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Summer Undergraduate Research Programme (SURP)

 

Summer Research@CUHK

The Summer Undergraduate Research Programme (SURP) provides an opportunity for undergraduate students from overseas universities to undertake research attachments for eight weeks at CUHK during the summer. Students will be actively engaged in research under the supervision of a CUHK faculty member and earn three credits upon successful completion of the programme. With the relaxation of international travels in Hong Kong, SURP will welcome students to CUHK again for an on-campus research experience in the summer of 2023!

weeks

70+ research topics

80 students

Sign up for an innovative summer research experience!

  • Develop research skills and knowledge in a specific area of interest
  • Join a world-class research team and work alongside leading experts in the field
  • Experience postgraduate studies first hand
  • Establish professional networks for future career
  • Immerse in the local culture through activities and excursions
  • Discover new ideas through interaction with like-minded students
  • Guaranteed on-campus living with other local and international students
Research@CUHK

Begin your summer research experience with CUHK

Eligibility A Global Cohort
Full-time senior undergraduate students currently registered at an overseas and non-Chinese university with good academic standing are eligible.

 

Up to 80 international undergraduate students will be hosted. Admission rests with the CUHK host supervisors.

 

Dates & Schedule Credits & Transcripts
SURP will take place during 24 June–19 August 2023 for eight weeks. Students are expected to devote at least 20 hours per week to the research project. Supervisors will discuss the actual time commitment with their students upon admission.

 

Students will be registered in a 3-credit CUHK course titled ‘Independent Research on International Studies’ to conduct a research project. A transcript will be issued to their home institution upon successful completion. Final decision on credit transfer will be determined by the home institution.

 

Diverse Research Topics Language
Over 70 research topics are offered by CUHK host supervisors. Please visit HERE for more information.

 

Research work and reports will be conducted in English. However, different projects may have different language requirements as set out by the supervisors.

 

Cultural Activities  Living on Campus
Participants will be immersed in the local culture through a series of orientation, social and cultural activities.

 

On-campus housing will be arranged on a shared room basis.

 

Top Tips: How to Make the Most of Your Summer Break?

SURP 2021 participant Denver Correia from the University of Glasgow shares his tips on making use of the summer break to pursue his research interests. Let’s find out how his engagement in SURP has led to his first co-authored journal publication.

>> Read More

Watch the video to find out what our past host supervisors and participants say about SURP!

A greatly rewarding experience

SURP has been a greatly rewarding experience. Not only do you partake in the cutting-edge research with your CUHK hosting department, but you can also take part in workshops to develop your research skills and also different activities organised with other students. Working with PhD students of multiple nationalities and languages at CUHK has greatly developed my global fluency and gave good perspective of what it would be like to conduct PhD level research.
Sanders LAU
Imperial College London, UK  I  Virtual SURP 2022

Jam-packed & supportive

If I could only describe SURP in three words, they would be jam-packed, impressive and supportive. I worked in a marine laboratory on ocean warming and did a combination of lab, field and office work to complete my project. The work environment was really fun. I thought SURP was absolutely amazing and would thoroughly recommend to anyone considering joining.
Dina-Leigh SIMONS
The University of Sheffield, UK  I  SURP 2019

A taste of research complexity

I worked on a project about ozone pollution. The experience gave me a taste of the complexity of environmental problems and the math that might be used to help solve them. It’s encouraging that there’s so much interesting work to be done to figure this out.
Drew PENDERGRASS
Harvard College, US  I  SURP 2018

Open many doors for the future

I was able to learn a lot about robotics used for medical practices and extend my knowledge on research. It is now something I highly want to pursue as it opens many doors for the future. The only small inconvenience I faced was the language barrier, as I would have liked to understand and follow up on other students’ projects during lab sessions. Other than that, SURP was a great and memorable experience.
Rayan HASSAN
University of Pittsburgh, US  I  Virtual SURP 2022

A good programme to get more experience in research

SURP is a good programme to get more experience in research. The guidance of my supervisor is just right. She encourages us to come up with ideas and work independently but still provides us with the help that we needed.
Dyah Ayu Nurun NAFISAH
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore  I  Virtual SURP 2021

Time management & academic writing skills significantly improved

Despite the time difference and dependence on zoom, I think the project worked well as it allowed some flexibility which was welcome for the summer holiday whilst also supplying plenty of work and interesting activities to learn about Hong Kong. My time management and academic writing skills have significantly improved as a result of this programme and it was nice to have relevant experience available during this awful pandemic.
Laura COPELAND
Cardiff University, UK  I  Virtual SURP 2021

Got a chance to enhance my research skills

Overall, it was a good experience, got to learn new things, new perspective, a lot about Hong Kong culture. Got a chance to enhance my research skills. I would definitely recommend this programme to others too.
Aswin UNDAVALLI
National Institute of Technology Delhi, India  I  Virtual SURP 2021

A sense of ownership & accomplishment

There has been lots of hands-on lab work. Being able to work on parts of the project from the start gives me a sense of ownership and accomplishment. I loved the interaction with the locals, going on lunches with my host supervisor and the team to discover different food.
Taraneh WESTERGERLING
University of Graz, Austria  I  SURP 2018

Great summer at CUHK

It was a great summer at CUHK. SURP allows me to re-think about my future plans on my study. Also, the members of the host laboratory are kind and willing to teach me a lot of things. I did learn a lot from them.
Joyce KIM
Korea University, South Korea  I  SURP 2018

A fun & challenging experience

SURP has been a fun and challenging experience where I was able to learn many things from my supervisor. My biggest challenge is learning how to pause, think, and reflect on every detail during the research process, because a small change in detail could lead to a completely different result. My supervisor has not only taught me important research techniques, but also inspired me to pursue academic research in future. Her never-ending passion for research and kind encouragement along the way would keep the sparkles in my heart burning.
Yufan WANG
The University of Edinburgh, UK  I  Virtual SURP 2022

A precious chance

SURP has given me a precious chance to explore more about the specific topic I am interested in, as well as guided me with my future choice and direction of postgraduate degrees. Additionally, I have established some professional networks with the supervisors, current Ph.D. students, and other international students through this wonderful project.
Lijin FENG
University College London, UK  I  SURP 2019

Totally changed my view on lab research

This attachment has totally changed my view on lab research. I have my first encounter with eastern and western integrative medicine, and have really enjoyed seeing how the research gets applied into clinical practice.
Henry KIM
University of California, Berkeley, US  I  SURP 2017