NEWSLETTER ISSUE NO.10 FALL 2026 HKUST PPOL
OPENING MESSAGE 2 We have so much to celebrate in PPOL. The past few months have been marked by progress and creativity, thanks to the collective efforts of our faculty, students, and staff. I am immensely proud to be part of our Division, not only because of the programs we have built and the robust curriculum we continue to expand, but also because I get to work alongside colleagues who are extraordinary professionals and inspiring people. Their dedication to teaching and research is the foundation of our success and reason why we continue to grow in strength, reputation, and impact. Our programs have expanded in scope and ambition, offering students new opportunities to explore the interdisciplinary nature of public policy. The diversity of our faculty, from our backgrounds and expertise to our worldviews and perspectives, enriches the classroom experience and ensures that our students bene t from a truly global outlook. This same diversity is re ected in the doors we continue opening for our students through exchange programs and international collaborations, offering them rsthand experience of how policy is shaped across different contexts. Our commitment to pedagogy is as strong as our commitment to scholarship. Research remains a cornerstone of our mission, and the steady success in securing grants allows our faculty to stay at the forefront of their elds, producing work that informs policy debates and advances knowledge. This excellence ows directly into our classrooms, keeping our teaching fresh, adaptive, and connected to the latest developments, while our achievements in pedagogy, re ected in colleagues receiving fellowships and recognition for innovative pedagogical approaches, underscore how deeply our dedication to teaching and research strengthen the Division and enrich the experience of our students. But what makes these accomplishments truly meaningful is that they are shared. They re ect the collective energy of our Division; the faculty who push boundaries, the students who bring curiosity and creativity, and the staff who support our mission every day. Together, we have built momentum that will carry us forward. As we celebrate these milestones, we also look ahead to new programs, new teaching methodologies, new research frontiers, and new opportunities for our students to thrive. It is in this spirit of pride and anticipation that I am delighted to introduce this issue of the PPOL Newsletter, which showcases the achievements, stories, and aspirations that de ne our Division and remind us of the exciting journey still ahead. Dr. Marie N. BERNAL Senior Lecturer Program Director, Master of Public Policy Opening Message 2 Achievements and Grants 3 Ongoing Projects 7 Scholarly Showcase 9 Conferences and Events 21 Seminar Archive 24 Student Hub 27 News and Upcoming Events 33 CONTENTS
4 HKUST’s Division of Public Policy (PPOL) is delighted to announce that a collaborative research paper co-authored by PhD candidates Siqi XIE, Xuan ZENG, and PPOL Associate Professor Masaru YARIME has been awarded the Best Poster Award at the International Conference on the Science of Science and Innovation (ICSSI) 2026. Hosted in Boulder, Colorado, USA from June 29 to July 1, 2026, this prominent annual conference gathers global scholars to advance research on science systems, technological progress and innovation governance. The award-winning poster carries the full title “Bless or Curse? An Empirical Analysis of the Effects of U.S. Export Controls on China’s High-Tech Innovation Through the Lens of Entity-Listed Firms”. Centered on entity-listed enterprises as the core research sample, the study delivers an in-depth empirical examination of how U.S. export restriction policies reshape the high-tech innovation trajectory of targeted Chinese rms, unpacking both constraining pressures and potential transformative incentives brought by external regulatory barriers to domestic technological development. The paper’s three authors bring complementary academic backgrounds rooted within HKUST’s interdisciplinary research ecosystem. Siqi XIE is a PhD Candidate enrolled in the University’s Individualized Interdisciplinary Program specializing in Innovation, Policy and Entrepreneurship. Xuan ZENG pursues doctoral studies within the Division of Public Policy. Their supervisor and co-author, Associate Professor Masaru YARIME, is a core faculty member of HKUST PPOL, whose research portfolio spans technology policy, climate governance, smart city systems and data-driven social science inquiry. This joint work embodies the division’s core mission of integrating graduate student research with faculty-led interdisciplinary public policy scholarship. ICSSI stands as a leading international platform for the science of science eld, evaluating poster submissions based on originality of research questions, methodological rigor, empirical insight and contribution to policy-relevant innovation studies. By securing the Best Poster Award, the team’s analysis of geopolitical technology regulation and industrial innovation has received formal peer recognition from the international academic community. This milestone achievement highlights the robust graduate research training and impactful policy-oriented scholarship fostered by HKUST’s Division of Public Policy. It further solidi es the division’s standing as a key center for cutting-edge research at the intersection of international technology policy, industrial development and public governance. Congratulations to Siqi XIE, Xuan ZENG and Professor Masaru YARIME on this well-earned conference distinction. We anticipate this research will continue to offer valuable evidence and perspectives for global discussions on trade controls, technological competition and inclusive innovation governance. Prof. Masaru YARIME’s Co-authored Paper Received the Best Poster Award at the International Conference on the Science of Science and Innovation (ICSSI) 2026 ACHIEVEMENTS AND GRANTS CHIEVEMENTS AND GRANTS 3
