Postgraduate Student Life @ CUHK

Alexandra Rose McCombie did not arrive at a PhD in palaeontology at CUHK by a conventional route. A formative year studying language in Tianjin, China was followed by an undergraduate degree from the University of Edinburgh - an experience that left ae lasting pull toward Asia. When the opportunity to combine both passions presented itself, the decision was straightforward.

“When I saw Professor Pittman advertising for a PhD student in Hong Kong, I was really excited because it combined the two things that I love: I really wanted to be back in Asia, and I have always been deeply interested in palaeontology,” she explains.

Now a PhD student in Biology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Alexandra works under the supervision of Professor Michael Pittman, a leading authority on the dinosaur-to-bird transition. It is a partnership, and a location, she describes as offering something rare: proximity to the world's most significant fossil sites, within an internationally connected research environment.

The World's Best Fossils, Within Reach

In palaeontology, access to specimens is everything. For a researcher focused on feathered dinosaurs, that makes China an unrivalled base. “Some of the best fossils in the world come from China,” Alexandra notes. “CUHK is perfect because it is internationally connected, yet it provides me the opportunity to travel to Chinese Mainland to see those fossils firsthand. It truly is the best of both worlds.”

That access has already produced one of the defining experiences of her PhD - a ten-day data collection trip to the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology in Beijing, where she was able to handle and study rare specimens in person. For researchers in the life sciences in Hong Kong, that kind of direct access to world-class collections, facilitated by CUHK's connections to mainland institutions, is a significant and often underappreciated advantage.

Expanding the Scientific Lens

Alexandra's background is in geology, but the CUHK School of Life Sciences has pushed her to think more broadly. Unlike her previous experience in the UK, the PhD programme at CUHK includes graduate-level coursework in the first year - a structure she credits with meaningfully widening her scientific toolkit.

“Because my background is in geology, I didn't know much about the genomics or the broader evolutionary biology side of palaeontology,” she says. “Taking classes in those fields gave me a well-rounded education. The end-of-semester seminars, where we present our research, also provide constant practice in communicating complex scientific ideas, which is essential for an academic career.”

For students considering a CUHK postgraduate programme in the biological sciences, that combination of structured coursework and regular presentation practice offers a more comprehensive preparation for an academic career than research-only models might provide.

A Campus Built for Deep Thinking

Alexandra's research is inherently global, involving collaborative labs in Argentina, the US, and the UK - connections that CUHK's active international network actively facilitates. But it is the immediate physical environment of the University that has surprised her most.

“I'm from a small town in Scotland, so I appreciate the vibrant atmosphere of Hong Kong, but I also love that the CUHK campus is so close to nature,” she observes. “From my dorm room, I can see right over Tolo Harbour. It's a beautiful, mountainous campus that provides the perfect contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city.”

For international students in Hong Kong accustomed to urban campuses, CUHK's setting - mountain-backed, harbour-facing, yet minutes from the city by MTR - is a genuine revelation.

Advice for Researchers in Niche Fields

When it comes to choosing where to do a PhD, Alexandra's advice cuts against some of the conventional wisdom. “It might be unorthodox, but for me, quality of life was just as important as academic intensity,” she says.

“You are going to be studying a project for three or four years, so it is important to find a place that you love living in as well as a project that you love working on. Try to find somewhere that allows you to explore a new city while you do your research.”

It is advice rooted in sustainability as much as ambition - a reminder that a PhD is a long commitment, and that the environment surrounding the research matters as much as the research itself.

Community as a Foundation

Beyond the lab, Alexandra has built a rich social life through CUHK's postgraduate halls - hiking trips, camping excursions, and social events that have given her a strong support network alongside her academic one. Looking toward the future, she feels the programme has prepared her well for the international job market.

 
“Between the constant presentation practice and the career events organised by the School, I feel that the programme is actively setting us up for success in the life sciences,” she says.

For Alexandra McCombie, the PhD at CUHK has never been only about the fossils - though the fossils are extraordinary. It has been about finding a place where rigorous science, global collaboration, and genuine quality of life exist not in tension, but in balance.