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| * HKIAPS member |
Centre for Social and Political Development Studies 
by Victor Zheng*(PI) and Po-san Wan* |
Building Carbon-neutral and Climate-resilient Towns in Hong Kong: Spatial, Time Use, and Infrastructure Planning Assessment
by Yuan Xu*(PI), Sylvia He*, Mee Kam Ng*, Chun Chen, Yue Chen |
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by Winton Au*(PI), Anthony Y. H. Fung*(Co-PI), Nick Y. Zhang and John N. Erni |
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by Anthony Y. H. Fung* (PI), Winton Au*(Co-PI), Qian Wang |
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (JC PROcruit C)
by Anthony Y. H. Fung*(PI), Winton Au*(Co-PI), Carlos W. H. Lo, Eunice L. Y. Tang, Hester Y. T. Chow, Ben Y. F. Fong, Louis K. C. Ho, and Joseph W. F. Leung |
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by Winton Au*(PI), Anthony Y. H. Fung*, Fanny M. Cheung*, and Boris Pun |
Gender Research Centre A Technofeminist Analysis
by Susanne Y. P. Choi*(PI), Lynne Nakano*, Junko Otani, Hsiu-hua Shen, Xiying Wang, Pin Lu |
A Comparative Study of Four Cities in East Asia
by Susanne Y. P. Choi*(PI), Lynne Nakano*, Junko Otani, Hsiu-hua Shen, Xiying Wang, Pin Lu |
Research Centre for Urban and Regional Development
by Haijing Dai*(PI), Gaoming Ma, Lili Xia |
Chinese Law Programme Concepts, Approaches, and Policy Options
by Chao Xi*(PI), Travis K. H. Ng, Shanming Li, Bing Shui |
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by Sara H. Zhong*(PI), Nicole W. T. Cheung, Jin Sun, Xiaojin Chen |
Research Forum @ HKIAPS
by Anthony Y. H. Fung*(PI), Ben Y. F. Fong*(Co-PI) |
Centre for Social Innovation Studies Investigator: Ka-ming Wu* (PI) Funding source: Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services, CUHK Plastic pollution is a significant concern in developing regions, particularly in Southeast Asia. At the same time, there are more than 300,000 foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong, who come from Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines. They do housework for local families every day, including handling recycling and waste management. With their inter-Asia experience, how do migrant domestic helpers understand the waste management policies of Hong Kong and what obstacles do migrant domestic helpers face in taking a green approach in their work? In this project, we reach out to migrant domestic helpers and related organizations through activities, screening sessions, and action research with students, to brainstorm on prototypes for transferring scientific knowledge on plastic pollution into innovative actions and ways to communicate about the environment with migrant domestic helpers in Hong Kong.■ |
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Centre for Social and Political Development Studies Investigators: Victor Zheng* (PI), Po-san Wan* HKCI is launching a mega project to compile over 60 volumes, totalling about 25 million words, on the social, cultural, and population history of Hong Kong. is scheduled for completion in eight years’ time (2019–2027), on the 30th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China. HKIAPS has been commissioned by the Hong Kong Chronicles Institute to undertake the work of compiling the “Population” volume. This volume will be divided into six sections and will present the history of Hong Kong’s population chronologically from ancient times (about 7,000 years ago) to 2017. Archaeological findings will be used to illustrate the earliest ancestral traces of human settlement in Hong Kong. Historical records and official data are other major sources that shall be used to demonstrate Hong Kong’s transformation and development in different eras over time. The “Population” volume was released in the Hong Kong Book Fair 2023 and a seminar was held on 20 July 2023 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.■ |
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Centre for Urban Innovations Building Carbon-neutral and Climate-resilient Towns in Hong Kong: Spatial, Time Use, and Infrastructure Planning Assessment Investigators: Yuan Xu*(PI), Sylvia He*, Mee Kam Ng*, Chun Chen, Yue Chen This project aims to explore how Hong Kong’s old and new towns can forcefully approach carbon neutrality and effectively adapt to climate change. Our study will cover towns with mainly residential, commercial, and other service activities, and marginal agricultural and industrial production. A list of KPIs will be defined to clearly measure progress in achieving carbon neutrality and climate resilience in Hong Kong’s various contexts.■ |
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Ma On Shan Village “Mountain Lab” Project Investigator: Mee Kam Ng* (PI) Funding source: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong, Grace Youth Camp The Ma On Shan Iron Mine was once one of the largest mines in Hong Kong. More than a half-century of mining and operation history enabled the surrounding area to construct a unique mining community and related cultural assets. Ma On Shan Village “Mountain Lab” Project intensively explores the historical and cultural assets contained in the “Mining Village” through oral history interviews. This project is being conducted in collaboration with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong, Grace Youth Camp, who will find appropriate candidates to interview about human settlements in the Ma On Shan Iron Mine landscape. The “River of Life” methodology is utilized to comprehend the life experiences of the candidates, highlighting significant moments in their lives. The interviews concentrate on the cultural aspects of their daily lives, such as food, clothing, housing design, transportation, education, medical care, and employment. To transform them into materials for different activities via different organised guiding tours, landscaping and conservation activities, mountain lab camps and mine festivals, etc. Ultimately, to convey the importance and value of the history and culture of the mining village community and related landscapes to the Public, to achieve the goal of restoring the unique living culture of the mining village community.■ |
