APSS Receives 13 Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme, General Research Fund and Early Career Schemes from the Research Grants Council (RGC) in 2025/26 Exercise

Congratulations to the following awardees in securing research funding in the RGC GRF/ESC and HSSPFS applications for the 2025/26 Exercise: Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme (HSSPFS) PI Scheme Project Title Fund Awarded (HK$) Prof. Jessica Li HSSPFS Sexual Exploitation: A Qualitative Study Using Video Vignettes 503,500   Early Career Schemes (ECS) Principal Investigator Scheme Project Title Fund Awarded ($) Prof. Dou Diya ECS High Tech as a Double-Edged Sword: A Longitudinal Study on Technostress and Well-being Among Chinese University Students 780,100   General Research Fund (GRF) Principal Investigator Scheme Project Title Fund Awarded ($) Prof. Janet Leung GRF ‘Hovering’ Parents and ‘Lying Flat’ Kids: Relationship between Perceived Over-parenting and Lying Flat Orientation among Chinese Emerging Adults in Hong Kong 929,190 Prof. Jessica Li GRF Navigating Procedural Justice and Social Inclusion: A Qualitative Comparative Study Using Vignettes with Chinese and Ethnic Minority Youth and Police Officers 800,400 Prof. Li Xiang GRF Problematic internet use among rural Chinese children: A longitudinal mixed methods study based on multiple informants 1,137,931 Prof. Li Xiaomin GRF Financial Literacy, Power, and Economic Abuse Among Rural and Urban Chinese Mothers with Young Children 987,140 Prof. Iris Lo GRF From silenced violence to help-seeking: LGBTQ+ people’s lived experiences of intimate partner violence 680,700 Prof. Jacky Ng GRF A Refined Approach for Second Stage Moderated Mediation Analysis 724,525 Prof. Grace Seo GRF Housing and the Healthy Development of Low-income Children in Hong Kong: A Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study 828,300 Prof. Ting Tin Yuet GRF Intergenerational Dynamics in the Digital Creative Economy: How Hong Kong Families Grapple with the Promise and Pitfalls of Platform Careers 578,600 Prof. Elsie Yan GRF Educational Intervention for Resident-to-Resident Aggression: A Randomized Control Trial 1,198,100 Dr Cai Xinxin GRF Understanding Shared Decision Making in Mental Health Care for Older Adults in Hong Kong: A Mixed-Methods Study from a Family Perspective 842,700 Dr Portia Wong GRF Enhancing Social Skills in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder through Immersive Gamified Virtual Reality-Based Training: A Mixed Methods Study 1,203,390   The total funding awarded in RGC GRF/ECS 2025/26 Exercise is $11,194,576   APSS houses a large group of interdisciplinary professorial and teaching staff in the social sciences in Hong Kong. Our colleagues include world-renowned scholars and veterans in their fields, as well as young, promising scholars with tremendous talent and passion. We are dedicated to advancing knowledge for effective and humanistic social policies and services through education and research excellence.

