Academic Staff
- HHB815b, Hung Hom Bay Campus
- +852 2766 7465
- cindy.sb.ngai@polyu.edu.hk
- Personal Website
ORCID ID
SCOPUS IDBiography
Cindy SB Ngai (Prof.) is an Associate Professor of the Department of Language Science and Technology at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). By adopting an interdisciplinary research approach, she integrates her knowledge of language, media and communication into the business, health, and science disciplines. Her research focuses on communication engagement on social media. She has received and/or participated in Research and Learning & Teaching projects supported by NSSFC, RGC, UGC, HMRF, SCOLAR, and PolyU, totaling 9 million HKD. Her work appeared in SSCI and SCIE journals including Discourse and Communication, English for Specific Purpose, Health Communication, Humanities and Social Science Communication, Heliyon, International Journal of Business Communication, International Journal of Strategic Communication, Journal of Business and Technical Communication, Journal of Health Communication, Journal of Medical Internet Research, Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, Lingua, Management Communication Quarterly, PLOS One, Public Relations Review and Studies in Higher Education.
Education and Academic Qualifications
- PhD, Nanjing University
- PgC in Teaching in Professional, Vocational and Higher Education, PolyU
- MPhil, The University of Hong Kong (HKU)
- Diploma in Translation (Level 7), IoL Educational Trust (Chartered Institute of Linguists)
BA (Hons), HKU
Academic and Professional Experience
- Associate Professor, Department of Language Science and Technology, PolyU
- Assistant Professor, Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, PolyU
- Research Assistant Professor, Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, PolyU
- Teaching Fellow, Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, PolyU
- Lecturer I, Hong Kong Communication College, PolyU
- Language Instructor, Chinese Language Centre, PolyU
- Demonstrator, School of Chinese, HKU
Teaching Areas
- Bilingual Communication
- Corporate Communication
- Media Communication
Research Interests
Selected Publications
- Lu, Y., Ngai, C. S. B.‡ & Singh, R. G. (2025) Strategic Use of Dialogic Tenets for Building Relationships with Stakeholders by Top-Ranked Universities in China and the United States. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 1–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2025.2590667
- Dong, H., Zhao, P., & Ngai, C. S. B.‡ (2025). Engaging social media users with corporate social responsibility messages: An integrated theoretical approach in the automotive industry during social media era. PLoS ONE, 20(6), Article e0322481. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0322481
- Wang, J., Lu, X., Ngai, S. B. C., Xie, L., Liu, X., Yao, Y., & Jin, Y. (2025). Digital exclusion and depressive symptoms among older people: Findings from five aging cohort studies across 24 countries. Health Data Science, 5, Article 0218. https://doi.org/10.34133/hds.0218
- Lu, W., Yorke, J., Li, Y., Lam, W.Y.Y., Li, M., Hu, Y., & Ngai, C.S.B.‡ (2025). Development and validation of a physician dialogic risk communication instrument scale in Chinese online medical consultations on cancer treatment risks. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1), Article 658. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04758-3
- Hu, Y., Ngai, C.S.B.‡, & Chen, S. (2025). Automated approaches to screening developmental language disorder: A comprehensive review and future prospects. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 68(5), 2478-2498. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_JSLHR-24-00488
- Liu, M., Ngai, C.S.B., & Li, H. (2025). Entrepreneur or capitalist? Discursive constructions of a deceased business leader in Chinese digital mourning discourse. Journal of Language and Politics. https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.24243.liu
- Chen, S., Ngai, C.S.B. ‡, Cheng, C., & Hu, Y. (2025). Analyzing themes, sentiments, and coping strategies regarding online news coverage of depression in Hong Kong: Mixed methods study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27. https://doi.org/10.2196/66696
- Ngai, C. S. B., Singh, R. G., Huang, Y., Ho, J. W. Y., Khong, M. L., Chan, E., Lau, T. C. K., Chan, H. Y. E., Wong, W. T., Law, M. S. M. & Koon, A. C. (2025). Development of a systematic humor pedagogical framework to enhance student learning outcomes across different disciplines in Hong Kong. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 8, Article 100438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2025.100438
- Yao, L., Ngai, C.S.B.‡, Singh, R. & Chen, F. (2024). Social Media Users’ Engagement with Fear Appeal Elements in Government’s Health Crisis Communication via State-owned Media. Journal of Health Communication, 29(8), 524-537. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2024.2378338
- Singh, R & Ngai, C.S.B. (2024). Top-ranked U.S. and U.K.’s universities’ first responses to GenAI: Key Themes, Emotions, and Pedagogical Implications for Teaching and Learning. Discover Education, 3(1), Article 115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00211-w
