Recognizing and awarding outstanding junior PhD students in the Asia-Pacific region
The Microsoft Research Asia Fellowship Program aims to empower and encourage PhD students in the Asia-Pacific region to realize their potential in computer science-related research. We recognize outstanding junior PhD students majoring in computer science, electrical engineering, information science, and applied mathematics.
2009 fellows with Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft Corp., and Hsiao-Wuen Hon, managing director of Microsoft Research Asia. Since its inception in 1999, the program has attracted approximately 850 PhD candidates from 50 universities in the Asia-Pacific region, and 341 PhD students have received honors or a scholarship.
Each winner has the opportunity to complete an internship during which they participate in hands-on, advanced research at Microsoft Research Asia’s Beijing lab. To date, more than 168 fellows have interned and more than 30 fellows have joined Microsoft Research Asia as researchers after graduation.
The Fellowship Experience: In Their Own Words
Fellows talk about their experiences before, during and after their fellowship tenure.
A Clearer View of Where We are Headed in Our Lives
"It is my honor to receive a Microsoft Research Asia fellowship. This award has greatly motivated me to pursue my research interests on multimedia retrieval. As a PhD student, it's very important to think what really can be achieved in a PhD study period. Microsoft Research Asia fellowship programs help students to better organize their long-term plans and even their career and life goals. The internship opportunity gives a chance to have a much clearer view of where we are headed in our lives."
— Lei Wu, University of Science and Technology of China, 2007 Fellow
Alumni Community for Academic Exchange
"During this application, both my PhD advisor and the head of department are very supportive and encouraging in my Fellowship. The award aspects of the Microsoft Research Asia fellowship that attract me most are the opportunity to do internship in Microsoft Research Asia and to join an alumni community for academic exchange."
— Tan Yan Ny, National University of Singapore, 2005 Fellow
Relentlessly Pursue Higher Learning
"I am especially grateful for the internship opportunity that comes with the fellowship award. My internship period has been very exciting and I have gotten to work with many excellent people. They not only taught me computer-related knowledge and skills, but also team spirit, problem-solving approaches, and how to relentlessly pursue higher learning. It has also been eye-opening to talk to fellow research students with different research interests."
— Vivy Suhendra, National University of Singapore, 2006 Fellow
Develop Confidence As a Researcher
"The Microsoft Research Asia fellowship award has helped me develop confidence as a researcher and provides me encouragement to do high-quality research work. The award gives me freedom to pursue the research topics that I am really interested in. It also offers an opportunity to present and discuss my work with many excellent researchers in many fields."
— Qionghua Wang, Tsinghua University, 2007 Fellow
Collaborate with Some of the Best Researchers in the World
"I think the Microsoft Research Asia fellowship is a fantastic opportunity for young researchers like me to gain hands-on research experience in a large cooperation. I get to collaborate with some of the best researchers in the world and the experience has helped me a lot in determining my own research direction. At the same time, the generous financial support provided by the fellowship makes my PhD study a lot easier and my life more trouble-free."
— Jiamou Liu, University of Auckland, 2007 Fellow
Strong Motivation For My Research
It is a great pleasure to receive a Microsoft Research Asia Fellowship. This prize has given me strong motivation for my research. My research is about data mining, and I know that Microsoft Research Asia is also focusing on the same area."
— Yu Hirate, Waseda University, 2005 Fellow
Fellowship Information
More Opportunities
Collaborative Programs in Asia-Pacific
Related Links
Contact Us
Send questions about this program to fellowRA@microsoft.com