5 6 ACHIEVEMENTS AND GRANTS ACHIEVEMENTS AND GRANTS The Division of Public Policy is proud to announce that Prof. Stuart GIETEL-BASTEN, Professor and a distinguished scholar in the Division of Public Policy, has been appointed as a member of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council. The G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) is an independent body of leading global experts established to provide high-level, evidence-based advice to G7 leaders on advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide. As a member of the Council, Prof. Gietel-Basten will contribute his expertise to shape discussions, develop actionable recommendations, and drive progress on critical gender equality priorities across the G7 agenda. Prof. Gietel-Basten’s research spans demography, population policy, family change, and gender dynamics, with a focus on East Asia and comparative international perspectives. His work has been widely published in leading academic journals and cited in policy discussions globally. Beyond academia, he brings extensive experience in engaging with governments, international organizations, and civil society to translate rigorous research into policy impact—an expertise he will bring to his role on the GEAC. This prestigious appointment underscores Prof. Gietel-Basten’s standing as a leading voice in global gender and population policy. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Prof. Gietel-Basten and look forward to his impactful contributions as he takes on this important role, further elevating the Division of Public Policy’s engagement in international policy dialogue. Prof. Stuart GIETEL-BASTEN Appointed as a Member of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council Prof. Alex Jingwei He Appointed as a Panel Member of the Research Grants Council (RGC) The Division of Public Policy is proud to announce that Prof. Alex Jingwei He, Professor at the Division of Public Policy, has been appointed as a Panel Member of the Research Grants Council (RGC). The RGC, established under the University Grants Committee (UGC), is the key public funding body supporting academic research in Hong Kong. It plays a vital role in promoting high-quality research across disciplines and fostering academic excellence in the region. As a member of the Humanities and Social Sciences Panel (Joint Research Schemes), Prof. He will contribute his expertise to the peer review process, evaluating research proposals and advising on funding allocations to support impactful and innovative research projects. Prof. He’s research focuses on public health policy, health system governance, and social policy in Greater China, with extensive publications in leading international journals and signi cant contributions to evidence-based policy making. His deep understanding of public policy challenges and research methodologies makes him well-positioned to contribute to the RGC’s mission of advancing research excellence in Hong Kong. This appointment re ects the high regard for Prof. He’s academic standing and expertise in the eld. We extend our warmest congratulations to Prof. He and look forward to his contributions to shaping the future of research funding in the humanities and social sciences in Hong Kong.
ONGOING PROJECTS Leading Faculty Funding Agency HKUST Li & Fung Supply Chain Institute Project Establishing Digital Product Passport for Sustainable Supply Chains: Centralized and Decentralized Approaches to Data Governance (2025 - Now) AI Academic Upskilling Program for Social Scientists NSFC–RGC Joint Research Scheme “Human–Machine Collaborative Intelligent Deliberation and Public Policy Optimization Using Generative Multi-Agent Large Language Models.” (2025 - Now) NSFC General Research Grant PI (2026 - 2029) Human-Machine Collaborative Intelligent Deliberation and Public Policy Optimization Using Generative Multi-Agent Large Language Models NSFC-RGC Joint Research Scheme Fund Co-I (2026 - 2029) Generative Content Detection and Ethical Value Alignment for Multimodal Large Models 8 ONGOING PROJECTS Leading Faculty Funding Agency RGC - General Research Fund Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong Project Can We Regulate Our way to a Circular Economy? A Study of the Relationship between Extended Producer Responsibility Regulation and Sustainable Innovation in the Textile Industry (2025 - Now) Towards 1.5C Lifestyles: What motivates sustainable consumption choices in Hong Kong? (2022 - Now) Post-Con ict Reconstruction of the Health Sector in the Postwar Philippines, 1946-1953 (2026-Now) RGC – Research Fellow Scheme Chief Executive’s Policy Unit – Public Policy Research Funding Scheme Regional Science and Complex Systems: A Five-year Research Plan on Transportation, Land Use, Labor, and Innovation Systems (2024 - Now) Bus Electrification in Hong Kong: Energy Consumption Prediction and Charging Facility Planning (2024 - Now) Enhancing the implementation of “One University, Two Campuses” and mutual recognition of academic qualifications: A mixed-methods study (2025 - Now) Prof. Kira Matus Dr. Nicolo LUDOVICE Prof. Masaru Yarime Prof. Julien de Troullioud de Lanversin Dr. Fangxin Francine YI (in collaboration with Prof. Yike Guo.) Environment and Conservation Fund Comparative Assessment and Valuation of Ecosystem Services Generated from Recreation and Conservation in Coastal Wetland Habitats Dr. Jeffrey CHOW Prof. Pengyu Zhu General Research Fund (GRF, external competitive), Research Grants Council, Hong Kong SAR (Ref. 16600324) Tsinghua University Asia Paci c Observatory on Health Systems and Policy, World Health Organization Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme General Research Fund (GRF, external competitive), Research Grants Council, Hong Kong SAR Local Government Innovation under Political Recentralization in Contemporary China: A Two-stage Sequential Study Delayed retirement and mass feedback in China (2025 - Now) Use of digital health technologies and data to enhance health system outcomes (2025 - Now) Understanding China’s Huge and Complex Health Policy Reform: A Governance Approach Struggling with an Ageing Population and Economic Downturn: An Examination of the Policy Feedback Effects in China’s Social Security System Prof. Alex Jingwei He 7
10 Jingwei He, Alex, Hongqiao Fu, and Na Tang. “From local innovation to national policy: Cross‐boundary policy entrepreneurship in China’s health regulatory reform.” Australian Journal of Public Administration 85.1 (2026): 51-70. Science,Technology, and Innovation Policy SCHOLARLY SHOWCASE Focus of Study This study explores the cross-boundary policy entrepreneurship model in China’s healthcare sector, analyzing how a local internet hospital pilot in Ningxia scaled up to become a national telemedicine policy. It examines how multi-stakeholder coalitions (local governments, hospitals, and tech rms) broke institutional and sectoral barriers to drive regulatory change, identifying key roles including policy entrepreneurs, process brokers, program champions, and technology innovators. The research traces the two-stage evolution of the reform—local pilot implementation and national policy diffusion—and highlights how actors employed framing, coalition-building, venue-shopping, and persuasion strategies to advance the agenda, with a focus on the tensions between disruptive digital innovation and traditional healthcare governance. Policy Recommendation Policymakers aiming to foster inclusive digital health innovation should adopt a multi-level, collaborative framework: support cross-sector partnerships to design and test local