PolyU Ignites Social Innovation: Unveiling the Next Generation of Change-makers

On 17 August 2024, the PolyU Igniting Social Innovation Competition 2024 reached its grand finale and prize presentation ceremony, showcasing the remarkable talents and innovative ideas of local secondary school students.   Organised by the Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), the PolyU Igniting Social Innovation Competition serves as a platform for nurturing the next generation of social innovators and policy advocates.  The competition inspires young minds to tackle complex social challenges with creative solutions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and ultimately, to make a tangible difference in the lives of Hong Kong residents and communities.   This year we have over 300 students coming from 67 secondary schools participating in this competition. After two intense rounds of elimination, ten teams successfully made it to the finals. The topics they addressed ranged from pressing social issues like youth mental health, housing, high land prices, and an aging society below.   Name of the School Topic Carmel Divine Grace Foundation Secondary School University Students Providing Home Services for Elderly Living Alone (便利屋計劃 - 大專生為獨居長者提供家居服務) Diocesan Girls' School Housing Crisis - Underground Development (解決房屋問題 - 發展地下空間) ELCHK Lutheran Academy Child Negligence - Potential Family Dangers from a Child's Perspective (疏忽照顧兒童 - 從孩子角度看家庭潛在危險) New Territories Heung Yee Kuk Yuen Long District Secondary School Innovative Housing Designs and Shared Spaces (新型房屋設計和共享空間) P.L.K. Mrs Ma Kam Ming - Cheung Fook Sien College Talent Xplorer – VR Career Exploration Experiences (Talent Xplorer - VR職業體驗) Queen's College Old Boys' Association Secondary School No Poverty - An Old Man's Difficult Life (無貧窮 - 伯伯的艱難生活) Saint Francis of Assisi's College MBTI-Based Shared Housing Matching Platform (具有香港特色的住房政策 - MBTI「共居」配對平台) Shun Tak Fraternal Association Cheng Yu Tung Secondary School Immersive Virtual Worlds Simulating Natural Living Experiences for Children with Chronic Illness (長期患病兒童 - 沉浸式體驗大自然生活的虛擬世界) St. Clare's Girls' School PathFinder - Personalized Assessments to Match Youth with Suitable Careers (PathFinder - 提供人化測試以尋找合適青少年的工作) Wa Ying College The Impact of Family Factors on Youth Mental Health (家家有本難唸的心經 - 家庭因素對於青少年精神健康的影響)   For example, students from Wa Ying College proposed to raise public awareness about the impact of family pressure on youth emotions by using 360-degree and virtual reality technology. They also advocated for increased parent counselling as a means to improving young people's mental health. Their innovative and practical proposal earned them the championship. Another team, comprising students from Diocesan Girls' School, suggested relocating non-residential facilities such as gymnasiums and shopping malls underground. This would free up surface space for housing development and environmental improvements. The breadth and creativity of the finalists' proposals demonstrated their deep understanding of Hong Kong's social challenges and their ability to devise practical, technology-driven solutions.   The judging panel for the final round included distinguished social innovators and experts from the fields of applied social sciences and knowledge transfer. The panel comprised Dr Lu YU, Associate Professor and Associate Head of APSS, Miss Sarah MUI, a pioneering architect and Co-founder and Design Director of One Bite Design Studio, and Miss Mia ZENG, Manager of the Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship Office (KTEO).   Prof. Eric CHUI, Chair Professor and Head of APSS, delivered a welcoming speech in the prize presentation to the participants, principals, and teachers from the secondary schools.  He encouraged everyone to be innovative and creative when dealing with ill-defined social issues and problems.   This year, we are pleased to congratulate Wa Ying College (華英中學) on winning 1st Prize, New Territories Heung Yee Kuk Yuen Long District Secondary School (新界鄉議局元朗區中學) for 2nd Prize, and Carmel Divine Grace Foundation Secondary School (迦密主恩中學) for 3rd Prize. We also congratulate Diocesan Girls' School (拔萃女書院) and ELCHK Lutheran Academy (基督教香港信義會宏信書院) for receiving honorable mentions in the competition.   We congratulate all awardees and thank all participants for their contributions to this year’s competition.   Online coverage: Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/46ZbcEo Headline Daily - https://polyu.me/3YPx5nt   Video link: Workshop Highlight Video - https://youtu.be/jgs4FC6618U

Providing Policy Research and Training Support to District Care Teams (Sai Kung)

