two global leading institutions in hospitality and tourism.
Professor Kaye Chon, SHTM Dean, Chair Professor and Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management welcomed the partnership with Surrey in training hospitality and tourism researchers who would contribute to the creation of new knowledge and
advancement of the industry. In the fast-changing world of hospitality and tourism, the dual Ph.D. programme would provide added value to students by enhancing their academic quality and broadening their international vision.
Professor Nigel Morgan, Head of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Surrey commented that the dual Ph.D. programme would offer doctoral students a unique opportunity to study at two of the world's top hospitality and tourism schools, and to work
with some of the field's most eminent scholars. The mobility offered by the programme across two institutions in Europe and Asia would give students a truly international learning and research experience.
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