pilots, create formal pathways to scale successful grassroots solutions into national policy, and update regulatory systems to balance innovation with accountability. Additionally, clarifying the roles of public and private actors, strengthening oversight of data security and service quality, and nurturing a culture of adaptive governance can help emerging economies replicate China’s experience while mitigating risks of over-commercialization and regulatory capture. Khanal, Shaleen, and Masaru Yarime. “Exploring geopolitics and innovation: the role of bilateral relationships in shaping research collaboration.” Science and Public Policy (2026): scag024. Focus of Study This paper explores how bilateral geopolitical ties shape global research collaboration and innovation. Using multiple international databases and econometric methods, it veri es three hypotheses. The results show cross-border research collaboration effectively improves patent quality. Better bilateral relations greatly raise the quantity of scienti c cooperation via researcher mobility and high-tech trade. However, national ties only partially in uence patent quality, failing to affect technological originality and radicalness. The study clari es the complex interplay between geopolitics and innovation, lling research gaps in this eld and offering empirical evidence for cross-border scienti c cooperation amid rising global frictions. Policy Recommendation Governments should avoid blanket restrictions on cross-border research and technology exchanges. They need to adopt targeted rules to balance scienti c openness and national security, especially for dual-use technologies. Nations are advised to build stable bilateral and multilateral scienti c partnerships and launch joint research projects on global public issues. Policymakers can use tax incentives and funding support to encourage enterprises and research institutions to conduct international cooperation. It is also vital to strengthen scienti c talent mobility and high-tech trade, to sustain global innovation vitality and build resilient international research networks. CHOLARLY SHOWCASE 9
SCHOLARLY SHOWCASE 12 SCHOLARLY SHOWCASE Masaru Yarime. “Data Governance for Artificial Intelligence in Addressing Climate Change.” Field Actions Science Reports. The journal of field actions Special Report (2026): 68-71. Focus of Study This paper discusses the integration of artificial intelligence and climate action, centering on data governance. It analyzes AI’s wide applications in climate change mitigation and adaptation, and points out that data fragmentation, uneven data distribution, algorithmic bias, AI’s carbon footprint and imperfect institutional mechanisms restrict the effective use of climate AI. It also summarizes existing solutions including open data platforms, data trusts and public-private partnerships, and emphasizes that sound data governance is the core to unleash AI’s potential for addressing climate change. Policy Recommendation Policymakers should unify global data standards and break data silos, optimize technical infrastructure to narrow regional data gaps and digital divide, build inclusive and fair AI models to avoid algorithmic discrimination, establish multi-stakeholder governance mechanisms such as climate data trusts, deepen public-private cooperation, and balance AI’s climate benefits and energy consumption to promote responsible application of climate AI. Asatani, Kimitaka, Yurie Iwata, Yuta Tomokiyo, Basil Mahfouz, Masaru Yarime, and Ichiro Sakata. “Structure of Scientific Knowledge Flows to Intergovernmental Organizations.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS (United States) 123, no. 17 (April 2026): e2514861123. Focus of Study This study examines scientific knowledge flows from academia to intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) using 230,737 IGO-cited papers (2015–2023) across 23 research fields. It identifies “Highly IGO-Cited Scientists (HIC-Sci)” — merely 0.7%–4.4% of authors producing 30% of IGO-referenced research. The paper unpacks three drivers of this extreme concentration: dense transnational co-authorship networks overlapping IGO advisory bodies like IPCC, faster IGO citation uptake, and standardized policy-oriented vocabulary. Mature fields (climate modeling) show far tighter concentration than emerging areas (AI & data science). HIC-Sci networks follow a Western Europe core-periphery geographic structure, and cross-IGO co-citation amplifies elite dominance, even amid IGO diversity reforms. Policy Recommendation The research proposes targeted institutional reforms to balance scientific credibility and procedural legitimacy for IGOs. First, IGOs should implement transparent author-level citation tracking to expose uneven knowledge sourcing, complementing existing conflict-of-interest and expert selection rules. Second, emerging policy domains such as AI governance need formal inclusive monitoring mechanisms before epistemic consensus solidifies to avoid entrenched elite bias. Third, IGOs must mitigate core-periphery geographic imbalance by systematically integrating observational, non-mainstream research from underrepresented regions. Finally, regular long-term evaluations of evidence synthesis outcomes are required, as procedural diversity adjustments fail to offset persistent citation concentration driven by cumulative advantage and network lock-in. Julien de TROULLIOUD de LANVERSIN, Christopher Fichtlscherer, and Moritz Kütt. “Verification of very low-yield nuclear tests with post-experiment gamma spectroscopy.” Physical Review Applied 25.4 (2026): 044008. Focus of Study Against the background of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) zero-yield standard and widespread low-yield nuclear experiment disputes among nuclear-armed states, this research distinguishes supercritical nuclear tests that produce self-sustaining fission chain reactions from non-prohibited subcritical experiments. Relying on 6,000 sets of neutronics, isotope evolution and photon transport numerical simulations, the paper develops a post-test gamma spectroscopy onsite verification method based on fission product and plutonium-239 gamma ray intensity discriminant ratios. It systematically analyzes how core variables including initial fission quantity per kilogram of plutonium, inspection interval after test, and pre-test assembly criticality affect detection accuracy. Simulation results confirm that the proposed technique can reliably identify all supercritical nuclear tests with explosive yields above 38 grams TNT equivalent, even with minimal prior information of test parameters. This study fills the technical research gap of onsite post-experiment verification for ultra-low- yield nuclear tests, and supplements technical evidence for international nuclear disarmament and treaty