Most international fellowships are built for early-career researchers chasing their first big break. This one flips that script. The University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Social Sciences has created a fellowship specifically for established academics, professoriate staff already working at universities across the Global South, who want dedicated time in Hong Kong to build real research partnerships rather than sit through another networking event that goes nowhere.
If you’re a professor or senior researcher based in the Global South and you’ve been looking for a structured way to collaborate internationally without uprooting your entire academic life, here’s everything you need to know before applying.
What This Fellowship Is Really About:
The Global South Fellowship Scheme exists to strengthen HKU’s Faculty of Social Sciences as a genuinely international hub, bringing scholars from the Global South into direct contact with HKU faculty members for focused, collaborative work. Rather than funding a passive research visit, the scheme is built around producing something concrete: joint research output, shared teaching moments, and long-term academic relationships that outlast the fellowship itself.
Fellows spend one to three months in Hong Kong, working alongside a matched faculty member on a shared research interest, while also stepping into the Faculty’s broader academic life through lectures, seminars, and student engagement.
Key Facts at a Glance:
- Host Institution: University of Hong Kong, Faculty of Social Sciences
- Fellowship Type: Short-term visiting research fellowship for professoriate staff
- Visit Length: One to three months, taken during either the fall semester (September to January) or the spring semester (February to June)
- Number of Fellows Selected: Up to 10 per academic year
- Application Deadline: May 31, 2026 (Hong Kong Time)
- Nationality Requirement: Open to professoriate staff affiliated with universities or comparable institutions across the Global South region
- Application Fee: Not mentioned, so there’s no cost tied to applying
- Financial Support: Airfare reimbursement plus a daily allowance covering accommodation and living costs
Understanding the Twice-Yearly Application Cycle:
Unlike a scholarship with one fixed yearly deadline, this fellowship runs on two separate cycles depending on when you’d like to visit.
- For a Fall Semester visit: the call for applications opens in April, the deadline falls in May, and successful applicants are announced by the end of June
- For a Spring Semester visit: the call for applications opens in September, the deadline falls in October, and successful applicants are announced by the end of November
This structure means it’s worth planning your application around which semester actually suits your schedule and research plans, rather than assuming there’s only one opportunity each year.
The Financial Package Fellows Receive:
Money matters practically here, since fellows are expected to relocate temporarily to Hong Kong. The remuneration package includes:
- Reimbursement of economy class return air tickets, up to HK$10,000
- A daily per-diem allowance of HK$1,500, which covers accommodation as well as general living costs for the entire duration of the fellowship
Beyond the direct financial support, fellows also gain access to university infrastructure that makes the research visit genuinely productive rather than just a change of scenery:
- Shared office space arranged by the Faculty or host Department, Centre, or Hub
- Full access to university facilities including IT services, libraries, and computer labs
- Direct collaboration with a matched HKU faculty member who shares similar research interests
- A visiting professorship appointment at a grade equivalent to your current position at your home institution, alongside the formal title of Global South Fellow
- Structured opportunities to network with faculty, deliver or attend academic lectures and seminars, and contribute to student training sessions
- Long-term relationship-building potential with a Department, Centre, or Hub that can extend well beyond the fellowship period itself
Who Should Be Applying:
This fellowship isn’t designed for graduate students or early-career researchers still finishing their doctorates. It’s built specifically around senior academic experience.
- Applicants must be professoriate staff, meaning they hold a faculty position at a university or comparable institution
- That institution must be based in the Global South region
- Selection is based on the applicant’s research record and professional achievements
- Preference is given to junior scholars and researchers among eligible professoriate applicants, specifically because of their stronger potential to commit to longer-term collaborations with the host Department, Centre, or Hub
Areas of Research Supported:
The fellowship doesn’t restrict applicants to one narrow academic subject. It operates broadly within the Faculty of Social Sciences, with priority given to work that connects to the Faculty’s ongoing strategic research direction. In practice, this means your application stands the strongest chance when your research area fits within:
- Social Sciences broadly, spanning the disciplines represented across HKU’s Faculty Departments, Centres, and Hubs
- Research themes that align with the Faculty’s current Strategic Research Themes
- Projects with clear potential for meaningful academic impact, rather than narrowly individual research interests
Because the exact list of departments and research groups can shift, the most reliable way to check whether your specific specialism fits is by reviewing the Faculty’s staff directory and identifying researchers whose interests overlap with your own before you apply.
What You’re Expected to Deliver as a Fellow:
This fellowship comes with real obligations, and understanding them upfront helps you judge whether the commitment fits your current research plans.