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s (PolyU) Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT) and the Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS) have partnered to conduct policy research and provide a professional training programme for District Care Teams (Sai Kung). The aim of the partnership is to equip the Teams with key knowledge and skills in order to better serve the community.   On 12 August 2024, PolyU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the District Services and Community Care Development Fund (Sai Kung) Company Ltd to put forward public policy proposals that support Hong Kong’s development. The MoU also includes assisting the professional growth of District Care Teams (Sai Kung).   Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research & Innovation) and Director of PReCIT, delivered the welcoming remarks at the beginning of the ceremony. Mr Ching Tung SO, President of District Services and Community Care Development Fund (Sai Kung) Company Ltd, and Mr Yuen Tung CHONG, the Team Leader of Kwong Ming Care Team, place great emphasis on the importance of the community care teams in reaching out to vulnerable groups and assisting in handling incidents and emergencies.   Prof. Eric CHUI, Chair Professor and Head of APSS and Co-director of PReCIT, provided a brief introduction to the policy research and outlined the key objectives and features of the training programme. He encouraged participants to embrace innovation and technology, more fully understand the diversity of community needs, and better prepare themselves to contribute to the community.   Through the combined expertise of PReCIT and APSS, PolyU aims to help the District Care Teams (Sai Kung) enhance their service skills and create a positive social impact by fostering innovation, inclusion, and well-being.   Online coverage: PolyU website: https://polyu.hk/Oafgm

Outstanding APSS Alumni Award 2024

The Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is delighted to announce the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Alumni Award. This award serves as a testament to the exceptional leadership, commitment, and dedication of APSS alumni who have made significant impact in their professional fields and communities. This year, we congratulate Dr Chi Kong SIU as our 2024 Outstanding Alumnus.   Dr Chi Kong SIU obtained his Bachelor of Social Work in 1997 from APSS, prior to which he was named one of Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Hong Kong in 1992 by the Junior Chamber International Hong Kong, an international youth leadership organisation. In 2014, Dr SIU was awarded an honorary doctorate in pastoral studies from the Hong Kong Institute of Christian Counselors.   Dr SIU serves as the Director and Founder of Gideon Ministries Ltd, a Hong Kong-based charity organisation that offers training, coursework, and counseling services for youth and families. Dr SIU is a pioneer in adventure-based counselling in Hong Kong, an innovative approach that combines outdoor hiking, training, and counseling.   Drawing on his social work background, behavior therapy, reality therapy, reward-and-discipline system, and solution-focused therapy, Dr SIU’s adventure counseling approach integrates the five stages of social group work elements into adventure training. The adventure counseling approach has been shared widely with professionals and has proven highly effective in assisting marginalised youth.   In addition, Dr SIU has designed and implemented courses tailored for special needs students, specifically focusing on youth life orientation and addiction treatment. Recognising the growing concern of internet addiction and addictive behaviors among teenagers, he developed a comprehensive model for addiction treatment. This model offers life-oriented courses to assist students with marginal behavior, internet addiction, special educational needs, and school dropouts. Dr SIU has also conducted online and offline lectures, parent seminars, and training sessions for youth organisations, as well as participating in youth conferences and delivering training to social work students at Asia University.

APSSGA Elects New Chairperson and Held Inspirational Alumni Sharing Session

On 20 July 2024, APSS’s Graduates Association (APSSGA) convened its Annual General Meeting, and a new cabinet was elected. It is with great pleasure that Ms. Catherine YEUNG, alumni of BA (Hons) in Social Policy and Administration, has been nominated and appointed as the Chairperson of APSSGA for the term spanning from 2024 to 2026. Her leadership will guide alumni affairs throughout this tenure. Please find the new committee member list here.  In a highlight of the event, the APSSGA invited Dr Chi Kong SIU, selected as the Outstanding APSS Alumni of 2024, to share insights on entrepreneurship services and innovative practices within small and medium-sized social welfare organisations with the attendees.

Mindfulness Course Boosts Carers’ Mental Health

Dr Herman LO, Associate Professor of APSS, has developed a mindfulness course in collaboration with the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society for carers of elderly persons and parents who are under pressure. Participants have demonstrated significant improvements in both physical and mental health after practice. Online coverage: Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/3zNN8b0 HK01: https://bit.ly/46iOW7L MyTV super: https://bit.ly/46odpbZ

APSSGA's Cuttlefish Fishing Night Unites Alumni and Graduating Students, Inspires Future Involvement

The APSS Graduate Association (APSSGA) organised a cuttlefish fishing night on 6 July 2024. This activity was held in Sai Kung, providing participants with a refreshing sea breeze and relaxing night during the hot summer days.  A total of 35 alumni, family members, and graduating students came together to participate in this activity. They enjoyed a fruitful evening of cuttlefish fishing, savouring delicious cuisine, and engaging in mutual sharing. The APSSGA successfully engaged 12 graduating students during this outing activity. The aim of this activity was to encourage more young alumni to become members of the APSSGA, with the goal of enhancing and expanding the network of APSS alumni in the near future.