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Centre for Youth Studies Citywide Programme to Promote Volunteerism in Hong Kong: Development and Production of Online Courseware for the School-based Volunteerism Resource Bank via The Boys’ & Girls’ Club Investigators: Eric Poon*(PI), Donna Chu Funding source: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust Collaborating with BGCA, Caritas and HKFYG, the project develops and creates the digital content for the online courseware of the citywide programme to promote volunteerism. The content is mainly visual presentation with video-mediated in storytelling, and curated under an interactive digital platform, i.e. Internet-based or digital presentation tools for easy and wide access. The targeted audience is primary and secondary students who are fresh volunteers and the teachers who lead the training. The digital content will be researched and developed in two batches: Self-directed materials for students and teaching materials for teachers. It aims to establish an online resource bank, called “School-base Volunteering Resource Bank (SVRB)”, which is a blended learning platform and widely accessible to students and teachers.■ |
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Jockey Club Food Assistance Programme – Research and Evaluation Expertise Cost Investigators: Winton Au*(PI), Anthony Y. H. Fung* (Co-PI), Nick Y. Zhang and John N. Erni Funding source: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to the Hong Kong community and led to growing unemployment and underemployment, with a rising demand for food assistance. To support the local community, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust launched the "Jockey Club Food Assistance Programme" to provide transitional and timely relief for a target of 170,000 financially disrupted people through a variety of innovative initiatives, especially an electronic food bank. By collaborating with various NGOs, the CSR, and research and health partners, the aim of the project is not only to monitor the process and evaluate the outcomes of the programme, but also to explore unmet food needs under the e-food bank, and to propose long term policy recommendations for the government.■ |
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Jockey Club Life Adventure Opportunity Hub Investigators: Anthony Y. H. Fung* (PI), Winton Au*(Co-PI), Qian Wang Funding source: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust Collaborating with the Fullness Social Enterprises Society and Junior Achievement (Hong Kong), this Project has two overarching objectives: 1) at the individual student level, to support the developmental needs of underprivileged pre-teens through a Community Action Programme; i.e., the Community Entrepreneurial Officer (“CEO”) Programme, which has been designed to help them enhance their self-esteem and hope, and their competence in setting goals; encourage them to have higher career aspirations; and boost their well-being and social connectedness; 2) at the school level, to explore the school model as an opportunity hub through the formation of strategic partnerships with community stakeholders to provide life-long learning opportunities. To inform these two connected levels of overarching objectives, there are three key research questions: 1) To assess the impact of the Project intervention on pre-teens in Core and Network Schools; 2) To analyse and compare the varying levels of impact among pre-teens who participated in the CEO Programme, in order to distil the key factors of success and good practices at different points in time; and 3) To analyse the sustainability of Opportunity Hubs at the level of school engagement and community engagement. The Project will recruit two tiers of participating schools. Twenty “Core Schools” will commit to positioning themselves as Opportunity Hubs for their students, while another 80 “Network Schools” will carry out a light version of the Community Action programme (8 vs 24 sessions) to prepare themselves for school capacity-building and community engagement in the future.■ |
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Professional Traineeship for First-time Jobseekers: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (JC PROcruit C) Investigators: Anthony Y. H. Fung*(PI), Winton Au (Co-PI), Carlos W. H. Lo, Eunice L. Y. Tang, Hester Y. T. Chow, Ben Y. F. Fong, Louis K. C. Ho, and Joseph W. F. Leung Funding source: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust With the current advances in technology and social development, it is becoming increasingly important to prepare young talented people for work readiness and future employability. JC PROcruit C offers first-time-job-seekers the opportunity to kick start their journey of self-discovery. The Programme developed emerging and promising professions in the areas of Creativity, Technology, Business, and Healthcare for graduates to actualize their career goals and create social value to the community. Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, JC PROcruit C created a unique and structured through-train traineeship model to support the school-to-workplace transition of graduates and prepare them for future work readiness This project evaluates more than a thousand youth trainees who landed their first jobs in the JC PROcruit C Programme. Through a collaboration with employers in the four areas of emerging professions, the Project not only aims to monitor the process and evaluate the outcomes, but also to identify professional pathways for youth development, develop a market for these emerging professions, and propose long-term policy recommendations for the government.■ |