compliance monitoring theories. Policy Recommendation International nuclear non-proliferation and treaty monitoring authorities should take post-test gamma spectrum discriminant ratio detection as a core onsite verification tool to enforce the CTBT zero-yield standard, with existing remote seismic and radionuclide monitoring systems as auxiliary detection means. Stable international inspection frameworks are required to clarify standardized sampling, measurement and data analysis procedures for low-yield test sites, and additional technical R&D funding should be allocated to optimize portable high-purity germanium detector devices for field inspection. Relevant intergovernmental organizations need to establish unified isotope chronology calibration standards (based on Fe-59/Mn-54 isotopic ratios) to narrow the uncertainty of test time estimation. It is critical to abandon ambiguous blanket monitoring rules, balance inspection rigor and state confidentiality protection, and adopt composite technical verification instruments to eliminate loopholes in identifying covert ultra-low-yield supercritical tests, so as to reduce nuclear tension and advance the full entry-into-force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty 11
14 SCHOLARLY SHOWCASE SCHOLARLY SHOWCASE 13 Gebhardt, Sebastian, Yun Hou, and Masaru Yarime. “Directing environmental innovation toward radical clean technologies for sustainable transitions: Market-based vs. command-and-control policies.” Research Policy 55.4 (2026): 105446. Environmental Policy and Sustainability Focus of Study This study classifies environmental innovation into clean technologies and pollution abatement technologies. Using 1991–2020 patent data of manufacturing firms from 17 EU countries and multiple empirical methods, it compares how market-based and command-and-control (C&C) policies affect corporate environmental innovation. Market-based policies offer long-term incentives, flexibility and market effects to drive radical clean technology development, while rigid C&C rules cannot foster transformative innovation. Empirically, market-based policies greatly promote clean technologies and their technological radicalness, yet C&C policies show no significant effects. The paper addresses the research gap on policy guidance for innovation direction and enriches relevant theories on sustainability transitions. Policy Recommendation Policymakers should take market-based tools like carbon taxes and emission trading as core measures to advance radical clean technologies, with C&C policies serving only as supplements. Stable policy frameworks are required to stabilize market expectations, and more public R&D funding should be provided for high-risk emerging clean technologies. Governments also need to cultivate related niche markets via industrial and infrastructure planning. It is vital to abandon campaign-style regulation, balance regulatory intensity and implementation flexibility, and adopt mixed policy instruments to break the reliance on polluting technologies, so as to realize long-term and systematic sustainability transitions. Yunjiang Yu, Chenwei Fan, Yingying Zhang, Yigang Wei, Pengyu Zhu, Xuyang Zheng, Jianghui Liu. “From grey to green: The role of emission trading schemes in China’s urban transformation.” Energy Strategy Reviews 64 (2026): 102084. Focus of Study This paper adopts the synthetic control method and DEA model to explore how China’s pilot emission trading schemes (ETS) affect urban green development efficiency from 2003 to 2020. The results show ETS improves urban green efficiency by 10%–15% overall, with obvious regional disparities. Technological innovation and industrial restructuring are two core influencing mechanisms. Multiple robustness tests verify the policy effects. The study also discusses institutional constraints and external shocks impacting policy implementation, filling gaps in evaluating ETS’s comprehensive green benefits and offering empirical support for national carbon market construction. Policy Recommendation China should further expand the coverage and improve operational mechanisms of the national ETS. Governments shall formulate differentiated carbon market rules based on regional resource endowments and industrial features. It is vital to boost financial participation and innovate carbon financial products to optimize resource allocation. Authorities need to continuously incentivize corporate green technological innovation and industrial upgrading. Besides, supportive infrastructure for clean energy should be perfected, and rigid institutional barriers in key sectors should be removed, to fully unleash ETS’s potential in advancing low-carbon and sustainable urban transformation. Soares, Ian V., Anna Furberg, Shoaib Azizi, Göran Finnveden, Masaru Yarime, and Magdalena M. Klemun. “Estimating Cross-Border Cloud Computing Emissions: A Consumption-Based Approach Applied to Major European Data Center Hubs.” iScience (United States) 29, no. 6 (June 2026): 116061. Focus of Study This 2026 study establishes a consumption-based accounting method to measure cross-border cloud emissions, fixing limitations of traditional location- based accounting that attribute all data center pollution to host countries instead of end consumers. It targets three major EU cloud hubs—Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands—covering 2017–2022, classifying cloud traffic into domestic, export and import flows. Analysis reveals distinct national profiles: Germany’s 75% domestic cloud usage, Ireland’s 85% export-oriented hyperscale infrastructure, and the Netherlands’ balanced cross-border data exchange. The paper quantifies electricity and carbon intensity gaps across nations, assesses energy efficiency improvements, and conducts regional sensitivity tests to prove that relocating cloud workloads alters total emissions, filling the research gap of unquantified transboundary digital carbon flows. Policy Recommendation The paper suggests complementary policies alongside existing territorial emission rules rather than replacing them. Host nations should enforce strict licensing rules for data centers above 50MW peak capacity, obligating operators to fund grid construction and renewable energy projects to offset local infrastructure costs. Governments need to incorporate consumption-based metrics into energy planning to avoid inaccurate demand projections, especially for import-reliant Germany. Cross-border cooperation is vital to leverage low-carbon grid arbitrage: hosting cloud services in EU low-carbon areas cuts total emissions by 4%, while fossil-heavy regions push emissions up by 8–12%. Authorities should also push hyperscale cloud firms to disclose customer geographic data to build fair climate responsibility-sharing mechanisms between hosting and consuming countries.
