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Health has always been at the heart of my academic and professional journey. During my undergraduate studies in Biotechnology and Business, I had the opportunity to work across pharmaceuticals, public health research, and a biomedical NGO. These experiences provided me with insights into the challenges within our healthcare system, from gaps in disease awareness and prevention to inequities in treatment access. Witnessing these issues drove me to pursue an MPH upon graduation to understand how policy can facilitate the allocation and integration of health resources, reducing fragmentation throughout a patient’s journey across all stages of care.   Being selected as a recipient of the UGC Targeted TPg Fellowships is a great honour, as it supports my professional development in this dynamic field and aligns with my enthusiasm for interdisciplinary learning.   So far, the practicum has been the highlight of my MPH studies. I selected Economist Impact as my site, where I had the opportunity to apply the analysis frameworks learned in our core courses to real-world policy research projects. This experience has allowed me to engage in a variety of global health initiatives, tackling diverse issues across health systems and policy topics, and further honing my ability to translate data into actionable insights. It was also inspiring to learn how policy research can be amplified to reach a broader audience of policymakers and industry leaders to drive change!   Moving forward, the next chapter in healthcare will focus on empowering policymakers, organisations, and caregivers as partners to address unmet patient needs. Upon graduating from the MPH, I aspire to work in health policy analysis, market access, or healthcare consulting, where I am eager to foster cross-sector collaboration to bridge gaps in healthcare delivery and advance patient care quality!

I graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Biochemistry. I am currently a part-time MPH student and a full-time Research Assistant in the Department of Ophthalmology at HKU. As a Biochemistry student, I was trained in laboratories to conduct research on tackling rare diseases through biotechnological and pharmaceutical methods. However, as a researcher eager to discover new therapeutic approaches, I realized that fundamental science alone is not sufficient; I also need to understand policies, politics, finance, and clinical research. I believe that the CID concentration and the core programs in the MPH provide a comprehensive opportunity to enhance my skills as a healthcare professional. I am confident that the MPH program will equip me with the ability to translate wet lab research into the healthcare industry, integrating political and financial considerations effectively. I am grateful to be awarded the UGC Targeted TPg Fellowships. My dream of becoming a comprehensive healthcare researcher across various sectors is ambitious, and it requires support and encouragement. The fellowship motivates me to connect with classmates from diverse backgrounds, which helps me achieve my career goals with less pressure. The MPH program provides me with professional knowledge in healthcare policies and politics, finance and economics in healthcare, and the mechanisms of infectious diseases. The opportunities for communication with classmates and research on real-world healthcare settings help me understand how people perceive healthcare and what they want from it. This experience broadens my horizons and deepens my understanding of the essential skills I need to develop to become a reliable healthcare researcher and provider. In the future, with my experience in Biochemistry and the knowledge gained from theMPH program, I hope to take on roles as a decision-maker to help translate fundamental medical research into medical products that can be developed as solutions for diseases, supported by effective political and financial policies. Ultimately, I aim to contribute to Hong Kong society by promoting sustainable healthcare and fostering an efficient health community with equitable access to health.

My name is Ivan, currently a part time MPH student in the concentration of Health Economics, Policy and Management (HEPM). Apart from being a student, I am a pharmacist at Tsuen Wan District Health Centre. I have been working in Hospital Authority for few years. During my service, I noticed several challenges the Hong Kong healthcare system is facing including long service waiting time, high bed occupancy and healthcare staff shortage. I really want to do something about it as a healthcare professional. I am so honoured to candidate for the UGC Targeted TPg Fellowship. The fellowship not only recognizes my academic achievements but also provides financial support to pursue further studies. One of the aspects I enjoy the most is the interdisciplinary approach to learning. It has been incredibly rewarding to learn from people in different countries or different positions. I believe MPH program would help me to advance my career further. Most importantly, equipped me with skills related to healthcare policy.