APSS’s Healing Together Project Concludes Successfully

The “Healing Together – Building Positive School Mental Health in Post-COVID Hong Kong” project (the project) launched by the Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS) with the support from the funding of the Government’s Mental Health Project Funding Scheme - Phase 2 concluded on 6 July 2024. The project focused on creating a supportive and uplifting environment for students and teachers in Hong Kong's secondary schools in the wake of the pandemic.   Online coverage: RTHK - https://polyu.me/3VRoCgp CRHK - https://polyu.me/3xRkJ31; https://polyu.me/3xKXrfe Dim Sum Daily - https://polyu.me/3RZjaHf Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/4cUjmj7 Ming Pao Daily News - https://polyu.me/4eQoshX Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/3XTjdrS (subscription required) Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/3RXKwxw (subscription required) Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/4cM72Bc Headline Daily - https://polyu.me/4cAAiLB Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/3zxSUx9 Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3VVLZoV HK01 - https://polyu.me/4bx5VEE Bastille Post - https://polyu.me/4cL5iZD Dot Dot News - https://polyu.me/3zsnecq Orange News - https://polyu.me/3RXhRZs Hong Kong China News Agency - https://polyu.me/3xMPJRG Hong Kong Economic Journal Monthly - https://polyu.me/4eSjDES Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/3S2SHs9; https://polyu.me/45ZsiBp Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/45ZsSz5 Dr Angel LAI, Assistant Professor of APSS, was interviewed by CRHK’s programme “Beautiful Sunday” on the project which focusing on creating a supportive and uplifting environment for students and teachers in Hong Kong's secondary schools in the wake of the pandemic.  Online coverage: CRHK - https://polyu.me/3WdM5cY (the third and fourth parts) Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/3VTIWh9

APSS Receives 11 Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme, General Research Fund and Early Career Schemes from the Research Grants Council (RGC) in 2024/25 Exercise

Congratulations to the following awardees in securing research funding from RGC in 2024/25 Exercise: Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme (HSSPFS) Principal Investigator Scheme Project Title Fund Awarded ($) Dr Huijing LU HSSPFS Impact of Environmental Harshness and Unpredictability on Individual Development: A Comprehensive Analysis 305,000   Early Career Schemes (ECS) Principal Investigator Scheme Project Title Fund Awarded ($) Dr Vincent CHENG ECS Impact of Later Life Events on Criminal Trajectories Among Older Offenders in Hong Kong: A qualitative mixed-methods approach  685,000   General Research Fund (GRF) Principal Investigator Scheme Project Title Fund Awarded ($) Dr Julie ZHU GRF Parent–Adolescent Discrepancy in Perceived Parenting: Developmental Changes and Longitudinal Associations with Developmental Outcomes among Chinese Early Adolescents  1,171,390  Dr Camilla LO GRF Efficacy of a mentalization-informed motivational interviewing group intervention for concerned significant others of adolescents at risk of gaming disorder: A randomized controlled trial  1,106,500  Dr Xiang LI GRF Well-being of early career academics in Hong Kong: A longitudinal mixed methods study 1,015,028 Prof. Xue BAI GRF Integrating Motivational Interviewing and Photovoice to Enhance Future Care Preparation for Older Singletons and Doubletons: A Three-Arm Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial  1,107,212  Dr Bryant HUI GRF Prosociality as a Natural Sleeping Pill? Examining the Reciprocal Relationship between Acting Kindly and Sleeping Well 976,776 Prof. Sylvia CHEN GRF Leveraging Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence to Foster Cooperative Behavior: A Game Theoretical Approach  914,347  Dr Karita KAN GRF Frontiers of Rural-Urban Development: Land Politics and Agrarian Change in China  748,000  Dr Catrina LIU GRF The Impact of Home Literacy Environment on Chinese Children’s English Reading Literacy in Economically Disadvantaged Areas: The Roles of Family Risk and Protective Profiles  615,748  Dr Iris LO  GRF Does sexuality matter at work? A narrative enquiry into the negotiations between vocational identity and sexual identity among young LGB adults  424,164    The total funding awarded in RGC GRF/ECS 2024/25 Exercise is $9,069,165   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.