Future Innovators Shine at PolyU’s Fun-Tech Competition 2024/25 Awards

  With the support of the Innovation and Technology Commission, PolyU’s Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS) ran the “Fun-Tech Competition 2024/25” (the Project) from September 2024 to May 2025, aiming to ignite secondary school students’ interest in I&T through diverse teaching activities and competition. Attracting over 1,000 students from 29 schools, the Project concluded on 21 June 2025 with an award presentation ceremony, hosted by APSS in collaboration with the University’s Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT), to recognise students who demonstrated outstanding creativity and digital skills.   The Project organised an academic conference, as well as a series of workshops, online classes and guided tours, enabling students to keep abreast of the latest technology trends and master cutting-edge digital skills associated with virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and radio-frequency identification (RFID) technologies. It also included a competition which involved participants either producing VR videos or designing innovative applications for RFID. Divided into junior and senior secondary student groups, the competition encouraged students to unlock their innovative spirit and apply the skills they had learnt to everyday scenarios or to addressing social issues.   The award presentation ceremony was officiated by Dr Jeff SZE, JP, Under Secretary for Education of the Education Bureau of the HKSAR Government, along with Prof. Wing-tak WONG, PolyU Deputy President and Provost, and Prof. Eric CHUI, Chair Professor of Social Work and Criminology, Head of APSS and Co-Director of the Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology. Distinguished guests exchanged insights with the winning students, while principals and teachers from participating schools attended in a strong show of support.   Prof. Eric CHUI said, “APSS is committed to fostering the exchange of knowledge and practice through the integration of education, research and service, and to providing more effective and empathetic social services. PReCIT, on the other hand, brings together scholars from different disciplines and professions to promote interdisciplinary cooperation and policy research. In this competition, the students identified the needs of vulnerable communities and utilised innovative technology to raise social awareness of relevant issues, aligning with APSS’s mission to cultivate socially responsible future leaders.”   The Project leader Dr Rodney CHU, Senior Lecturer of APSS, explained the project outcomes at the Ceremony. He applauded the remarkable perseverance and resilience demonstrated by the participating teachers and students throughout the Competition’s midterm evaluations, rehearsals, on-site presentation, Q&A sessions and other activities.  He added, “Our team has maintained close contact with the participating schools since the Project began nearly a year ago. We not only designed activities for students but also engaged teachers in training workshops. This experience has fostered meaningful teaching and learning exchange and collaboration between the University and secondary schools.”   After evaluation by the judging panel, the champions and the first runners-up of the VR video creation competition were the teams from SKH Lui Ming Choi Secondary School and St. Stephen’s Church College for the senior group, and teams from STFA Cheng Yu Tung Secondary School and St. Clare’s Girls’ School for the junior group. For the RFID application design competition, in senior category, teams from Po Leung Kuk Ngan Po Ling College and Salesians of Don Bosco Ng Siu Mui Secondary School were crowned the co-champions and Po Chiu Catholic Secondary School won the first runners-up prize, while in the junior category teams from Chinese Y.M.C.A. Secondary School and Ju Ching Chu Secondary School (Yuen Long) were declared co-champions. For more information on the results and the winning projects, please visit the Project website (http://polyufuntech.com/%E7%8D%B2%E7%8D%8E%E8%80%85/?lang=zh-hant)   Following the award ceremony, a Teaching and Learning Summit focusing on educational innovation was held. Prof. Manuel CASTRO, Professor of Electronics Technology of the National University of Distance Education in Spain, shared his insights into STEM tools and remote laboratories for secondary school settings. His talk sparked dynamic discussion among principals, teachers and students on integrating educational technology into secondary school education.   “Fun-Tech Competition 2024/25”, supported by the Innovation and Technology Fund of the Innovation and Technology Commission, aspired to equip secondary school students with knowledge of cutting-edge technologies and to enable them to apply technological innovations to their daily life and learning. The project also aims to facilitate interaction between teachers, students, schools and industry, advancing Hong Kong’s technological culture and nurturing a new generation of I&T talents with technical capabilities and humanistic care.   Online coverage: Commercial Radio: https://www.881903.com/news/local/2583741 HKCD: https://www.hkcd.com.hk/content_app/2025-06/21/content_8700661.html Fashion Value Chain: https://fashionvaluechain.com/polyu-nurtures-future-tech-talent-through-fun-tech-2025/ PolyU: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/media/Media-Releases/2025/0621_PolyU-Fun-Tech-Competition-2024-25-concludes SingTao: https://polyu.me/4k3yrBN  (subscription required) PolyU PReCIT: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16YDkNBb98/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7342122200717545473/  

PolyU’s Social Sciences and Public Health came on top in Hong Kong in the 2025-2026 U.S. News and World Report Best Global Universities Rankings

According to the 2025-2026 U.S. News and World Report Best Global Universities rankings, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) was the 58th in the Best Global Universities. For subject ranking, PolyU sat in #13th in Best Universities for Social Sciences and Public Health; and that PolyU ranked first in Hong Kong.   Find out more: Best Global Universities for Social Sciences and Public Health: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/social-sciences-public-health The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/hong-kong-polytechnic-university-500421