SCHOLARLY SHOWCASE SCHOLARLY SHOWCASE 16 Wing Shan Kan, Nina Sander, Ching Chit Chau, and Raul P. Lejano. “Climate and relationality: Transforming gendered relations from vulnerability to resilience.” Progress in Disaster Science (2026): 100653. Focus of Study The study examines how gendered social relationships shape women’s vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather events. Using a relational perspective, the authors argue that women’s disproportionate exposure to disaster risks is produced by context-specific cultural norms, unequal power relations, limited access to resources, and gendered divisions of labour. The article also explores how these same relationships can be transformed to strengthen resilience and empowerment. Rather than presenting women only as passive victims, it emphasizes their roles as local knowledge holders, community leaders, and active participants in disaster preparedness and climate adaptation. The study therefore focuses on how institutional change, participatory communication, and women-led initiatives can challenge social exclusion, strengthen women’s agency, and improve disaster risk reduction, planning, and policy responses. Policy Recommendation This paper recommends transforming climate and disaster policy from merely including women to restructuring institutions with their active leadership. Policymakers should strengthen women’s representation in decision-making, redistribute resources and unpaid care responsibilities, and direct more climate funding to local women-led organizations. Disaster programs should remove practical barriers to participation by providing childcare support and considering meeting times, mobility, and accessibility. Women should also be treated as local knowledge holders and co-designers of climate adaptation rather than passive recipients of expert information. Participatory communication, storytelling, community dialogue, and shared decision-making should be incorporated into disaster risk reduction planning so that policies better reflect local experiences, strengthen women’s agency, and connect formal institutional frameworks with the everyday realities of climate-vulnerable communities. Gietel-Basten, Stuart. “The roots of equality?: Marital age homogamy and female agency in Lesotho, 1880-Present.” Canadian Studies in Population 53.1 (2026): 1. Social and Urban Policy Focus of Study This demographic paper uses marital age homogamy and the Girlpower-Index to trace Lesotho’s gender equality origins. It compares 3,575 1880–1939 church marriage records with 2004–2024 DHS survey data. After filtering inconsistent marriage samples, the study finds nearly unchanged spousal age gaps and female agency metrics over a century. It refutes the mainstream view that balanced marital power only comes from recent modernization, proving Lesotho’s high female autonomy has deep historical roots, though its church-only dataset limits full societal generalization. Policy Recommendation For Lesotho’s gender policymakers, long-term marriage demographic trends should guide anti-early-marriage and women’s empowerment programs built on its historic female agency foundation. For African governments and researchers, digitizing colonial demographic archives is critical to avoid biased gender policy analysis. Policymakers should abandon over-simplified modernization frameworks and incorporate indigenous marital traditions to craft contextually suitable, sustainable gender equality policies across Sub-Saharan Africa. He, Alex Jingwei, Mengjie Long, Xiaoting Liu, Na Tang “Forging integrated care through collective policy entrepreneurship in a fragmented health system: a tale of two counties in China.” Health Economics, Policy and Law (2026): 1-19. Focus of Study This qualitative comparative study examines county medical conglomeration, China’s vertical integrated care model, through collective policy entrepreneurship theory, selecting Deqing (Zhejiang) and Zhijiang (Hubei) as pioneer cases. It addresses severe fragmentation in China’s health system caused by split governance, fee-for-service incentives and weak primary care. Field interviews reveal two distinct reform pathways: Deqing’s consensus-driven technocrat coalition and Zhijiang’s top-down crisis-led leadership team. Both entrepreneurial groups deployed shared tactics like cross-region policy learning and bundled global budgets, yet adopted divergent organizational structures shaped by local economic and healthcare pressures to unify county hospitals, township clinics and village facilities. Policy Recommendation The paper offers multi-level health policy suggestions for fragmented systems across developing nations. Governments should nurture collective policy entrepreneurs at county levels, granting local discretionary space for incremental care integration pilots. Vertical medical conglomeration paired with bundled global budgets is recommended to realign provider incentives away from volume competition. Policymakers must tailor integration architectures to regional socioeconomic conditions instead of copying uniform models. Inter-departmental coordination mechanisms need establishment to break bureaucratic silos, and regular upper-level venue communication should be encouraged to secure political endorsement and scale proven local health innovations nationwide. 15