APSS Study Tours 2024

APSS organised four study tours aimed at broadening students' global horizons, facilitating cultural exchange, and fostering knowledge sharing with university students, non-governmental organisations, and local communities. These tours offered students a comprehensive learning experience, merging academic knowledge with cultural exploration, thereby deepening their understanding of social work, social policy, counselling, mental issue issues and vibrant heritage.   Taiwan Study Tour (19-26 May 2024) A group of 30 students from the Master of Arts in Guidance and Counselling, Master of Social Work and Master of Arts in Mental Health (MAMH) programmes joined the department's exchange tour to Taiwan from 19 to 26 May 2024. The tour was led by Dr Herman LO, Associate Professor and Programme Leader of MAMH and Dr Yao FU, Research Assistant Professor of APSS. The students provided excellent feedback about the tour, which included visits to four sites in Taiwan: Taiwan Lourdes Association Choulu Farm - Therapeutic Community, Taiwan Fund for Children and Families, Concentric Circles Community Recovery and Wellness Centre, and Shi Yu Halfway House, and participation in four lectures on expressive arts, sexuality and relationships, and multidisciplinary collaborations organised by National Changhua University of Education.   Singapore Study Tour (27-31 May 2024)  Dr Herrick WONG (Lecturer of APSS and Programme Leader of Master of Applied Psychology), Dr Kevin CHAN (Lecturer of APSS), Dr Hannah TAI (Instructor of APSS) and Dr Algae AU (Research Assistant Professor of APSS) led a study tour to Singapore. A total of 37 postgraduate psychology students from APSS participated in this enriching experience. The study tour, centred around the theme of "Exploring Diversity in Human Service and Psychological Practice," and aimed to broaden students' perspectives, cultivate cultural sensitivity, and foster global mindsets. A key highlight was the visit to Nanyang Technological University (NTU), where students engaged in insightful presentations and discussions with postgraduate students from both universities. The tour also included a visit to the Project Dignity which is a social enterprise in Singapore that trains and employs a range of people with disabilities, intellectual and social challenges. Additionally, a Psychodrama workshop, co-organised with a psychotherapist from Promises Healthcare Singapore, provided students with first-hand experience and understanding of the practice of psychodrama, offering immersive exposure to diverse approaches in the field of human services and psychology.   South Korea Study Tour (27 May – 1 June 2024) Led by Dr Grace SEO and Dr Lin NIE, both Assistant Professors of APSS, 18 undergraduate students from BA (Hons) in Social Work and BA (Hons) in Social Policy and Social Entrepreneurship (SPSE) joined the study tour to Seoul, South Korea. Students participated in engaging activities such as meetings with renowned institutions like Sogang University's Department of Sociology and Korea's social enterprise, Sosohan Sotong. The group also had the opportunity to tour the National Assembly, explore Seoul's social economy centre, visit historic sites like Gyeongbokgung Palace, and witness the innovative NANTA SHOW.   Thailand Study Tour (17-23 June 2024) 13 students from the BA (Hons) in Social Work and BA (Hons) in Social Policy and Social Entrepreneurship (SPSE) programmes embarked on a fruitful study tour accompanied by Dr Raymond TAM, Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader of SPSE and Mr Vincent YEUNG, Lecturer of APSS.  The tour encompassed various engaging activities, including a Chao Phraya River Cruise, visits to esteemed institutions such as Chulalongkorn University, and the Parliament House of Thailand. The students also had the opportunity to explore cultural landmarks like Wat Pho (The Reclining Buddha) and Museum Siam, as well as the Ayutthaya Historical Park (UNESCO). The tour concluded with visits to Chiang Mai University, participation in the Alpha Café & Future Entrepreneur Project, and a visit to Wat Chedi Luang, providing a well-rounded and enriching experience for the students. 

PolyU’s Social Sciences and Public Health came on top in Hong Kong and Asia in the 2024-2025 U.S. News and World Report Best Global Universities Rankings

According to the 2024-2025 U.S. News and World Report Best Global Universities rankings, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) was the 67th in the Best Global Universities. For subject ranking, PolyU sat in #19th in Best Universities for Social Sciences and Public Health; and that PolyU ranked first in Hong Kong and is the best in Asia.   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