The University of Waterloo, Canada’s leading innovation university, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, one of the world’s top engineering schools, will introduce dual doctoral degrees in engineering that will allow select students to simultaneously earn a PhD from each institution.
Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of Waterloo, and Tony Chan, president of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), signed a memorandum of understanding establishing the new program at Waterloo on October 8. The partnership, that will begin next year, forges a powerful academic alliance between leading universities in Asia and North America.
Tony
Chan,
Pearl
Sullivan
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Feridun
Hamdullahpur
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the
MOU
signing.
“I am extremely proud to combine our innovation power to train the next generation of scholars and innovators,” said Hamdullahpur. “This PhD education partnership will allow doctoral candidates from top notch Engineering Faculties to build a foundation on which to establish further academic and research collaborations.”
Initiative to evolve PhD education to include transitional skills
Beginning in January 2016, students will have the opportunity to study under the guidance of engineering doctoral supervisors from both universities, spending approximately equal amounts of time at each campus.
Waterloo Engineering is preparing PhD candidates for the future of research and development careers. Leading research intensive institutions and global industry labs want PhD graduates to have exposure to different cultures, the ability to adapt to international lab environments and practical experience on how research results could be implemented for the benefit of society,” said Pearl Sullivan, dean of the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering. “This is one of Waterloo Engineering’s initiatives for evolving doctoral education to include translational skills that can expand career possibilities for graduates.
Students are expected to meet all the requirements at both institutions, but are only required to prepare one doctoral thesis and perform one thesis defense. Upon successful completion from the program, students will receive a degree from each institution indicating it was performed in cotutelle – a French term for PhD programs offered jointly by two institutions.
“HKUST is one of the fastest rising universities in the world and University of Waterloo has one of the top engineering schools in North America — in many areas it is the global leader," said Chan. This PhD partnership is great for future students who can benefit from both our highly ranked school of engineering and from their engineering faculty, and they will also benefit from the special culture and entrepreneurial environment at the two institutions.”