To assist students in doctoral program applications and career planning, the 22nd session of the Career Planning Lecture Series, themed "Doctoral Journey: Navigating Academic Paths", was held on November 16, 2024. The event was organized by Classes 2116 and 2117 (Master's Program) and supported by the SFS's Career Development Studio and the Graduate Student Union.

Huang Yingqi, a 2024 graduate from SFS's Foreign Languages and Literatures program, was invited as the guest speaker. With her outstanding academic performance, she was successfully admitted as a PhD student by the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. During her master's studies, Huang Yingqi published papers in international SSCI-indexed journals as the first author. She also received PhD admission offers from prestigious universities such as Lancaster University in the UK and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

Huang began by highlighting the significance of a doctoral degree, emphasizing its role as a path to academic exploration and contribution. She then addressed the question of "Why pursue a doctorate?", discussing its benefits for enhancing academic abilities, expanding career options, and achieving personal goals.

Huang then provided detailed advice on doctoral program applications, covering timeline planning, preparation, program selection strategies, and introductory emails. She stressed the importance of publishing high-quality articles and having a well-crafted resume. For program and university selection, she advised taking into consideration factors like the supervisor's research interests and project experience, as well as the university's QS rankings, resources, scholarship polices, and admission difficulties.

In the Q&A session, Huang provided tailored advice to those who expressed confusion and assisted them in clarifying doubts about doctoral studies. Many attendees said this seminar offered actionable insights for them to plan their further studies strategically.