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Value, Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge (VASK) Assessment Validation and Gamification Consultancy for CLAP 2.0 Investigators: Winton Au(PI), Anthony Y. H. Fung*, Fanny M. Cheung*, and Boris Pun Funding source: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust The objectives of this study are as follows: (1) Investigate how Hong Kong youths assess the present situation by looking at their perception of the future; (2) Depict the relation of (a) the factors that affect the perceptions of the future, (b) the perceived future, and (c) actions in response to the perceived future. In particular, the research highlights that knowing how youths perceive the future enables us to understand the relation between the macro environment and the behaviour of the youths; (3) To articulate the public discourses related to the sentiments of the youths to their actual situation. This enables us to assess the strength and influence of respective public discourse in the public sphere; (4) In a long run, it is planned to have the perception of Hong Kong’s future as indicators to observe the attitudinal change of Hong Kong’s youth longitudinally. A tailor-made questionnaire will be developed in order to collect responses on the above-mentioned issues from 800 respondents aged 15–30 years old through a territory-wide mobile phone survey.■ |
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Gender Research Centre Cyber Dating Abuse Among Young Adults in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Taipei: A Technofeminist Analysis Investigators: Susanne Y. P. Choi*(PI), Lynne Nakano, Junko Otani, Hsiu-hua Shen, Xiying Wang, Pin Lu Funding source: General Research Fund, Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee This study focuses on the role of technology and gender in co-shaping cyber dating abuse among young adults aged 16–35 in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Taipei. Advances in technology have provided new venues for young people to develop and consolidate romantic relationships, but the venues also create nascent risks. Cyber abuse by a partner in a romantic or dating relationship includes issuing threats via mobile phone, emails, and SMS; monitoring and checking a partner’s social networking page without permission; sharing sexts and/or personal information and/or details of the dynamics of an intimate relationship without the partner’s consent; and online/technology-facilitated stalking. Studies conducted in Western societies suggest that cyber abuse is an alarming issue requiring further research. For our study, we are interviewing a broad section of the young adult population to better understand this problem among young people with diverse educational backgrounds. We have adopted a technofeminist framework that will provide us with a theoretical lens through which to analyse the mutual shaping of gender and technology and the connections between the online and offline worlds. We hope to generate new knowledge for the field and produce evidence-based data that will increase public awareness and help NGOs and policy makers to develop effective interventions.■ |
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Gender, Power, and Online Sexual Harassment: A Comparative Study of Four Cities in East Asia Investigator: Susanne Y. P. Choi*(PI), Lynne Nakano, Junko Otani, Hsiu-hua Shen, Xiying Wang, Pin Lu Funding source: General Research Fund, Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee This project will gather systematic and comparative data on online sexual harassment (OSH) amongst university students aged between 18 and 29 in four East Asian cities: Hong Kong, Beijing, Taipei, and Osaka. It will examine the impact of gender, power inequalities, and different policy regimes and government control of the virtual world on OSH. While the rapid development of technology has greatly improved access to information and democratized participation in public discussions, it has also created new forms of risk and harm. OSH is an example, and it is the most common form of technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) perpetrated online in Western countries. However, little is known about its nature in non-Western contexts.■ |
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Women Managing Families in Urban East Asia:
An Anthropological Study of Personal, Social, and Financial Strategies of Women Primary Earners in Osaka and Hong Kong Investigator: Lynne Nakano*(PI) Funding source: General Research Fund, Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee The number of women who are the primary income earners in their families has increased in recent years because of rising levels of education among women, an increase in the number of single and divorced women, and increased migration. Households headed by women are often assumed to be impoverished, marginal, and socially isolated, yet the data suggests that in spite of discrimination, socio-economic impediments, and economic hardship, a growing majority of female primary earners are managing to care for their families, engage in economic activities, and be active in their communities. In sum, little is known about how women primary earners manage their resources, foster new identities for themselves and their children, create networks in their communities, and thereby shape their societies. Using anthropological methods of conducting in-depth interviews, the project aims to investigate how women primary earners who financially support themselves and others manage their personal lives and identities, their incomes and household finances, and social networks and engagements. The study compares female primary earners and their families in Osaka and Hong Kong, two East Asian cities with growing numbers of female primary earner households. The comparison between Osaka and Hong Kong will allow for an enriched understanding of how family, state, and normative values shape the experiences of female primary earners in managing their personal, familial, and social lives.■ |
