Start a Ph.D. in Hong Kong or try to study in the US?

Question

I graduated from a Project 211 university in mainland China this April. I have promised a professor in Hong Kong to begin pursuing a Ph.D. under his supervision in September. However, after living in HK for several months, I find I want an American Ph.D. The main reason is that the US has the best research environment, and a US Ph.D. degree might give me more opportunities in the future. I want to be an excellent researcher, and I am worried that I can't get what I want if I start my Ph.D. study in HK. What should I do?

Answer 1

Be honest with yourself and your supervisor. If you really want to get an American Ph.D., just tell them.

I'm not a lawyer, but I think you aren't bound to a verbal promise like that; it's not a legal contract.

With that said, you should check a few things before you say anything to anyone:

1. Have you gotten into an American Ph.D. program yet?
2. Do you have a student visa?
3. Can you afford tuition and living expenses in America?
4. Are there any repercussions if you go against the wishes of your supervisor?

You should have everything lined up before you make a decision. No sense breaking your promise if you can't go.

You should also consider whether or not a computer science Ph.D. is the best way to advance your career. Some people would say no.

Answer 2

Based on the information that you present here, I would say that no, this doesn't sound like a good idea.

1. You haven't identified a particular program / university that you'd like to join.
2. You haven't come up with another motivation to switch to the US other than "US Ph.D.s are better." I have one and that isn't necessarily true.
3. You think that US Ph.D.s might have more opportunities. Again, that isn't necessarily true especially in certain special fields.

My advice would be to look closer to home. If you aren't happy with the work that you're doing right now, start by looking for other research groups / foci. Look at your class list. Are there other classes that you'd rather be taking? Try exploring outside your core area: I had a great time in my compilers class.

All that said, there are some natural milestones to consider switching universities:

1. Completion of the requirements for an M.S. degree (coursework or thesis).
2. Completion of HK Ph.D. requirements, after which you start a post-doc at another university or facility.

In the end, you will have to make your own decision. Good luck on the Ph.D. road: it's a bumpy one....

Answer 3

If you're interested in working outside of Academia or the Research area after you get your Ph.D., then I'd suggest you not bother with the Ph.D. Ph.D. doesn't matter much in today's job market, assuming it ever did. Outside of Academia or Research, with very few exceptions, a hiring manager will want to know why you were spending your time studying when you could have been working.

He may conclude that, "those who can't do, continue studying".

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About breaking the promise to the professor, I recommend the opposite of what's been said here. You are near the beginning of your adult life. I suggest you don't start by being the kind of person who breaks promises.

Instead, talk to the professor, and express your concerns. He may either show you why your concerns are exaggerated, or may agree with your concerns and release you from your promise.

Or he may hold you to your promise, in which case, I recommend you do what you promised to do. Once you've finished your obligation, if you still want to do post-graduate work in the US, you will still have time to do so.

And you'll do so from a better ethical position.

Answer 4

This is too big a question and requires more dialog than answers.

I only wish to say that you should not consider your promise to your teacher very highly, if at all, in making this decision. For one, this decision could have significant consequences for the rest of your life, and it's too big a promise to have made (unless you really owe him for something, like you got his daughter pregnant, etc). If your professor were reasonable he wouldn't have let you make the promise in the first place, and if he is reasonable now, he will want only what's best for you. (And even if he doesn't like your decision, if you end up getting a PhD, no one will care what he thinks anyway, they'll only care what your PhD profs think. For example, now that you have a college degree would you ever get a reference from a grammar school teacher?)

As for the other questions, there's just not enough info. There are a few fields where you need a PhD to be a serious contender, like physics and mathematics, but most are not this way. If you want money, generally skip the PhD, but if you really love the topic for it's own sake, a PhD is a good way to get into it more. PhDs can go easy but are more often tough and dispairing at times, so you should be pretty sure you want one before you do. I've seen a lot of people move to the PhD because school was the only world they knew, so they just continue with it, and this is a poor reason.