Prof. Eric CHUI, Head of APSS, Co-Director of PReCIT and Chair Professor of Social Work and Criminology, has been appointed as the Associate Director of the Research Centre for Environmental, Social, and Governance Advancement (RCESGA). His term is effective from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028. 

Prof. Sylvia CHEN’s Reappointment to the RGC H-Panel

Prof. Sylvia CHEN, Associate Dean(FHSS) and Chair Professor of Social and Cultural Psychology, has been reappointed as a member of the Research Grants Council (RGC) Humanities, Social Sciences and Business Studies Selection Panel (H-Panel) from late January to early March 2026. In this role, she will assist in assessing nominations from University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities in Hong Kong for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) 2026/27 intake and the RGC Junior Research Fellow Scheme (JRFS) 2026/27 cohort.

Prof. Lu YU, Associate Head and Associate Professor of APSS, has been reappointed as a Member of the Humanities and Social Sciences Panel of the Research Grants Council from 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2028.

Prof. Xiaoqin ZHU’s New Appointment

PI: Prof. Eric CHUI, Head of APSS, Co-Director of PReCIT, ADoRCESGA and Chair Professor of Social Work and Criminology
Proposal title: Enhancing the Trajectory of Out-of-home Care Children and Youth – Track Two in Foster Care
Co-I (all from the PolyU APSS): Prof. Jacky NG, Dr Kong YAM, Dr Herrick WONG, Prof. Richard LI
Funding scheme: Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust
Funding amount: HK$34,530,000
Matching Fund from PolyU’s Financial Support to Recipients of Prestigious Funding, Awards and External Research Grants: HK$3,453,000
Project period: 1 September 2025 – 30 September 2030
Project brief: The project seeks to sustain and deepen systemic improvements in foster care models and outcomes for children, youth, foster families, and birth families. It includes a robust professional training component focused on developing flexible curricula that strengthen practitioners’ skills in resilience-building, psychosocial support, and evidence-based interventions. A rigorous evaluation framework, incorporating randomised controlled trials, will assess the model’s effectiveness, fidelity, and scalability. Continuous monitoring of outcomes such as permanency, placement stability, and developmental progress will yield actionable insights to inform policy and optimise services. 

PI: Prof. Eric CHUI, Head of APSS, Co-Director of PReCIT, ADoRCESGA and Chair Professor of Social Work and Criminology
Proposal title: 2025 Behavioural Science Study on Investor Behaviour in the Virtual Assets Market
Funding amount: HK$120,000
Funding scheme:  Investor and Financial Education Council
Project period: 7 November 2025 - 15 April 2026
Project brief: The project investigates the psychological and behavioural factors shaping investment decisions among Hong Kong residents active in the virtual assets market. It examines aspects such as risk perception, heuristics, and financial literacy to understand their influence on investment motivations and practices related to cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and similar assets. Findings will contribute to improved insights into local investor behaviour and guide IFEC’s ongoing efforts to advance financial literacy and responsible investment.

PI: Prof. Herman LO, Associate Professor of APSS
Proposal title: The Effectiveness of Enhanced Intergenerational Co-parenting Training
Funding amount: HK$199,750
Funding scheme: Hong Kong Family Welfare Society (Collaborative)
Project period: 15 November 2025 – 30 September 2026
Project brief: The project aims to promote the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in multigenerational co-parenting. The project team will support the development of educational materials and conduct an evaluation of the enhanced multigenerational co-parenting programme, focusing on supporting grandparents to apply ICT tools in daily family communication.

PI: Prof. Lin NIE, Assistant Professor of APSS
Proposal title: 人工智能赋能互动治理：实证研究及应用性探索
Funding amount: CNY300,000
Funding scheme: NSFC 國家自然科學基金委員會項目
Project period: 1 January 2026 – 31 December 2028
Project brief: This project seeks to advance the knowledge system of interactive governance in the era of AI, develop open-source fine-tuning models (such as government-citizen interaction chatbots) and lightweight toolkits designed to help local governments achieve efficient and collaborative digital governance.