18 SCHOLARLY SHOWCASE SCHOLARLY SHOWCASE 17 Xinyi, Wang, and Naubahar Sharif. “Life as an ethnic minority (EM) university student: Comparing mental health challenges among local and international EM students in Hong Kong.” British Educational Research Journal (2026). Focus of Study Based on self-determination theory, this qualitative study explores and compares mental health issues of local and international ethnic minority university students in Hong Kong via interviews and observations. Both groups face similar pressures affecting competence and autonomy, such as academic stress, financial burdens and language-related career barriers. Their biggest divergence lies in social connection: international students suffer from loneliness and social exclusion, while local ethnic minorities endure long-term ethnic segregation and discrimination. The research fills research gaps in non-Western contexts and reveals shared and unique stressors for two minority student groups, as well as existing deficiencies in campus mental health support systems. Policy Recommendation Universities and authorities should adopt targeted interventions for the two groups. For international minority students, launch social exchange and buddy programs to ease loneliness and exclusion. For local ethnic minorities, introduce institutional reforms and public campaigns to eliminate segregation and discrimination. All campuses need to upgrade mental health services with cultural competence, expand service capacity and reduce stigma. Additionally, optimize curriculum and language training, improve career support, and build inclusive campus cultures with diversified facilities and activities to safeguard minority students’ mental well-being. Chen, Wenjin, Naubahar Sharif, and Xinyi Wang. “The trust trap: how trust in online health information harms subjective well-being.” Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2026). Focus of Study This research addresses an underexplored negative link between trust in online health information and people’s subjective well-being, drawing on nationally representative 2021 Chinese CGSS data of 1,305 respondents. Multiple rigorous methods including instrumental variables and propensity score matching confirm the adverse association. Three mediating channels are identified: excessive online health search intensity, distorted health literacy including biased self-health perception, and worsened mental health such as depression. Poor physical health and lack of public medical insurance amplify this harm. Heterogeneity tests reveal the damage disproportionately hits low-socioeconomic groups, rural hukou holders and residents of less developed regions, exposing digital health inequities rooted in limited health and digital literacy. Policy Recommendation The paper puts forward targeted public health interventions to mitigate the “trust trap” of unreliable online health content. Governments should launch official, physician-verified health platforms and deploy source authentication technology to filter misleading medical information. Authorities need to roll out tailored health and digital literacy training for vulnerable rural, low-income and less-developed regional populations to sharpen their ability to evaluate online claims. Policymakers should also expand affordable public medical insurance and primary care access to reduce overreliance on unregulated online health resources, alongside regular monitoring of digital health misinformation to protect disadvantaged groups’ mental and overall well-being. Yi, Fangxin, Hongfei Yu, Xianyun Zhang,Yang Yue “Hong Kong land development and policy intensity: strategic embedding in a period of transition.” Journal of Asian Public Policy (2026): 1-16. Focus of Study This paper explores Hong Kong’s land policy intensity and its fiscal impacts during the transitional period. Using ERNIE large language model to quantify policy intensity from 1997–2023 Policy Addresses, alongside time-series models, it finds stronger land policies cut absolute land revenue but keep its fiscal share stable due to institutional path dependence. Policy effects show clear temporal dynamics: bidirectional causality in Year 1, one-way policy dominance in Year 2, and fading impacts after Year 3. It reveals the shift of land governance from revenue pursuit to social welfare while constrained by long-standing fiscal structures. Policy Recommendation Set up fiscal stabilization funds to cushion short-term land revenue drops, diversify fiscal sources and adjust expenditure structures to ease reliance on land income, adopt differentiated governance aligned with policy timeframes for market regulation, institutional coordination and long-term reform, and prioritize public housing and social equity while establishing a multi-dimensional policy evaluation system. Chaoqun Zhang, Mei Meng, Ziyue Chen, Wenchong Du, Weihua Dong, Jianghao Wang, Bingbo Gao, Fangxin Yi, Kaixin Zhu, Jianqiang Hu, Yuheng Fu, Jing Yang, Manchun Li & Qiao Wang. “Wavelength-specific urban nighttime light modulates expressed sentiment across China.” Nature Cities 3.3 (2026): 261-272. Focus of Study This research combines 40m multispectral SDGSAT-1 satellite night light data and over 4 million geotagged Chinese Weibo posts to examine wavelength-specific artificial night light (ALAN) impacts on public sentiment. Fixed-effect regressions show blue light raises negative sentiment by 15.9% while moderate green light boosts positive mood by 5%. Risks concentrate in eastern Chinese commercial zones, and distance, seasonal and temporal heterogeneities exist across red/green/blue bands. Simulations prove tuning correlated color temperature cuts sentiment risks by 89.7%, far better than only dimming brightness, revealing spectral design’s overlooked mental health value in urban lighting research. Policy Recommendation Urban lighting policymakers should abandon simple brightness reduction and prioritize warm low-blue light spectra to ease residents’ negative emotions. Local governments need zone-targeted lighting rules: stricter blue light limits for commercial hotspots and seasonal adaptive light adjustments. City planners must integrate sentiment risk mapping into urban nightscape planning. Regulators should revise LED lighting standards to balance energy efficiency and public mental wellbeing, and launch monitoring systems tracking spectral pollution across high-population urban areas nationwide.
