The Hong Kong History Centre welcomes applications to apply for a PhD research studentship starting in September 2026 in any aspect of the History of Hong Kong in the period before 1950 (with a preference for the pre-war or pre-1930 period).
We are looking for applicants interested in pursuing original research to be supervised by members of the Hong Kong History Centre and associated staff in the Department of History (including but not limited to Professor Robert Bickers, Dr Vivian Kong, Dr Peter Hamilton and Professor Ray Yep), and who also share a vision for public engagement of the discipline.
The studentship is funded by a generous donation to the Hong Kong History Centre at the University of Bristol (https://www.hkhistory.net/). The Centre encourages and facilitates the study of the history of Hong Kong in the UK, and collaborates with partners in Hong Kong and internationally. Possible doctoral projects could focus on any sub-discipline of history, with a focus on Hong Kong in the period before 1950, that could be provided with expert supervision from Hong Kong History Centre staff or other members of the Department of History. It is expected that the project would require Chinese language skills.
Alongside their research, the students will help with aspects of public engagement coordinated by members of the team.
Location: Department of History, University of Bristol
Eligibility: UK and International (including EU)
Funding amount: Tuition Fees and stipend of £22,303.50 per annum (rising in alignment with UKRI)
Dates: Sep 2026 – Sep 2030 (full-time)
Candidate requirements:
A pass in a Master’s degree (or international equivalent), or be working towards a Master’s degree with a final submission date of no later than 15 September 2026. Knowledge of Chinese language would be desirable.
How to apply:
For this scholarship, please apply in writing to hkhistory-centre@bristol.ac.uk, with a formal research proposal, cv, and a statement (no more than 1 page) of your suitability for a role that combines academic research with public engagement.
Applicants must also submit a formal PhD application to the University of Bristol by 23 January 2026. To make an online application go to http://www.bris.ac.uk/pg-howtoapply. Please select History PhD on the programme choice page and September 2026 as your start date. Enter details of the scholarship when prompted in the Funding sections of the form (Choose ‘Other’ and enter ‘Hong Kong History Centre’, enter 100 for ‘Percentage from this source’, and choose ‘Yes’ for funding be secured). Please also remember to include all documents sent to hkhistory-centre@bristol.ac.uk in your application.
Deadline:
Applications must be submitted by 5pm BST on Tuesday 23 January 2026.
Please direct any questions relating to the application process to the University of Bristol’s PG Arts Admissions team: artf-pgadmissions@bristol.ac.uk. For further information on the Centre, prospective applicants should contact Professor Robert Bickers (robert.bickers@bristol.ac.uk), Dr Vivian Kong (vivian.kong@bristol.ac.uk), Dr Peter Hamilton (peter.hamilton@bristol.ac.uk), or Professor Ray Yep (rekmy@bristol.ac.uk).
Further details available on the Centre’s People page: Current staff – Hong Kong History Centre