2025 Centre for Social Policy and Social Entrepreneurship Symposium on Linking Housing with Welfare and Care

On 17 June 2025, the Centre for Social Policy and Social Entrepreneurship (CSPSE) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University hosted a one-day symposium titled "Linking Housing with Welfare and Care: Experience from Hong Kong and South Korea." The symposium brought together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss the vital role of the third sector in affordable housing and integrated care models. The panel sessions featured insightful presentations and engaging discussions, highlighting the importance of collaborative approaches in addressing social issues in Hong Kong and South Korea. APSS is grateful to have Prof. Rebecca L. H. CHIU (Honorary Professor, Department of Urban Planning and Design, HKU), Mr KyungHo CHOE (Research Fellow, Institute for Green Transition), Ms Tracy LI (Project-in-charge, Social Housing Service, St. James’ Settlement), Mr Yun Hyung LEE (Social Developer Group, DEOHAM), Mr Charles Chun Kit HO, (Director, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service) and Prof. Ahyoung SONG (School of Social Welfare, Yonsei University) for sharing their views and experiences in the symposium. Participants exchanged valuable insights and explored innovative solutions, thereby fostering a deeper understanding of the interplay between housing, welfare, and care. The symposium concluded with a call for ongoing collaboration to enhance support systems for vulnerable populations.

Malaysia Study Tour 2025

From 27 May 2025 to 3 June 2025, 25 undergraduate students from the Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS) travelled to Malaysia for an educational study trip to Penang, Ipoh, and Kuala Lumpur. Led by two Lecturers Mr Vincent YEUNG and Dr Javier PANG, this trip provided students with a unique opportunity to learn about social innovation, sustainable development, community empowerment, and the dynamic context of Southeast Asia.   The itinerary included visits to notable non-governmental organisations, such as the Women’s Centre for Change and the Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC). During these visits, students gained a deep understanding of the vital contributions these organisations are making towards promoting gender equality and women’s rights in Malaysia.   Additionally, students explored sustainable development projects, particularly at Look Port Weld (再, 看見十八丁), where they learned about locally led environmental conservation and historical preservation initiatives.   While in Kuala Lumpur, students had the chance to engage with innovative social entrepreneurs, including PichaEats, Biji Biji Initiative, and Eats, Shoots & Roots. These organisations showcased innovative approaches to social entrepreneurship, such as using food to empower underserved communities, promoting eco-friendly living, and advocating for urban farming.   The study tour was a transformative experience for all participants. Students expressed gratitude for the opportunity to connect classroom learning with real-world applications and to witness the positive impact of social initiatives in Malaysia. The trip not only broadened their global perspectives but also inspired them to contribute meaningfully to society in their future careers.

APSS Signs MoU with Huazhong University of Science and Technology on Social Work Education and Research

On 9 June 2025, the Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Huazhong University of Science and Technology (華中科技大學; HUST). HUST is part of Project 985, Project 211 and the Double First-class Construction.   The MoU was signed by Prof. Eric CHUI, Chair Professor of Social Work and Criminology, Head of APSS, and Co-Director of the Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology, PolyU and Prof. Jinhua DI, Dean of the School of Sociology, HUST.   This collaboration aims to advance research and initiatives in several key areas, including the development of capacity building programmes for medical social work practitioners, and collaborations on the application of advanced technology and artificial intelligence in social work services and social sciences research.   In many respects, this partnership highlights the commitment of both institutions to foster innovation and address pressing social issues through collaborative research, education and knowledge exchange.

Our APSS Undergraduate Student Won the Men's Singles Championship in 2025!