PI: Dr Kong YAM, Senior Lecturer of APSS
Proposal title: i.m.VisionCare – Counselling with Solution-focused Therapy Group  
Co-I: Prof. Allen CHEONG (SO, PolyU), Dr Stella WONG (APSS, PolyU)
Funding amount: HK$1,200,000
Funding Scheme: PolyU – Wu Jieh Yee Charitable Foundation i.m.VisionCare Programme (Donation)
Project period: 1 January 2026 to 30 September 2029
Project brief: As part of the “i.m.VisionCare” project, a multidisciplinary vision rehabilitation programme dedicated to transforming the lives of visually impaired patients (VIPs) in Hong Kong. Recognising that visual impairment affects not only physical abilities but also psychological well-being, the project team members collaborate with optometrists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, counsellors and social workers to deliver personalised, holistic care for VIPs. This project adopts Solution-focused Therapy (SFT) — a strengths-based, hope-centered psychotherapy. The team will contribute to organising SFT mutual support groups for VIPs to enable them to build practical solutions for coping with visual impairment and foster reliance, hope and improved mental health.

Internal Research Grants

PL: Prof. Jasmine ZHU, Associate Professor of APSS
Team member (all from PolyU): Prof. Xiaomin LI (APSS), Dr Betty MOK (APSS), Dr Stella WONG (APSS), Dr Dick CHAN (EDC), Dr Albert CHAN (EDC)
Proposal title: Development of a Flipped Learning Signature Showcase [APSS225 Human Behaviour and Social Environment (HBSE)]
Funding scheme: Seed Fund for Developing Flipped Learning Signature Showcases 2025
Funding amount: HK$50,000
Matching Fund from APSS: HK$5,000
Project period: 1 June 2025 – 31 January 2026
Project brief: The APSS225 HBSE course, a compulsory subject for social work students, requires their mastery of psychological theories, lifespan development, and socio-contextual influences—topics that are demanding and yet essential for professional practice. Traditional methods often struggle to balance theoretical instruction, critical discussion, and practical application within limited contact hours. The Flipped Learning model addresses these challenges effectively: Pre-class theory exposure enables focused class time for case debates and empathy-building exercises, and structured active learning ensures theory-practice integration, vital for developing competent future social workers.

PL: Prof. Daniel T. L. SHEK, Associate Vice President (Undergraduate Programme), Dean of College of Undergraduate Studies and Chair Professor of APSS
Team member: Prof. Xiang LI (APSS, PolyU)
Proposal title: Development of a Flipped Learning Signature Showcase
[Subject chosen for flipped learning implementation: APSS1L01 Tomorrow’s Leaders]
Funding scheme: Seed Fund for Developing Flipped Learning Signature Showcases 2025
Funding amount: HK$100,000
Matching Fund from APSS: HK$5,000
Project period: 1 September 2025 – 31 August 2027
Project brief: Since the 2020/21 academic year, the project team has implemented a Flipped Classroom approach, or a blended learning method, in the "Tomorrow's Leaders" programme, replacing traditional three-hour face-to-face lectures. This model fosters a more engaging and interactive learning experience through e-learning modules developed by instructors. Students are required to complete these modules, covering nine essential topicsbefore class, ensuring that they are prepared for discussions and in-class activities. Utilising a 2+1 Teaching and Learning Approach, students spend one hour at home engaging with the e-learning modules, followed by a two-hour face-to-face lecture. During lectures, instructors reinforce key concepts learned online and engage students through reflective exercises, such as sharing their work and participating in discussions. To evaluate student understanding, various assessment methods are employed, including quizzes based on the e-learning content and class participation, ensuring that students effectively grasp and apply the material. 