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Research Centre for Urban and Regional Development Modelling and Simulating Regional Migration Systems Investigators: Jianfa Shen*(PI) Funding source: RGC Senior Research Fellow Award, Research Grants Council of Hong Kong This project is designed to analyse various impacts on modelling performance based on a general migration model with many explanatory variables, in addition to population and distance in a simple gravity model. The regional system of China with 31 regions will be used for simulation. Migration flow simulation will be based on model parameters estimated from the migration data for 2015–2020 from the China 2020 census. This project will study the impacts of missing one significant explanatory variable, the wrong assumption of random process, and the random process on modelling error in migration models via a series of simulations. A commonly used migration model, the general log-linear migration model, will be used as the base model for simulating the random error. A general Poisson migration model will be used to assess the error caused by the wrong assumption of random process. The project will also estimate a network spatially filtered migration model and study the impacts of spatial auto-correlation on modelling errors in migration models. The total modelling error will be decomposed into errors in constant effect, relative emissiveness and the attractiveness of specific regions, as well as the level of interaction between pairs of regions with a decomposition approach.■ |
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Chinese Law Programme Harmonization of Business and Commercial Laws in the Greater Bay Area: Concepts, Approaches, and Policy Options Investigators: Chao Xi* (PI), Travis K. H. Ng, Shanming Li, Bing Shui Funding source: Research Impact Fund, Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee The development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is high on the list of China’s national priorities. Because of historical circumstances, the GBA includes three different legal jurisdictions. Guangdong Province (specifically, the nine cities included in the GBA), the Hong Kong SAR, and the Macau SAR have each developed an idiosyncratic body of doctrines, principles, institutions, rules, and practices that characterize and frame the ways in which businesses and commercial activities are conducted. Advocates of the harmonization, within the constitutional framework of “one country, two systems”, of laws governing businesses and commercial transactions in the GBA, see this approach as offering the economic attractions of lowering transaction costs and facilitating market integration. Key GBA actors and stakeholders have taken initiatives that can be characterized as steps towards the harmonization of business and commercial laws. Some steps are top-down in orientation, often orchestrated by national or regional authorities. Others are bottom-up, typically originated by “frontline” players including GBA businesses and practitioners. Few studies have critically examined the very concept of harmonization in the academic and policy discourses on the GBA. Relatively little is known empirically about how the current harmonization approaches and methods mesh with the institutional contexts in which they operate. This project aims to fill these gaps.■ |
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The Relationship between Boarding Status and Pathological Internet Use among Chinese Rural Students:
An Investigation of Mediating and Moderating Social Mechanisms Investigators: Sara H. Zhong*(PI), Nicole W. T. Cheung, Jin Sun, Xiaojin Chen Funding source: General Research Fund, Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee The internet offers significant opportunities for young people, but the rise of pathological internet use (PIU) among youth has become a global concern, as it negatively impacts their physical, psychological, and social well-being. Disadvantaged youth, such as rural children, face additional challenges due to the digital divide, limiting their ability to use the internet effectively. This study focuses on estimating the prevalence of PIU and identifying associated risk and protective factors among rural students in China, particularly left-behind children (LBC), who are especially vulnerable due to parental migration. China’s rapid urbanization has exacerbated urban-rural educational inequalities, with rural children often lacking access to high-quality digital education. Boarding schools have emerged as a key living space for rural children, offering potential solutions to weakened family supervision. However, the impact of boarding schools on PIU and the disparities between LBC and non-LBC remain understudied. Drawing on prior theories and pilot results, this study hypothesizes that boarding schools may reduce PIU by enhancing monitoring, promoting conventional activities, fostering positive peer relationships, and improving educational commitment. These effects may be moderated by the students’ internet literacy, which includes their knowledge, self-management, awareness, interactions, and autonomous learning online. To explore these dynamics, the study will survey 3,000 rural junior middle school students, both boarding and non-boarding, in two Chinese provinces. The aim is to provide valuable insights on how to mitigate PIU among vulnerable rural youth and how best to address the digital divide.■ |
