ASTRI WORK-STUDY Programme (PhD)

The ASTRI WORK-STUDY Programme (PhD) ("Programme") provides an opportunity for ASTRI’s Research and Development (“R&D”) staff to pursue a PhD degree as part-time students while working as regular full-time staff at ASTRI. The Programme allows ASTRI’s staff to select his/her research interests for the PhD degree study at the universities, which may also be relevant to his/her work at ASTRI. Direct supervisors will provide initial guidance on whether their subordinates may be eligible to participate in this Programme. Certain internal approvals will be required.

The Programme provides to ASTRI’s R&D staff an opportunity to pursue a PhD degree as part-time students while working as regular full-time staff at ASTRI. Interested candidates should first apply for R&D jobs at ASTRI. After being employed by ASTRI as a full-time regular R&D staff, the interested staff should consult their direct supervisors about their intention to participate in the Programme and obtain ASTRI’s internal approval. Afterwards, the interested staff can apply for the universities’ PhD degree study programme.

The eligibility criteria for the Programme are set by ASTRI and the universities respectively.

For ASTRI, it is subject to employee eligibility requirements and employment administration of ASTRI, including but not limited to qualification and suitability for the job vacancies. ASTRI will also consider factors such as the relevance of interested staff’s academic background and working experience with the staff’s research interests for the PhD degree study and whether the interested staff’s work at ASTRI may be disrupted by joining the Programme.

For the universities, it is subject to the admission requirements and academic regulations of the universities, including but not limited to the study period, tuition and fee payment. For more information regarding the admission requirements of the universities’ part time PhD programme, please visit the websites of the universities for full details.

Interested candidates for this Programme shall send your resume to ta@astri.org. You are advised NOT to INCLUDE sensitive personal information, such as your HKID or passport number, photograph, etc.

Please quote the Reference Code of your area of interest (e.g. PhD/IOTSAI, PhD/AITT, PhD/CT, PhD/AECS, PhD/IPCT, PhD/CPS etc.) as shown above, along with the university you intend to apply to.

Your resume should also include the following information:

1. Name of the university you graduated from
2. Master’s Degree obtained, with an attached academic certificate
3. Previous employment at ASTRI? If applicable, please state the employment period

For the admission of PhD Programme of the universities, please refer to the standard admission process of your selected university.

No, ASTRI cannot guarantee the success of admission to the Programme. The admission process for the PhD degree study is administered by the universities solely, and all applicants must go through the standard admission process of the universities. ASTRI will consider employee eligibility requirements, including but not limited to qualification and suitability for the job vacancies. ASTRI will also consider factors such as the relevance of interested staff's academic background and working experience with the staff's research interests for the PhD degree study and whether the interested staff's current work at ASTRI may be disrupted by joining the Programme.

The application process involves three steps.

Interested candidates for this Programme shall send your resume to ta@astri.org. Firstly, the interested candidate should apply for an R&D job at ASTRI and be employed by ASTRI as a full-time regular R&D staff. Then, the interested full time regular staff is required to obtain internal approval at ASTRI. After ASTRI internal approval is granted, the applicant should apply for the admission to the PhD degree programme via the university’s admission system.

Since the applicant shall be a fully paid employee of ASTRI, ASTRI will not provide additional support such as payment of tuition fees, or provision of equipment. The applicant under the Programme shall be responsible for any costs incurred for the Programme. The successful applicant under the Programme may be allowed to pursue research interests and write a doctoral thesis relevant to his/her projects at ASTRI, provided that the staff will observe ASTRI's regular requirements, such as confidentiality obligations and IP ownership in any ASTRI's research projects. Without limiting the confidentiality obligations of the staff under the Programme as an employee of ASTRI, in case any staff under the Programme intends to use and/or make reference to the data, material or other information of ASTRI (including those from his/her ASTRI's research projects) in the PhD research papers, such staff shall obtain prior written approval from his/her supervisors for such use.

Workdays and work hours of the staff under the Programme are the same as regular staff of ASTRI. After the staff successfully enrols in the university’s PhD programme, the staff under the Programme can carry out his/her job duties outside ASTRI's offices, with the consent of his/her direct supervisor for a maximum of one day (or eight (8) working hours) per week.

Workdays and work hours of the staff under the Programme are the same as regular staff of ASTRI. After the staff successfully enrols in the university’s PhD programme, the staff under the Programme can carry out his/her job duties outside ASTRI's offices, with the consent of his/her direct supervisors for a maximum of one day (or eight (8) working hours) per week.

Obtaining the PhD degree will depend on the universities’ requirements for the relevant PhD degree Programmes. Usually, it may take up to six academic years for part-time study for a PhD degree.

At ASTRI, each staff under the Programme will be assigned work and KPIs consistent with regular staff. Staff will also conduct performance reviews and comply with ASTRI's company rules and procedures consistent with regular staff. If ASTRI's employment of any staff under the Programme is terminated for whatever reason, this may not automatically result in termination of the said staff's study at the universities.

The study progress of each staff in the PhD degree under the Programme will be administrated by the universities. Staff under the Programme who fail to meet the study progress requirement as assessed by the universities may be required to withdraw from the relevant PhD degree programme. Withdrawal from the PhD degree programme may not automatically result in the termination of the said staff's employment at ASTRI.

The staff's PhD degree study will be managed by the universities, and the staff's employment will be managed by ASTRI separately. The staff’s withdrawal from the PhD degree programme may not automatically result in the termination of the staff’s employment at ASTRI. If the staff’s employment with ASTRI is terminated for whatever reason, this may not automatically result in termination of the staff's PhD degree study at the universities.

The staff is at his/her liberty to withdraw from the PhD degree study while working as regular staff in ASTRI or to terminate his/her employment at ASTRI (subject to employment contract) while studying for the PhD degree anytime at their own wish.

As the Programme is for full-time regular R&D staff only, the staff will be considered to be dropped out from the Programme on the effective date of the temporary employment of ASTRI.

You may contact ASTRI’s Talent Acquisition team via email at ta@astri.org.

Where there are suspected abuses or manipulation of the Programme, ASTRI management has the sole and absolute discretion to reject the application under the Programme, revoke the approval, and undertake disciplinary investigations. If the staff may be in breach of ASTRI’s company rules and policies, there may be disciplinary actions.