The Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS) is ranked 52nd globally for Social Sciences in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by Subject 2026. We are proud to share that our subject ranking has reached new heights this year, rising from 68th in 2025 to 52nd in 2026, reflecting our continued growth and strong international standing in teaching and research across diverse social science disciplines. This rema

21 Jan 2026

On 16 January 2026, a delegation from APSS visited the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT). A signing ceremony was held at HIT to mark a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) first agreed in August 2023. The ceremony was hosted by Prof. Bo WANG, Professor & Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at HIT. The MoU was signed by Prof. Eric CHUI, Head of APSS, Co-Director of Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT), Associ

21 Jan 2026

On 14 January 2026, Dr Mahesh CHOUGULE, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Social Administration, Thammasat University (TU), Thailand, led a group of undergraduate students from the Social Policy Programme to visit APSS. Dr Raymond TAM, Associate Head of APSS and Programme Leader of the BA (Hons) in Social Policy and Social Entrepreneurship (SPSE), and Ms Beckie LI, Assistant Programme Leader of SPSE and Student Exchange and International Aff

20 Jan 2026

On 14 January 2026, APSS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the School of Psychology and Cognitive Science at East China Normal University (ECNU). The ceremony was held at ECNU’s Putuo Campus in Shanghai, China, and opened with remarks from Ms. Yuan FANG, Party Secretary of the School, who introduced its overall development, current strategies, and new directions. Prof. Sylvia CHEN, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Health and Soci

19 Jan 2026

We are pleased to announce that Abstract Submission for the 2026 East Asia Social Policy (EASP) Annual Conference (17-18 July 2026) is now open. This year, the conference will be hosted by The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong and co-organised by The Centre for Social Policy and Social Entrepreneurship (CSPSE), PolyU APSS. The deadline for abstract submission is on 23 February 2026, and the registration will commence in March 2026. More informati

6 Jan 2026

APSS extended a warm welcome to a delegation from Kunming Medical University’s School of Humanities and Management on 15 December 2025. Prof. Juan CHEN, Associate Head and Professor of APSS, Associate Dean of College of Undergraduate Studies, and Associate Director of Mental Health Research Centre, and Prof. Yang ZHAN, Associate Professor of APSS, provided our guests with an overview of APSS. The Guests from Kunming Medical University (KMU) comp

22 Dec 2025

On 15 December 2025, APSS signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Guizhou University’s (GzU) School of Public Administration. The ceremony took place in Guizhou, China, and opened with remarks from Prof. Eric CHUI, Head of APSS, Co-Director of PReCIT, and Chair Professor of Social Work and Criminology. The MoU was signed by Prof. Eric CHUI and Prof. Da YANG, Dean of the School of Public Administration at GzU, establishing a fram

19 Dec 2025

The APSS Entry Scholarship for Self-financed Taught Postgraduate Programmes recognises exceptional students admitted to master’s level programmes. Recipients are nominated based on their admission performance and academic excellence. The scholarship provides a one-time award ranging from HK$10,000 to HK$80,000. Congratulations to all the award recipients! Here’s what a few of them had to say about their APSS experience:

18 Dec 2025

APSS is delighted to share that ten of our students have been awarded the prestigious HSBC Scholarships. Congratulations to all the recipients on their outstanding achievements!   Awardee of HSBC Greater Bay Area (Hong Kong) Scholarship 2024/25 This award recognises individuals with a well-defined career plan, relevant professional expertise, and a strong dedication to advancing the growth and development of the GBA region.   Award value: HK$80

18 Dec 2025

On 5 December 2025, Prof. Xiao Tian WANG of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) (CUHKSZ) gave an engaging talk on how AI and humans influence social decision making. As the founding director of the Applied Psychology Division and the Director of the Centre of Human Development and Mental Health at CUHKSZ, Prof. WANG framed AI versus human social choices through an evolutionary psychology perspective. He contrasted behavioural patterns

12 Dec 2025