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Regulating Outbound Data Flows in China Investigator: Chao Xi* (PI) Funding source: General Research Fund, Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee The aim of this project is to empirically examine the important question: What shapes China’s emerging legal and regulatory regime on outbound data flows? The increasing digitization of the modern economy has led to a surge in data flows across borders, raising concerns over issues ranging from privacy to national security. In response, national and regional authorities have begun to develop regulatory systems that govern the way in which data flow in and out of their borders. Of particular significance is the recent proliferation of national regulatory regimes placing various types of restrictions on outbound data transfers. While the comparative literature on national and regional approaches to regulating outbound data flows is fast growing, the fledgling Chinese regulatory regime has hitherto remained under-studied and under-theorized. The project will focus on investigating China’s fast-evolving regime governing security assessments of outbound data transfers. It will draw primarily on qualitative data on the dynamics between China’s data regulators and the regulated entities, to be obtained with the support of a network of PRC collaborators. It will also attempt to construct a unique, hand-collected dataset containing the outcomes of security assessments that are publicly accessible. The project will present new insights into, among other things, the impact that the nascent assessment regime has had on domestic and international businesses; the strategies and tactics that these businesses have mobilized in response to the regime; and the influence that these businesses have exerted on shaping the evolutionary trajectory of the regime.■ |
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Research Forum @ HKIAPS Building a Sustainable Healthcare System for Hong Kong Investigators: Anthony Y. H. Fung*(PI), Ben Y. F. Fong*(Co-PI) On January 12, 2022, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government announced a restructuring of its policy bureaus, effective July 1, 2022, marking the start of a new government term. The Food and Health Bureau was reorganized into the Health Bureau, with a renewed focus on medical and health policies. This restructuring was aimed at ensuring the sustainable development of Hong Kong’s public healthcare system, particularly in the area of public health strategies, and to support the growth of health-related industries, including health technologies, drug research and development, and medical manpower. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the urgent need to have a responsive and well-prepared healthcare system, thus prompting this shift. Against this backdrop, the book Building a Sustainable Healthcare System for Hong Kong was conceived as part of a series to strengthen knowledge and ideas for creating a sustainable healthcare system. The first volume, comprising 11 chapters, is organized into three sections: Systems Review, Public Health Crisis, and Sustainable and Caring Services. Part 1: Systems Review This section addresses critical issues in Hong Kong’s healthcare system, such as a rising demand for services, an ageing population, and a shortage of healthcare workers. It rethinks the concept of primary healthcare, referencing the Primary Healthcare Blueprint released in December 2022, and critiques the development of primary care in Hong Kong. The discussion highlights the strengths and limitations of the current strategy, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. A key focus is the role of District Health Centres (DHCs), established in all 18 districts since September 2019, in achieving sustainability. The authors evaluate the effectiveness of the DHC model and draw lessons from New Zealand’s successful primary healthcare practices. They advocate for a social model of health that emphasizes collective responsibility and addresses broader social determinants of health. Recommendations include providing professional training for healthcare staff, specialization of nursing services, and policy-driven approaches to financing and regulation. The authors also stress the importance of medical-society collaboration to address systemic shortcomings and promote a holistic view of healthcare that goes beyond medical treatment. Part 2: Public Health Crisis This section examines Hong Kong’s response to health crises, particularly the SARS and COVID-19 pandemics. It evaluates the strategic performance of the local healthcare system during COVID-19 and proposes reforms for future preparedness. The authors advocate for interdisciplinary approaches to disaster management, involving health professionals, policymakers, urban planners, and other stakeholders. They emphasize the need for evidence-based models and collaborative measures to enhance the system’s resilience and responsiveness. Part 3: Sustainable and Caring Services The final section explores innovative solutions for sustainable healthcare, including the use of technology and blockchain. It also addresses long-term issues, such as sustainable meat consumption, and evaluates the effectiveness of the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme, drawing on experiences from Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The authors recommend cross-border collaboration with the Greater Bay Area to enhance healthcare delivery for both local and non-local communities. The last chapter highlights the importance of compassionate care, a topic often overlooked in Hong Kong’s healthcare system. The authors argue that “heart” is the key to successful compassionate care and a sustainable healthcare system. The book concludes with a call for collective efforts to build a sustainable healthcare system that delivers quality and equitable care to Hong Kong’s community. A Policy Forum organized by The Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies in July 2023 aimed to engage academics and professionals in this endeavour, marking an initial step toward fostering interest and collaboration in healthcare provision. The book serves as a foundational resource for rethinking and reforming Hong Kong’s healthcare system to meet future challenges.■ For details:  |
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