PI: Dr Rodney CHU, Senior Lecturer of APSS
Proposal title: Fostering a Global Learning Community: A Multi-discipline and Cross-institutional Deployment of an AI-powered Virtual Tutor
Co-I (arranged in surname alphabetical order): Dr Hilda CHEUNG (BEEE, PolyU), Prof.Jeffrey HO (SD, PolyU), Prof. Cynthia HOU (BEEE, PolyU), Dr Pauli LAI (EEE, PolyU), Prof. Shara LEE (HTI, PolyU), Dr Leon LEI (Talent and Education Development Office, CityU), Prof. Shirley NGAI (RS, PolyU), Dr Raymond TAM (APSS, PolyU), Prof. Ka Tat TSANG (Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto), Dr Kong YAM (APSS, PolyU)
Funding amount: HK$1,569,118
Funding scheme: University Grants Committee, Teaching Development Grant 2025-28
Project period: 1 January 2026 – 31 July 2027
Project brief: This cross-institutional initiative brings togther six departments from PolyU (APSS, BEEE, EEE, HTI, SD, and RS), alongside the Talent and Education Development Office of CityU, and the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. It focuses on deploying an AI-powered Virtual Tutor (VAT). Building upon the award-winning TIMS framework (Technology integration, Interdisciplinary collaboration, Multi-modal assessment, and Student-staff partnership), the project applies innovative teaching practices across a variety of educational settings, from undergraduate subjects to a global MOOC with thousands of learners. Operating via WhatsApp, the VAT chatbot serves as a 24/7 personalised learning companion, enabling real-time engagement and feed-forward support. The project aims to enhance student-centred learning through data-driven teaching, utilising an advanced analytics dashboard to identify learning gaps and misconceptions.

PI: Dr Wynants HO, Lecturer of APSS
Proposal title: Transforming Mental Health Education: SOLO-Based AI Chatbot for Hong Kong University Students (心理健康教育的革新：結合 SOLO 分類法的 AI 聊天機器人在香港大學生中的應用)
Co-PI: Dr Po Yan LAI (PolyU), Dr Hung Kit FOK (CUHK), Dr Joe Tsz Kin NGAI, (HKSYU)

Funding amount: HK$1,419,400
Funding scheme: University Grants Committee, Teaching Development Grant 2025-28
Project period: 1 January 2026 – 31 December 2027
Project brief: Mental-health challenges among Hong Kong university students have reached alarming levels, with more than half reporting symptoms of stress, anxiety, or depression. Although digital mental-health tools have proliferated, most emphasise clinical self-help or therapy rather than pedagogical learning about mental health. To address this gap, this two-year, cross-institutional Teaching Development Grant project integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Service Learning to enhance university students’ Mental Health Literacy (MHL) and personal well-being. The project will develop a relational AI chatbot, SOLO-based Learning Assistant (SOLA) that functions as a reflective learning partner rather than a therapist. Grounded in the SOLO taxonomy, the chatbot will assess students’ depth of understanding—ranging from superficial to integrative reasoning—across three MHL dimensions: cognitive understanding, affective empowerment, and behavioural competence. Through natural-language interaction, it will provide personalised feedback, resources, and reflective prompts that promote deeper, self-directed learning about mental health.  

PI: Prof. Richard LI, Assistant Professor of APSS
Proposal title: CultureCraft: Scenario-based Learning with Conversational AI Agents to Enhance Intercultural Communication Competence
Co-PI: Ms Beckie LI (APSS, PolyU)
Funding amount: HK$1,430,000
Funding scheme: University Grants Committee, Teaching Development Grant 2025-28
Project period: 1 January 2026 – 31 December 2027
Project brief: This project co-designs ethics-vetted conversational AI agents and role-play scenarios with inbound and outbound exchange students to create authentic, scenario-based learning experiences that enhance intercultural communication competence (ICC). Students engage in scaffolded AI-mediated role-plays, feedback, and reflection to develop ICC and transfer them to academic exchanges, mixed-group projects, and professional contexts such as overseas internships. The project’s effectiveness will be assessed through a longitudinal mixed methods approach combining learning analytics, performance assessments, surveys, and interviews. Its impact and longevity will be ensured through dissemination, capacity building, and sustainability planning.

PI: Prof. Qiaobing WU, Associate Head and Associate Professor of APSS
Proposal title: Parental Investment, Parental Involvement, and Migrant Children’s Wellbeing: A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study from A Family Perspective 
Funding amount: HK$841,040
Funding scheme: PolyU Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme
Project period: 16 January 2026 - 15 January 2028
Project brief: This study seeks to examine the nature, types, and practices of parental investment and involvement within the context of urban China. It will further investigate how these practices— as perceived by both migrant children and their parents—influence children’s wellbeing over time, and how parents’ own wellbeing affects the relationship between their parenting practices and child outcomes. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design with two phases that integrates both quantitative and qualitative studies, will be employed. Findings from this study will carry important implications for the development of evidence-based family, school, and policy interventions aimed at enhancing the wellbeing of migrant children in urban China.