After graduating from the HKU MBBS program, I worked as a medical resident with the Hospital Authority before transitioning to a public health career in the government. My experience of serving the elderly and underprivileged in public hospitals highlighted the importance of disease prevention and efficient healthcare resource allocation for quality care across society. I am interested in the Master of Public Health offered by the University of Hong Kong due to its accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health and the systemic approach to learning, which I have had first-hand experience during my undergraduate program. My interest in the Health Economics, Policy, and Management concentration of the HKU MPH program stems from my desire to apply economic methods to improve equity and efficiency in healthcare resource distribution. I am honored to have received the UGC Targeted TPg Fellowships for my MPH studies and feel a responsibility to equip myself for future service to the city. I have enjoyed connecting with classmates from diverse professional backgrounds and countries, united by our shared vision and passion for public health. Upon completing the MPH program, I am excited to apply my knowledge and skills to promote healthy aging and deliver quality care to the underprivileged in Hong Kong.

My name is Mak Ka Man, Carman and I am a graduate of the Bachelor of Nursing program. Currently, I am a registered nurse with a passion for healthcare and a strong desire to expand my knowledge in public health. This ambition has led me to pursue a Master of Public Health (MPH), as I believe that understanding the broader determinants of health is crucial for making a more significant impact in my community. Being granted the UGC Targeted TPg Fellowships has been a truly humbling experience for me; I am incredibly grateful for the support and recognition. This fellowship not only validates my efforts but also provides me with the resources needed to excel in my studies.  So far in my MPH program, I have particularly enjoyed the interdisciplinary approach to public health challenges. Engaging with diverse topics ranging from epidemiology to health policy has broadened my perspective and enriched my learning experience. I find that collaborating with fellow students from various backgrounds enhances our discussions and fosters innovative solutions to complex health issues. Looking ahead, my aspirations upon graduating from the MPH program include working in public health policy development, where I can advocate for equitable healthcare access and contribute to initiatives that address health disparities. Ultimately, I hope to leverage my nursing background and public health education to create meaningful change in healthcare systems, ensuring that all individuals receive the care they deserve.

Hello, I am an immunology and allergy specialist working at Queen Mary Hospital. I am currently undertaking the EB concentration of the MPH course. Working full-time really forces you to prioritize your limited time on things you want to do outside of work (very envious of the full-time students here!) Personally, I feel many areas in immunology and allergy should best be explored from a public health angle. Epidemiological studies are lacking in Hong Kong, especially in the adult population. Such studies are needed for physicians and policy makers to have a more comprehensive understanding of disease prevalence and burden, changes over time, disease etiology, identify high-risk groups, impact of interventions and so on. Through the MPH, I hope I will be armed with the necessary tools and skills to design more meaningful, epidemiological studies missing in Hong Kong. I am incredibly grateful to be granted the UGC Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowships subsidy and encouraged to pursue this endeavor. I am thankful for the scheme to have granted this on a merit basis and to have recognized the importance of continued education. Being an alumni from HKU, it feels incredibly full circle to be undertaking the MPH programme at my alma mater. Being back on campus brings back a lot of memories I relish the privilege of learning something new every week! So far, the course has been very fruitful. I have particularly enjoyed and appreciated the step-by-step tutorials on R, especially as someone with no coding background. It’s incredibly satisfying to instantly apply these new skills using data from my own cohorts, making much prettier graphs than SPSS, and designing specific codes to run my analysis repeatedly without having to press so many buttons! I look forward to what semester 2 has to offer!

