The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is one of Asia’s leading research universities, consistently ranked among the top institutions worldwide. HKU offers a highly international research environment, strong interdisciplinary collaboration, and excellent support. 

Founded in 1973, the Department of Data and Systems Engineering (DASE) at HKU has a long-standing tradition in systems engineering and computing, with strengths in areas such as artificial intelligence, big data, robotics, and intelligent systems, and a strong record of educating academic and industry leaders.

FAQ

1. What is your supervision style?

• I would closely support most first- and second-year students to help establish strong research habits and a solid foundation. As you progress and gain confidence, I gradually transition to a more hands-off approach, encouraging independence and ownership of your research. I will not continuously supply ideas for your PhD project. Although I will be closely involved in discussions, the PhD is not meant to be a process of executing pre-assigned tasks. You are encouraged to develop your own research direction and articulate why it is valuable.

• Above all, my job is to support your success in your future career—a principle my own PhD supervisor shared with me when I joined Cambridge—and I will do my best to help make that happen. I also strongly value diversity, equality, and inclusion. If you have any concerns, please raise them: see it, say it, sorted!

2. Are there any specific requirements for PhD admissions? Do I need an outstanding GPA or many publications?

• I do not personally place strong emphasis on GPA or publication counts—unless your GPA is significantly low (e.g., <3.3/4.0) or your application materials do not demonstrate commitment, ambition, and a strong alignment with my research interests. That said, in practice, the university and/or department may have formal requirements or preferences. When I believe there is a strong mutual fit, I am willing to advocate on your behalf.

• Naturally, having strong publications and excellent academic records can be advantageous, particularly when applying for prestigious fellowships (e.g., HKU-PS and HKPFS), as they help demonstrate research potential. Don’t publish simply to increase your paper count. I do not primarily care about the venue or the number of papers you have. What matters most is whether you truly understand your work and take pride in it. If you have publications (which is of course a plus), I will read them carefully and ask both high-level and technical questions. Again, having a CHI paper is not essential—what matters most to me is your willingness to learn deeply and your commitment to working hard and doing excellent work.

3. Can I discuss my application with you?

• Yes, but only if you've submitted your materials via Google Forms. Then, feel free to drop by if you are on or around the HKU campus, or send me an email to remind me (please keep it brief as I can review your materials in detail). You are also welcome to start a conversation if you happen to see me elsewhere. I’m always happy to chat, and I’ll gladly treat you to a soft drink or a coffee.

• To be fair to all applicants, I won’t be able to provide detailed feedback on your PhD research proposal. However, I’m happy to share my research interests and offer brief comments on your potential directions during our conversation. Please prepare your proposal to align with my interests, and revise it slightly based on our discussion.

• Again, it’s important to note that I do not primarily evaluate applicants based on high GPAs or a large number of publications. Instead, I place strong emphasis on your overall background and the overlap between your interests and my research.

4. Can I collaborate with other students, including those from other universities?

• Yes, but usually not during your first year. During this period, the focus should be on developing strong independent research skills. Once you have established a solid level of independence, collaborations outside the group or university are highly encouraged. In practice, after submitting your first solo piece of work (co-authored only with me) is typically a good milestone for making this transition.

5. What are the graduation requirements? 

• In short: at least three solid, independent research projects that can be woven into a coherent and compelling PhD thesis—one that convinces both your examiners and me that “yes and congratulations, you should be a Dr. now!” 

• Keep writing. Keep polishing. Keep submitting. If I am satisfied with your work, it is not necessary for every piece to be accepted or published. The reasoning is explained below. 

6. Do publications matter?

• I am well aware that peer review can be something of a lottery. Not getting a paper accepted does not define your ability as a researcher. I do not require a specific number of CCF-A/B/C or CORE-A/A* (or equivalent) papers for graduation. While strong publications are often beneficial for your career—and yes, 🤢 the counting game exists and isn’t disappearing anytime soon—I strongly dislike reducing PhD training to paper counts.

7. Which venues are we expected to submit to?

• While CCF/CORE rankings themselves are not a priority, it is important to submit your work to the most relevant research community. Publishing in a venue where the audience is unfamiliar with or uninterested in your topic is rarely beneficial. In general, we aim for SIGCHI- or VGTC-sponsored conferences, as well as other closely related journals. Venues such as CHI, UIST, TOCHI, IEEE VR, ISMAR, and TVCG are typically regarded as the most prestigious in our field. That said, smaller but core venues are equally valued when they are the right fit for the work—for example, SUI, VRST, DIS, ISS, CSCW, UbiComp, and related conferences/journals.

• The key principle is relevance and impact within the appropriate community, rather than venue rankings alone.

8. Are there group activities?

• Yes. We value a supportive group culture. We will hold weekly or bi-weekly group meetings, along with other academic and social activities. We also care about life outside of work and aim to maintain a healthy balance. Any group member is encouraged to organise their interesting events.

9. Am I encouraged to pursue internships or visit other research labs?

• Absolutely! I strongly encourage every PhD student in my group to spend time—at least once during the PhD (3 months or longer)—in industry or at another strong research lab. I’m happy to help with planning, applications, or connections.

10. Can I attend conferences?

• Yes. All students with first-authored full papers are expected to present their work in person, and I will provide funding for this. Ideally, each student should attend at least one conference per year. Being active and visible within your research community is an important part of PhD training.

11. Do I need to be involved in industry-sponsored (collaborative) projects?

• If your funding (partially or fully) comes from my industry-sponsored or collaborative projects, then yes—participation in such projects is expected. If you are supported by your own funding (e.g., a fellowship or scholarship), the situation is much more flexible. In this case, I would appreciate your support for collaborative projects when appropriate, but it is not mandatory.

12. Can I be self-funded?

• Yes, although this is uncommon. Self-funded arrangements may be considered in cases where you are highly motivated to join our lab but funding is limited. Please think carefully before choosing this option. A PhD is a 3-to-4-year commitment, and academia is ultimately a job—just as a PhD is a degree. You should consider self-funding only if you have a genuine passion for the field and intend to continue working in this area in the future.

• Even if you are self-funded, you must still meet the minimum admission requirements of the department and the standard graduation expectations of the lab; these requirements are not relaxed. In some cases, I may also consider offering additional financial support, such as hiring you as a part-time RA, to help partially offset the costs where possible.

13. What if I have other questions?

• Just ask! 🙂

Recommended Readings

• Normally, you should have read most of them before you conduct any research with me.

1. Stanford HCI Qual Exam Reading List: [Google Doc]

2. Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction (by Hornbæk, Kristensson, Oulasvirta): [Oxford University Press] (note it's open access)

3. Modern Statistical Methods for HCI: [Springer Nature]

4. Research Methods in Human-Computer Interaction: [Science Direct]

5. Pick, Click, Flick!: The Story of Interaction Techniques (by Brad Mayers): [ACM DL]

6. Computational Interaction: [Oxford University Press]

7. Bayesian Methods for Interaction and Design: [Cambridge University Press]

8. The Design of Everyday Things (by Don Norman): [Nielsen Norman Group]

9. The Encyclopedia of Human–Computer Interaction: [Interaction Design Foundation]

10. Foundations and Trends® in Human–Computer Interaction series: [Now Publishers]

11. 3D User Interfaces: Theory and Practice [Google Books]

• More to be added. Feel free to email me with book/website recommendations that influenced you a lot!