Prof. Daniel Shek (PhD, FHKPS, SBS, BBS, JP) is Associate Vice President (Undergraduate Programme), Chair Professor of Applied Social Sciences, and Li and Fung Endowed Professor in Service Leadership Education at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is also Advisory Professor of East China Normal University, Honorary Professor of Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau, Chair Professor of Changjiang Scholars and Fellow of the Hong Kong Psychological Society.

Prof. Shek is very passionate about teaching. He was elected as Best Lecturer teaching the major courses in the Department of Social Work (1995-1996) and awarded the Exemplary Teaching Award from Faculty of Social Science (2002-2003) at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He was a recipient of several awards in the Reimagine Education Awards (commonly known as “Oscars in Education”), including two Bronze Awards in 2016, one Gold Award and one Silver Award in 2017, and one Gold Award in 2021.

Prof. Shek has published more than 700 articles in international refereed journals. He is the Chief Editor of Applied Research in Quality of Life and past Consulting Editor of Journal of Clinical Psychology. He is a Series Editor of Quality of Life in Asia published by Springer. He is an Editorial Board member of many journals, including Children and Youth Services Review and Journal of Adolescent Health. He was also an International Advisor of the American Journal of Family Therapy and an Editorial Advisor of The British Journal of Social Work.

Prof. Shek is a psychologist with research interests in positive youth development, family process, scale development, quality of life, programme evaluation, addiction and spirituality. He has led a research project entitled “P.A.T.H.S. to Adulthood: A Jockey Club Youth Enhancement Scheme” and financially supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (HK$750 million). The project has been transplanted to schools in mainland China with the financial support of Tin Ka Ping Foundation (over HK$10 million), and was rated as “world leading” in the Research Assessment Exercise 2020.

In 2017, Prof. Shek received the Distinguished QOL Researcher Award from the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS), which also established the “Daniel Shek-Wofoo Foundation Track for the Advancement of Adolescent Quality-of-Life Research”. Prof. Shek is currently Vice-President for External Affairs and a member of the Board of Directors of the ISQOLS. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the International Positive Psychology Association.

Prof. Shek has served on many high-level government advisory committees in the Hong Kong Government. He was Chairman of the Action Committee Against Narcotics (2009-2014) and the Family Council (2013-2021). Currently, he is Chairman of the Public Policy Research Funding Scheme, a member of the Electoral Affairs Commission and the Research Grants Council of the University Grants Committee, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. He is also Chairman of Society of Boys’ Centres.

In the 2022 Edition of Ranking of Top 1000 Scientists in the field of Psychology by Research.com, Prof. Shek ranked #918 in the world and #3 in China.

• Ph.D. (Psychology)
• B. Soc. Sc. (Psychology)