Hi everyone, it’s Rachel. I recently graduated with a Bachelor of Biomedicine degree from the University of Melbourne and am currently a full-time MPH student in the concentration “Public Health Practice – Comprehensive Primary Health Care (PHP-CPHC)”. Coming from a background rooted in disease diagnosis and treatment, I decided to embark on a journey towards MPH, with a keen interest in understanding disease prevention, health promotion and addressing health disparities within communities. The opportunity to pursue an MPH degree isn’t just a personal milestone, but a professional commitment to contribute meaningfully to the enhancement of population health. I am incredibly grateful and honoured to be a recipient of the UGC Targeted TPg Fellowships, which serves as a validation and big encouragement as I commence my studies at HKU. My journey in MPH has been immensely rewarding so far, one of the most enriching parts being the opportunity to connect with classmates from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds, including those outside the healthcare realm. This program also allows me to view individual wellbeing through a broader lens. Biomedicine tends to concentrate on the molecular and cellular levels of diseases. Public Health, on the other hand, takes a more holistic view, considering social, environmental, economic and policy factors that influence health outcomes. Pursuing an MPH equips me with a unique perspective and skill set necessary to comprehend health dynamics at a population level. This transition from a micro to macro perspective has been fascinating, propelling me to explore the complex interplay between policy frameworks, community factors and healthcare access. Looking forward, my aspirations upon graduating from the MPH program are deeply intertwined with my passion for effecting positive change in healthcare. I aim to leverage my newfound knowledge and skills to participate in shaping health policies that champion preventive care, advocate for equitable healthcare access and contribute towards building healthier communities in Hong Kong. I am excited to see where this journey takes me!

Hi everyone, I'm Justin, a Physiotherapist educated and trained in Hong Kong, and I’m currently studying the MPH with a concentration in Health Economics, Policy and Management. From nearly four years serving in the Hospital Authority, my clinical experience has given me a general understanding of the public healthcare system and the multifaceted challenges faced by both patients and healthcare providers. Being a frontline healthcare worker enabled me to be more inquisitive to learn more about the status quo of healthcare in Hong Kong, as I often pondered the question of how impactful public health policies and economic principles may be in determining the health outcomes of patients. The epiphany to study for a Master of Public Health degree at the University of Hong Kong came after realising that this degree would be the best way to broaden my horizons and understand different aspects of healthcare. The MPH covers a vast array of academic disciplines, combined with the ethos to educate and equip pupils to be a holistically skilled public health professional and a global citizen. Knowing this, I applied to the MPH programme with the ambition that I could garner the knowledge and methods to develop sustainable strategies and drive solutions in the field of healthcare. I feel incredibly honoured to receive the UGC Targeted TPg Fellowship and to pinpoint how I exactly felt when I received the news, I remember the vivid feeling of euphoria and surprise after work one day. Receiving the Fellowship had motivated me further in my studies and my career development, and I wish to thank the University of Hong Kong and the UGC for the meaningful personal milestone, not to mention my family, friends and mentors who supported me along the way. The MPH experience so far has been enjoyable and inspirational. Whenever anyone asks me how returning to university felt, I always respond emphatically, ‘It’s amazing'. What played a big part in this positive experience was how thoughtful and professional the teaching staff were. Every Professor and Teaching Assistant were ready to go the extra mile to help you learn and capitalise on the opportunities to grow beyond your comfort zone. The diversity that the School of Public Health brings was eye-opening too. Both the teaching staff and my fellow classmates provide an array of fresh perspectives on different topical issues in the classroom. Beyond the classroom, the diversity in the MPH cohort allowed me to meet classmates coming from different backgrounds and walks of life, and that translated into opportunities to be in touch with different cultures and learn from people with different academic backgrounds and professions as well. At the moment, I am keeping my doors open to different opportunities that may arise over the course of my MPH studies. I’m a Physiotherapist by trade, but I also have an array of interests including business and economics, policy, strategy and operations (and how they altogether intertwine with the healthcare sector). I hope that after being equipped with an education from the MPH programme, I can develop a career in the healthcare sector not only as a clinician but as a public health professional who could enhance the livelihood of those around me through research and advocacy.

Congratulations to our students on completing the course on CMED7350 Application of Implementation Science in Global Health! A big thank you to our esteemed guest lecturer, Professor Xiaolin Wei, the Dalla Lana Chair in Global Health Policy in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH), University of Toronto, for sharing valuable insights in the world of implementation science. #HKU #HKUMed #HKUSPH #MPH #Master #publichealth #香港大學 #港大醫學院 #港大公共衞生學院 #公共衞生碩士 #碩士 #公共衞生

