Chemist Liu Jiawei moves from Singapore to Hong Kong to start her own lab

Materials scientist Liu Jiawei has established her own research laboratory at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) two years after relocating from Singapore. The move supported her pivot into launching her independent research group.

After a decade within Singapore's research ecosystem, Liu sought a transition that would bring her closer to her family in mainland China. She also desired to continue working in an international, high-standard research environment. Hong Kong offered both, providing a similar academic atmosphere and landscape to Singapore.

Liu highlighted Hong Kong's academic structure, which operates on an independent principal investigator model. This model grants researchers substantial autonomy in directing their labs and research agendas. Simultaneously, the city actively promotes cross-group collaboration through frequent joint projects among various research teams.

Liu completed her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and her PhD in materials science and engineering at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Her decision to move to Hong Kong was driven by a desire to remain connected to her family while advancing her career in a city that mirrors Singapore's research strengths and its connections to both mainland China and the West.

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I chose Hong Kong because I want to stay closer to my family in mainland China and develop my career in a city that offers a similar research landscape to Singapore.