Congratulations to Mr. Yee Shun CHAN, a second-year student of the BA (Hons) in Social Policy and Social Entrepreneurship at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, for his outstanding achievement in winning the Men’s Singles Tertiary Division Champion title at the 2025 Hang Seng All Schools Table Tennis Championships. The final took place on 8 June 2025 at the Kowloon Tong Table Tennis Centre. This event attracted over 3,400 participants from more than 920 schools and tertiary institutions across Hong Kong, a record high. Yee Shun’s outstanding performance and dedication has brought great pride to APSS and PolyU and sets a shining example for aspiring athletes. APSS extends our heartfelt congratulations to Yee Shun on this well-deserved victory and wishes him continued success in the coming competitions! As always, APSS is proud of the student’s achievements!   Online coverage: Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3FSsVnC Sport Road: https://shorturl.at/CoajQ

Our APSS Alumna Makes Us All Very Proud

Dr Carmen YAU obtained her Master of Social Work in 2017 and Ph.D. degree in 2023 from the Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.  She is now a Lecturer in Social Work and Lead of Wellbeing Research Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London. She has been awarded “The King Charles III Coronation Medal” recognising her active contribution to the official coronation events in Westminster Abbey and processions and other officially recognised ceremonial Coronation events.   Receiving this medal, Carmen remarked, is not only a personal milestone but also a celebration of collective efforts to create more equitable, inclusive, and welcoming public spaces. She said, “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to APSS and PolyU for nurturing my journey as a disability researcher. Through the knowledge imparted and the invaluable research experiences offered, I have been empowered to champion accessibility with confidence and purpose. Thank you for laying the foundation that continues to guide my work and advocacy.” Speaking about this milestone, Carmen reflected on the significance of this achievement, especially as a disabled, female, and Asian academic. She shared, “This recognition is especially meaningful to me as it reflects the ongoing work I’ve committed to ensuring accessibility and representation of disability in public life and national events.”   Carmen’s recognition serves as a powerful testament to the importance of championing inclusivity in all aspects of public life, a mission that continues to inspire others in the field and beyond.   APSS is very proud of Carmen’s achievements, which exemplify the values of inclusivity, equity, and social impact that the department strives to uphold.

APSS Student Conference 2025: Nurturing Strength in the Face of Adversity

The APSS Student Conference 2025 was successfully held on 23 May 2025. The event began with a welcome address by Prof. Juan CHEN, Associate Head and Professor of APSS, who highlighted the importance of resilience in challenging times. This was followed by a greeting from two core members of the Organising Committee, and they were two PhD students, Ms. Olivia Xin CHEN, and  Mr. Louis Yin Ting TO. Three keynote presentations were delivered in this conference. Dr Timothy SIM, Associate Professor and Head of Master of Counselling Programme at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, presented on the topic of “Individual Growth in the Face of Adversity from a Systemic Perspective”. Prof. Janet LEUNG, Professor of APSS, shared her insights on “Enhancing Family Resilience During Adversity: Insights from Hong Kong”. Prof. Jolanda JETTEN, Head of School of Psychology at the University of Queensland, delivered her presentation titled “Living in an Unequal World: Consequences for Societies' Social and Political Vitality”. Over 110 participants, including students and colleagues within and outside APSS, attended the conference both in person and via Zoom, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange.

London Study Tour for Doctor of Social Work Students

From 21 to 30 April 2025, a considerable number of Doctor of Social Work (DSW) students embarked on an enriching study tour in London.  It was led by Prof. Hok Bun KU, Programme Leader of DSW, Director of China and Global Development Network (CGDN) and Professor of APSS, Prof. Camilla LO, Deputy Programme Leader of DSW and Associate Professor of APSS and Dr Sui Kan YIP, Assistant Director (Partnership and Development) of CGDN. This incredible opportunity was made possible through the strong network and support of Goldsmiths, University of London. We are also grateful for the support from the Keswick Foundation and the privilege of meeting with Mrs Clara WEATHERALL, Chairman of the Keswick Foundation’s Board of Governors, Mrs Clare KESWICK and Mrs Martha KESWICK. Also thank goes to Dr Carmen YAU, alumnus of APSS and several faculty member at Goldsmiths, for their support to this study tour. Read more: CGDN website: https://polyucgdn.com/article/289