Hello everyone! I’m David, currently a part-time Year 1 MPH student with the focus on Health Economics, Policy, and Management. In addition to my study, I work as a speech therapist and graduated from The University of Hong Kong (HKU). As an allied health professional, I have served in both private and public healthcare settings, providing outreach and center-based services. Working with diverse populations—including preschoolers, school-aged children, adults, and the elderly—has given me insight into the limitations and challenges of the current healthcare system. I've observed issues including the uneven distribution of resources, fragmentation of services, and insufficient emphasis on preventive care, which can lead to health inequities. Motivated by the desire to contribute to the reform of our healthcare system, I decided to embark on this learning journey in MPH program, believing it will equip me with the insights necessary for developing holistic healthcare approaches. I feel deeply honored to have been granted the UGC Targeted TPg Fellowships. This prestigious support not only alleviates some financial burdens but also serves as a significant motivation for me to dedicate more time and effort to my studies. It has enhanced my appreciation for every opportunity to learn in the lectures. One of the aspects I enjoy most about my MPH experience is engaging in meaningful discussions with both my professors and classmates. These interactions have enriched my understanding by exposing me to diverse perspectives and experiences. I particularly appreciate learning from others' thought processes and the various paths they take to reach conclusions. Through this program, I feel I am gaining a broader worldview through the lens of public health, which I find incredibly fulfilling. Upon completing my MPH, I aspire to work on both individual and community levels by improving service delivery models, fostering better multidisciplinary collaboration, and emphasising preventive care. With an open mindset, I am eager to enact changes in healthcare services at both policy and system levels, transitioning my career to facilitate these transformations. I believe that my multifaceted expertise will enable me to drive systemic changes and contribute to the sustainable health development of HK.

A graduate out of the first Global Health and Development cohort, worked in research on neurodegenerative diseases, health advocacy and servicing the needy, I’m taking the MPH in the PHP-CPHC concentration to further my study in the diverse public health field. Raised with people of numerous ethnicities and servicing people of all ages, it was evident that health needed to be tailored to different populations – a challenge that is still far from being solved. The fragmentation between social and health spheres is present despite being two sides of the same coin and is an area I would like to focus on alongside my interest in physical activity with my sporting background. I hope to use the MPH as an opportunity to push for the integration of different disciplines as a greater, holistic approach to care. Being granted the UGC Targeted TPg Fellowships enables many more options for me in the MPH program and allows me to maximize my resources in study and related activities. The confidence gained from financial support and the motivation to perform drives me to stay curious and push myself further beyond. My favourite parts of the MPH programme are the diverse experiences you can take from professors and classmates. Learning from health perspectives, fundamental factors in daily life or expertise of the many professors and professions of classmates gives me invaluable insight and inspiration on the angles health issues can take. These experiences coalesce theories, frameworks and rationales behind current practice and further probe the questions of how we can better the health of the world population. After graduating from the MPH, I hope to push for a foundation of more dynamic health systems, more resilient to events of all scales and holistically adapted to needs of respective populations.

Hello, my name is Ethan, and I am a current full time student in the Control of Infectious Disease concentration (CID). My academic background is in microbiology and animal studies, and my coursework and classmates from my undergraduate studies are ultimately what inspired my passion for zoonotic diseases and health literacy. Beyond the academia path of wet laboratory work and scientific writing, I felt a strong desire to understand how new research findings are shared and received amongst the general public. I remember seeing that the CID syllabus closely aligned with my career interests and aspirations, and thought that the Master of Public Health — with its capstone and practicum components — would provide a valuable opportunity to practice applying academic knowledge into real life careers and scenarios. It is an honour to be one of the candidates for the UGC Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowship, and this financial support has pushed me to eagerly approach my studies with a strong work ethic.What I have enjoyed most in the MPH so far is being part of a diverse cohort, with classmates who provide a colourful variety of perspectives and backgrounds during class discussions and group work. With the interdisciplinary nature of public health, there are always a few students in class who are somehow already experts in a given topic and are ready to share their thoughts. Coming from a life science degree, the MPH has helped to inform my lack of awareness around the role of policy and social sciences in healthcare. I aim to gain a holistic understanding of the field of public health during my studies, and work in infectious disease prevention as a well-rounded public health professional in the near future.