CONFERENCES AND EVENTS 19 CONFERENCES AND EVENTS 20 Praveen Maghelal, Yuqing Guo , Xuan Zhang , Pengyu Zhu. “Impacts of built environment and socioeconomic factors on trip-chaining in Abu Dhabi.” Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 37 (2026): 101958. Focus of Study Taking Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates as the research case, this study uses 9,052 valid samples from the official 2015 travel survey, adopts the Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial model and the 3Ds built-environment framework to conduct the first systematic research on residents’ trip-chaining behavior in Middle Eastern cities. It mainly analyzes how individual socioeconomic factors including gender, employment status, driving license and travel mode, household attributes and urban built environment affect the complexity of trip chaining, and carries out heterogeneity analysis among different groups. This study fills the research gap of trip-chaining studies in the Middle East, identifies that residents’ travel patterns are jointly shaped by private car dominance, inadequate public transit, local culture and demographic structure, and its findings provide empirical support for transportation demand management in similar Middle Eastern cities. Policy Recommendation In accordance with Abu Dhabi’s urban layout, demographics, culture and travel features, local authorities should implement inclusive transportation planning to satisfy diverse travel demands of females, teenagers and non-drivers, expand and optimize public transit networks, improve fare subsidies and multimodal transfer systems to enhance the flexibility and appeal of public transport. Meanwhile, the government shall promote high-density mixed-use development and transit-oriented construction to cut travel distances and realize integrated development of land use and transportation. It is also essential to improve non-motorized travel facilities, adopt parking management and congestion pricing to encourage green travel, guarantee females’ travel safety based on local culture, and cooperate with enterprises to adjust commuting hours. These comprehensive measures can reduce reliance on private cars, ease peak-hour traffic and build an equitable, efficient and sustainable urban transportation system. Garba, Samaila, and Pengyu Zhu. “A bibliometric performance and network analysis of red-light camera impact on signalized intersection safety.” Journal of Safety Research 97 (2026): 86-111. Focus of Study This study adopts bibliometric performance and network analysis (BPNA) combined with systematic literature review (SLR) to sort out literature on red-light cameras (RLCs) and signalized intersection safety from 1975 to 2024. It systematically analyzes the knowledge structure, thematic evolution, in uential authors, journals and institutions in this eld, evaluates the aws of various research methodologies as well as existing research challenges and limitations. The paper also explains why the effectiveness of RLCs in curbing red-light running and reducing traf c crashes remains controversial and explores the integration of emerging technologies such as vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2) communication. It aims to identify research hotspots and future directions, offering comprehensive theoretical references for traf c safety governance at signalized and follow-up academic research. Policy Recommendation Based on the research ndings, traf c authorities shall rationally deploy red-light cameras and combine them with on-site law enforcement, driver education and community publicity to establish a diversi ed management system. Cameras should be arranged differentially according to regional conditions, traf c environments and crowd characteristics, while traf c signal timing and yellow light duration at intersections need to be optimized to address dilemma zone issues. It is also necessary to unify data collection standards and evaluation systems to scienti cally assess the actual effectiveness of RLCs. Authorities should actively promote the integration of RLCs with vehicle-to-infrastructure and intelligent transportation technologies to guide standardized driving via real-time information. Meanwhile, attention should be paid to public acceptance, privacy protection and relevant laws, public opinions shall be collected continuously to optimize law enforcement procedures and penalty rules, so as to comprehensively improve traf c safety and ef ciency at signalized intersections.
22 ONFERENCES AND EVENTS C The inaugural Hong Kong Social Science RPG Poster Conference 2026, jointly organized by the Division of Public Policy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), was successfully held at HKUST on June 8, 2026. The conference aimed to bring together Research Postgraduate (RPG) students across Hong Kong working in the social sciences and related elds. It provided participants with an opportunity to spark new friendships, nd future collaborators, and build a lasting professional social network. The conference was conducted in a poster presentation format and featured research across the General Social Sciences, Public Policy, and Public Administration. Its thematic scope was organized into six core tracks: Public Administration & Public Policy; Political Science & Global Governance; Sociology & Demography; Economics & Public Finance; Business Administration & Organizational Behavior; and Interdisciplinary & Emerging Social Sciences, with interdisciplinary research especially encouraged. During the conference, all 25 selected RPG students from HKUST, CityUHK, EdUHK, and HKBU presented their research and ndings through carefully designed academic posters across two structured poster sessions. They also engaged in friendly and meaningful exchanges and in-depth discussions on their respective research topics, sharing academic perspectives while gaining valuable feedback and inspiration from fellow researchers and other attendees. For the poster presentations, Dr. Nicolo LUDOVICE served as the judge, and a total of eight participants received awards in recognition of their outstanding work. Among the award recipients, three were from HKUST: Alan Kai Yu HO received the Best Poster Award, Zhizhao LI received the Runner-up Award, and Teklebirhan Alemnew GEBEYEHU received the Excellence Award. Finally, the awards were presented by Prof. Kira MATUS during the closing ceremony. HKUST PPOL Co-hosts the Inaugural Hong Kong Social Science RPG Poster Conference 2026 CONFERENCES AND EVENTS 21
