Pursuing a PhD is an academically rigorous journey that shapes the future of academia. Institutions play a crucial role in ensuring that PhD scholars have access to the environment, resources and support necessary to thrive. Creating a learning environment that is conducive to excellence is something Lingnan University in Hong Kong takes seriously.

Tauchid Komara Yuda, who is a PhD student in the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at Lingnan University, describes the university campus as “compact but complete” because it has everything he needs to support his academic life. Yuda is an international student who moved to Hong Kong from Indonesia to pursue doctoral studies in social policy.

Yuda chose to study at Lingnan University because it specialises in subjects that align with his interest in social policy. Yuda is excited to be among the scholars who are conducting groundbreaking research in this field. “It felt like a perfect place to start building a solid foundation for my academic career,” he says. Additionally, Hong Kong frequently hosts seminars and conferences around social policy in Asia, some of which take place at Lingnan. This gives Yuda opportunities to network and build connections in his field.

Academic collaboration and resource sharing are fundamental to Lingnan’s strategy for enhancing the student experience. The university ensures that its library resources remain up-to-date and readily available for students and researchers. In 2022, the university entered a Read and Publish agreement with Cambridge University Press to promote open access initiatives.

Lingnan’s approach combines personalisation and flexibility. The faculty at Lingnan facilitate a culture where students have the chance to explore the subjects they want to study, while academics make the effort to get to know students and help them identify their strengths and areas for improvement, Yuda says.

The university caters to various interests beyond academia, providing a range of opportunities for students to engage in extracurricular pursuits, including various arts and sports clubs. Lingnan has a track record of recognising different cultures and maintaining a multicultural campus, Yuda says. For example, the administration recognises the need to provide vegan and halal food options and is working to increase its offering for students with specific dietary requirements.

Yuda appreciates that he doesn’t feel pressured to do things a certain way as a PhD student. “I don’t feel like I have to follow set plans,” he says, speaking about how students at Lingnan are empowered to take control of their work schedules. Yuda has an allocated study space at the university that is accessible around the clock, which helps him manage his workload.

Yuda’s research focuses on institutional continuity and policy change in democratic middle-income countries in South-east Asia. He studies policy reforms in areas such as healthcare and pension systems in Indonesia to investigate how political processes inform policy decisions, especially in rudimentary democratic systems. Yuda aims to expand upon existing research by considering previously unexplored historical patterns to better understand the nature of crisis and welfare reform.

Yuda has integrated practical application into his PhD research by conducting fieldwork and collaborating with policymakers. Working directly with policymakers helps him gain a better understanding of the real-world implications of his research in policy reform and ensures that his findings are useful, particularly in analysing policy decisions in the Global South.