- Lu, W., & Ngai, C.S.B. (2024). Social media communication and public engagement in different health crisis stages: The framing of COVID-19 in Chinese official media. Communication and the Public, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/20570473241246291
- Chen, S., Niu, M. & Ngai, C.S.B. (2024). What is the next step of ICT development? The changes of ICT use in promoting elderly healthcare access: A systematic literature review. Heliyon, 10 (3): e25197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25197
- Lu, W., Ngai, C.S.B. & Yi, L. (2022). A bibliometric review of constituents, themes, and trends in online medical consultation research, Health Communication, 39(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2022.2163108
- Liu, M., Zhao, R.N. & Ngai, C.S.B. (2022). Vaccines, media and politics: A corpus-assisted discourse study of press representations of the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. PLOS ONE, 17(12): e0279500. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279500
- Ngai, C.S.B.‡, Singh, R.G., Lu, W., Yao, L. (2022) Impact of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on social media virality: content analysis of message themes and writing strategies. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(7): e37806. https://doi.org/10.2196/37806
- Ngai, C.S.B.‡, Singh, R.G., Lu, W., Yao, L., & Koon, A.C. (2022). Exploring the relationship between trust-building strategies and public engagement on social media during the COVID-19 outbreak. Health Communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2022.2055261
- Ngai, S.B.C.‡, Yao, L., & Singh, R.G. (2022). A comparative analysis of the U.S. and China’s mainstream news media framing of coping strategies and emotions in the reporting of COVID-19 outbreak on social media. Discourse and Communication, 16(5), 572-597. https://doi.org/10.1177/17504813221099191
- Ngai, C.S.B.‡ & Singh, R.G. (2021) Operationalizing genuineness in CSR communication for public engagement on social media. Public Relations Review, 47(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102122
- Yao, L. & Ngai, C.S.B.‡ (2021). Engaging social media users with attitudinal messages during COVID-19. Lingua, 268, Article 103199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2021.103199
‡corresponding author
- 2025 - 2027
Principal Investigator, Connecting the Dots: Examining the Impact of Risk and Protective Factors on Loneliness Types and Mental Health in Hong Kong's Elderly, HMRF, Health Bureau, HKSAR Government (Project no. P0050861) - 2024 - 2026
Principal Investigator, Effect of Specific Content Themes and Communication Styles in Internal Social Media Messages on Employee Identification and Engagement, PolyU (UGC) (Project no. P0050861) - 2024 - 2026
Principal Investigator, Trends of sustainability reporting on labour rights in the workplace: A comparative study of leading automotive manufacturers in China and the United States, PolyU (non-UGC) (Project no. P0051012) - 2023 - 2025
Principal Investigator, Effect of Fear Appeal Messages in Health Crisis Communication on Social Media Virality and User Attitudes, PolyU (non-UGC) (Project no. P0046380) - 2019 - 2021
Principal Investigator, The Persuasive Effects of Specific Communication Styles in Corporate Leaders’ Narrative Messages on Stakeholders’ Attitudes, GRF RGC, HKSAR Government (Project no. P0005517)
- 2021 - 2023
Co-Principal Investigator, Artificial Intelligence and Applications of Natural Language Processing (NLP) in Business, PolyU (UGC) (Project no. P0036839)
- 2021 - Present
Member of the Language Enhancement (LE) Sub-group, Teaching Development and Language Enhancement Group, University Grants Committee (UGC)
- 2025 - Present
Associate Editor, Intercultural Communication Studies - 2025 - Present
Editorial Board Member, Corporate Reputation Review - 2025 - Present
Editorial Board Member, Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management - 2024 - Present
Academic Editor, Humanities and Social Sciences Communication, Nature - 2020 - 2024
Academic Editor, PLoS One, PLoS - 2016 - Present
Editorial Advisory Board Member, Journal of Communication Management - 2016
Co-editor, Intercultural Communication Studies (ICS), 2016, Issue 1 (Special Issue on IAICS Conference 2015) - 2013 - Present
Editorial Board Member, Faculty of Humanities Newsletter, PolyU - 2007 - 2009
Editor-in-chief, Learning and Teaching Weekly Bulletin, HKCC, PolyU
- 2022 - Present
Board of Directors of International Association for Intercultural Studies (IAICS) - 2022 - 2025
中国翻译协会跨文化交流研究委员会常务理事 - 2014 - 2016
Executive Committee (Hon. Secretary) of the Chartered Institute of Linguists- Hong Kong Society (By Election)
Member, International Communication Association - 2012 - 2015
Professional Translator, National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters Ltd. (NAATI), Australia - 2010 - 2019
Founding and Executive Member of Corporate Communication International- Hong Kong Chapter Member of Chartered - 2007 - 2018
Institute of Linguists (MCIL), Chartered Institute of Linguists, UK
- 2020
Runner-up for Top Poster Award in the Language and Social Interaction Division, 70th Annual ICA Conference - 2018
CBS Excellent Teaching Award, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - 2015
Best Theoretical Paper Award, CCI Conference on Corporate Communication - 2008
HKCC Caring Teacher Award, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