- Engage in collaborative research with your Faculty Associate and, where relevant, other Faculty members
- Produce at least one co-authored publication within one year of completing the fellowship
- Take an active role in academic-exchange activities, including networking events, lectures, seminars, student training sessions, and intra-fellow exchange discussions
- Submit a completion report to the Faculty Office within three months of finishing your visit
- Share publication information with the Faculty Office in a timely manner once your co-authored work is ready
These obligations exist to ensure the fellowship results in genuine academic output rather than simply funding a temporary change of location.
Finding Your Faculty Associate Before You Apply:
Here’s the part that surprises a lot of first-time applicants: you can’t apply cold. Before submitting anything formal, you need to identify and connect with a potential Faculty Associate, an Assistant Professor or above within HKU’s Faculty of Social Sciences whose research interests align with yours.
- Start by reviewing academic staff profiles on the Faculty’s website, or by contacting the relevant Department, Centre, or Hub directly
- Once you’ve identified a potential match, reach out to them by email, including an outline of your research proposal and your CV
- Use the suggested subject line “HKU FoSS Global South Fellowship Scheme” to make sure your message is easily recognised
- This faculty member, once they agree to the partnership, becomes your Faculty Associate for the duration of your visit
Without this step completed first, your formal application won’t have the written consent it requires, so it’s worth starting this outreach well ahead of the actual deadline.
Steps to Complete Your Application:
Once you’ve secured a Faculty Associate, the formal application process itself is fairly straightforward.
- Confirm which semester you’re aiming for, fall or spring, and check the corresponding application window
- Prepare details of your research expertise and professional achievements
- Outline your proposed visit and the specific scholarly activities you plan to undertake
- Attach your CV
- Include written consent from the Faculty Associate who has agreed to host your collaboration
- Submit everything through the official online application form before the stated deadline
- Wait for the announcement, which typically arrives by the end of June for fall visits or the end of November for spring visits
Life in Hong Kong During Your Fellowship:
Since fellows are expected to relocate temporarily, a few practical matters are worth knowing in advance. Fellows are responsible for arranging their own accommodation, though the Faculty maintains a list of serviced apartments near the university and the Central-Sheung Wan neighbourhood, including details on location, service packages, and room rates, to make the search easier. Hotels offering short-stay packages are another option some fellows consider.
An appropriate visa is required to stay and work in Hong Kong, and the Faculty Office provides guidance throughout that process. Fellows are welcome to bring family members along, though it’s worth knowing that the remuneration package only covers the fellow’s own expenses, meaning any additional costs for accompanying family fall outside the fellowship’s financial support. Family members may also need to apply for their own visa or entry permit depending on Hong Kong’s immigration requirements.
Per-diem allowances are generally disbursed monthly, transferred directly to the fellow’s bank account.
Why This Fellowship Is Worth Taking Seriously:
For academics whose work naturally sits at the intersection of different regional perspectives, this fellowship offers something a lot of short-term visiting programs don’t: a genuinely structured pathway toward a real publication, not just a study visit that fades into a line on your CV. Combined with visiting professorship status, shared research space, and access to HKU’s full academic infrastructure, it’s built to produce lasting collaboration rather than a brief cultural exchange.
Frequently Asked Questions?:
Is the HKU Global South Fellowship fully funded?
Yes. It covers economy class return airfare up to HK$10,000 and a daily allowance of HK$1,500 that includes accommodation and living costs for the entire visit.
Who is eligible to apply for this fellowship?
Professoriate staff affiliated with universities or comparable institutions based in the Global South region.
Is there an application fee?
No application fee is mentioned in the official fellowship details.
How long does the fellowship last?
Between one and three months, taken during either the fall semester (September to January) or the spring semester (February to June).
How many fellows are selected each year?
Up to 10 fellows are selected across the full academic year.
Do I need to find a research partner before applying?
Yes. Applicants must first connect with a suitable Faculty Associate, an Assistant Professor or above within HKU’s Faculty of Social Sciences, and obtain their written consent before submitting a formal application.
What is expected of me during and after the fellowship?
Fellows are expected to collaborate on research leading to at least one co-authored publication within a year of completing the fellowship, actively participate in academic activities during their visit, and submit a completion report within three months afterward.
Can I bring my family with me during the fellowship?
Yes, though the remuneration package only covers the fellow’s own expenses. Family members may also need to arrange their own visa or entry permit.
What title will I hold during the fellowship?
You’ll be known as a Global South Fellow within the Faculty and offered a visiting professorship appointment at a grade equivalent to your current position at your home institution.
When are applications reviewed and announced?
Fall semester applicants are notified by the end of June, while spring semester applicants are notified by the end of November.
Before You Reach Out:
If this fellowship fits your research direction, the smartest starting point isn’t the application form itself — it’s identifying the right potential Faculty Associate early and building that connection properly before the formal deadline approaches. A well-matched collaboration, backed by a thoughtful research proposal, is what genuinely sets a strong application apart in a program that only selects up to 10 fellows a year.