24 An interdisciplinary team led by Prof Jingwei Alex He of the Division of Public Policy and Prof Sirui Han of the Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas has developed HECO (Health Reform China Observatory), a specialized large language model designed for health policy analysis in China. The model was of cially presented at a high-pro le conference in Beijing on June 27, 2026, hosted jointly by the China Health Development Center and the School of Public Health at Peking University. HECO was built to deliver extensive and professional health policy analysis for the Chinese context and beyond. The model has been validated by approximately 30 stakeholder users across the Chinese health system, including local health of cials, hospital administrators, clinical leaders, physicians, health policy analysts, and industry practitioners. In blinded evaluation, HECO outperformed leading general-purpose large language models on all critical dimensions, including analytical accuracy, depth of reasoning, clarity of expression, citation of evidence, and experiential t. The Beijing conference was attended by senior of cials from the National Health Commission, local health authorities, of cial think tanks, clinical leaders, and peer researchers. HECO had been soft-launched on campus in March 2026 at an event attended by senior scholars from the World Health Organization, the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and local industry practitioners. The project re ects the team’s commitment to harnessing AI for evidence-informed policymaking and to strengthening health system governance through interdisciplinary collaboration. PPOL Prof.Alex Jingwei HE led a team to launch Specialized AI Model for Health Policy Analysis in China CONFERENCES AND EVENTS 23 Seminar Archive Prof. Luca Mora Professor of Urban Innovation Business School of Edinburgh Napier University, UK From Science to International Policy Development: Ten Years of Research to Reframe Technology Governance for Smart City Innovation In this talk, Prof. Luca Mora re ected on the fragmented governance challenges of smart cities and proposed a transition path from traditional government management to multi-stakeholder collaborative governance. It explored how to translate academic research into international policy tools to promote inclusivity and accountability in smart city development. Dr. Mengying WU Postdoctoral Fellow, Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, Harvard University Policy Interactions and the Cost of Decarbonizing Aviation In this seminar, Dr. Mengying WU focused on policy synergies in aviation decarbonization, analyzing how interactions between different emission reduction policies (e.g., carbon pricing, technical standards, market mechanisms) impact industry costs. It identi ed potential con icts and synergies in policy mixes, providing empirical evidence for designing ef cient and cost-effective decarbonization pathways in the aviation sector. Mr. Patrick Ho Head of Sustainable Development, Swire Properties & Member of Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) Beyond Carbon: Why Nature Risk Is Business Risk In this study, Mr. Patrick Ho used the TNFD framework to explain how biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation translate into operational, reputational, and nancial risks for businesses. Drawing on Swire Properties' urban greening initiatives, it demonstrated how Nature-based Solutions (NbS) can create both ecological and commercial value. Prof. Siddharth Chatterjee Chief Executive Of cer, Global Neighbours Founding Co-Director, One Earth Institute Former UN Resident Coordinator in China Visiting Professor, Tsinghua University China, the Asia-Paci c, and the New Multilateralism: Leading Through Fragmentation In this talk, Prof. Siddharth examined the Asia-Paci c's role in advancing new multilateralism, analyzing how China and regional partners can build consensus through innovative cooperation mechanisms amid division, offering an Asia-Paci c perspective on global governance reform. CONFERENCES AND EVENTS
25 26 Prof. Xiangwei WANG Associate Professor of Practice Department of Journalism Hong Kong Baptist University China-US Relations – Where Do We Go From Here? In this seminar, Prof. Xiangwei WANG traced the evolution of China-US relations, examining key differences and potential areas of cooperation in current bilateral interactions. It explored the future trajectory of the relationship amid shifting geopolitical and economic landscapes, offering a multi-dimensional analysis of the complexities of China-US engagement. Prof. Shenjing He Lady Edith Kotewall Professor in the Built Environment Head of the Department of Urban Planning and Design The University of Hong Kong Infrastructuring Mobilities in the Greater Bay Area: The Rise of Infrastructural Regionalism at the Conjuncture of Polycrisis In this talk, Prof. Shenjing He introduced the concept of "infrastructural regionalism,"based the case of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, analyzing how cross-border infrastructures reshape regional governance amid polycrisis. It explored how ows of infrastructure in education, healthcare, and transportation drive regional economic integration and collaborative innovation. Prof. Józef Hernik Professor Department of Land Management and Landscape Architecture University of Agriculture in Krakow (Poland) Policy Interactions and the Cost of Decarbonizing Aviation In this talk, Prof. Józef Hernik explored the balance between cultural heritage protection and urban development, drawing on European and Asian cases to analyze how land management and landscape planning policies can advance regional development while ensuring the sustainable preservation of cultural heritage. It offered practical insights for governance models that reconcile development and heritage conservation. Prof. Daniel M Kammen Bloomberg Distinguished Professor Department of Civil and Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University Innovation for the Just Energy Transition In this study, Prof. Daniel M Kammen focused on equity in the energy transition, arguing that technological innovation alone is not a panacea and must be paired with policy design to protect vulnerable groups. It explored how innovative models like distributed energy and community participatory governance can advance an energy transition that delivers both deep decarbonization and social inclusion. Prof. Vivian Kwang-wen Lin Honorary Professor, HKU Adjunct Professor, CUHK; LaTrobe University Visiting Professor, HKUST From Evidence to Policy: What Evidence Matters for Health Policy? In this talk, Prof. Vivian Kwang-wen Lin re ected on the logic of evidence application in health policy-making, arguing that traditional randomized controlled trials are not the sole standard. It proposed a multi-dimensional evidence framework integrating real-world data, social impact assessments, and public participation, exploring how to enhance the scienti c rigor, accessibility, and equity of health policies. Prof. Karen GREPIN Associate Professor School of Public Health The University of Hong Kong Measuring and Monitoring Financial Protection for Health: From Theory to Practice In this seminar, Prof. Karen GREPIN focused on the full process of measuring and monitoring health nancial protection systems, sorting out the core logic from theoretical framework construction to practical application. It analyzed the methodological limitations and implementation challenges in current health nancial protection assessments, and explored how to build a scienti c and operable monitoring indicator system combined with global and local practice cases, providing practical references for improving the equity, accessibility and sustainability of health security systems. CONFERENCES AND EVENTS CONFERENCES AND EVENTS
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