Department Celebrates Faculty Awards for Outstanding Achievement 2025

We are proud to announce that our department's distinguished staff have been recognised with the Faculty Awards for Outstanding Achievement 2025, presented by the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, in celebration of their exceptional contributions to knowledge transfer. 

Read more: https://polyu.hk/nTrOv

Eight APSS Colleagues Ranked Among World's Top 2% Most-Cited Scientists 2025

According to the newly released metrics compiled by Stanford University, eight APSS colleagues have been ranked among the world's top 2% most-cited scientists 2025.

Read more: https://polyu.hk/yDZLb

Prof. Mathew WONG Discusses How Chinese Beverage Companies Went Global

Prof. Mathew WONG, Associate Professor at APSS, contributed an article to China.org, offering his expert insights on the global success and significance of leading Chinese beverage companies.

Online coverage:
China.org - https://polyu.me/46Y0nCM

群眾新聞網 - https://polyu.me/3KDScEj
昆明信息港 - https://polyu.me/3KJfVD2
荊楚網 - https://polyu.me/4qbx5cM

Dr Emily FU on Domestic Workers’ Mental Wellbeing

Dr Emily FU, Research Assistant Professor at APSS, contributed an article to South China Morning Post, offering her professional insights into the mental wellbeing challenges faced by migrant domestic workers.

Online coverage:

SCMP - https://polyu.me/3LcQEB8 (subscription required)

PolyU Co-Organises Outstanding ESG Enterprises Recognition Scheme

The Outstanding ESG Enterprises Recognition Scheme 2025, jointly organised by Sing Tao News Corporation, PolyU, the School of Accounting and Finance (AF), the Centre for Economic Sustainability and Entrepreneurial Finance and the Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT), culminated in an award presentation ceremony on 21 October 2025. Prof. Eric CHUI, Head of APSS, Co-Director of PReCIT, ADoRCESGA and Chair Professor of Social Work and Criminology, moderated the accompanying Sustainable Development Forum. During the forum, he exchanged with industry leaders on advancing green finance in Hong Kong and fostering sustainability across the Greater Bay Area and Belt and Road regions.

Online coverage:

The Standard - https://polyu.me/3WBGTzf
Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/47BSbJO (subscription required)
Headline Daily - https://polyu.me/4708zni; https://polyu.me/3WdFr5Q
PReCIT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:share:7386612257251758080/

Prof. Camilla LO Advocates for Enhanced Collaboration between Health and Social Services

At the “From Research to Practice Series” workshop held on 27 Oct 2025, Prof. Camilla LO, Associate Professor of APSS, emphasised the need to strengthen collaboration between the health and social services sectors to enhance support for expectant and new parents.

Online coverage:

PolyU: https://polyu.me/48Lef5Z

(News clipping captured from Sing Tao Daily C04)

Prof. Yin WU on Research Revealing Correlation between Testosterone Levels and Behavioural Traits

Prof. Yin WU, Associate Professor of APSS, Internal Member of the Mental Health Research Centre and Member of the Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology, published a bylined article in Sing Tao Daily. The article elaborated on his interdisciplinary research exploring the neurocognitive correlates of testosterone in young men’s brain functions and their impact on social behaviour. 

Online coverage:

Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/4rh3sHg (subscription required)

Headline Daily - https://polyu.me/48jKzuS

(Photo captured from HK01)

Yan Chai Hospital Partners with APSS to Support Wang Fuk Court Residents

In collaboration with Yan Chai Hospital, APSS will provide professional emotional support to residents of Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po District. Counselling hotlines and in-person services have been made available to support the residents that have been affected.

Further expanding academic ties, APSS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Sociology at Zhejiang University (ZJU) on 3 November 2025. The partnership aims to promote academic exchanges, joint research initiatives, student internships, and the development of a joint doctoral programme.

Read more: https://polyu.hk/lHofb

Online coverage:

Weixin: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/nNTxXyJICK5QTn4B2kz1ug

Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Department of Applied Social Sciences 2025

Dr Carmen YAU is a distinguished scholar and practitioner in the field of social work, renowned for her dedication to advancing disability rights, inclusive research methodologies, and intersectional policy frameworks. A proud graduate of APSS, she continues to demonstrate academic excellence in her role as Lecturer in Social and Lead of the Wellbeing Research Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London.