Graduate School (GS) at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK) launched its first session of the Postgraduate Students' Seminar Series on 23 October 2024, with around 40 postgraduate students and faculty members in attendance, including 19 students from the Collaborative Programme of Doctoral of Policy Studies (Education Policy Management) between HSUHK and Lingnan University. The series, running from October to November 2024, is designed to equip students with essential skills to navigate key research processes, such as conducting comprehensive literature reviews and mastering advanced research methodologies.
The first session, titled The Use of Literature and Theory in Research, was delivered by Professor CAI Yuzhuo, a Visiting Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong, and an Adjunct Professor at Tampere University's Faculty of Management and Business. Divided into two parts, Professor Cai's presentation first guided participants through the effective use of literature in research, emphasizing how to critically engage with and integrate existing studies. The second part focused on the use of theory in research, where he illustrated how theoretical frameworks serve as a foundation for strong and coherent research design.
Professor Cai's insightful presentation encouraged lively discussions, with participants actively interacting during both parts of the presentation. The session received overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees, who appreciated the practical guidance and Professor Cai's expertise.
"I was very pleased to attend one of the Postgraduate Student Seminars, organised by The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong on 23 October 2024. During the seminar, Professor Cai generously shared examples from his own research experiences, which helped deepen our understanding of how to effectively use theoretical frameworks to guide the entire research process. What impressed me most was Professor Cai's clear explanation of how theoretical frameworks can be divided into four major categories based on their functions. In addition to highlighting the crucial role of theory in research, he strongly encouraged us, as early-stage researchers, to strengthen our theoretical foundations through critical thinking and extensive literature reading to build our research logic."
shared by a student from the Collaborative Doctoral Programme, WANG Yi
This session marks the beginning of a promising seminar series that will continue to foster academic growth among HSUHK's postgraduate community.
