Strategic Research Clusters

Policy Research @ HKIAPS has identified five closely linked interdisciplinary research clusters to promote academic excellence and social contribution.

In the initial phase, we are focusing on research strengths within the Chinese University and on aligning them with the government’s policy priorities and regional development strategies, particularly with the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area development plan. We will further identify global strategies that are relevant to Hong Kong. ■

Ongoing Research

A Study on Public Attitudes towards Female Political Leadership

Investigators: Jing Song (PI) & Sally K. W. Lo* (Co-PI)
Commissioned by: Equal Opportunities Commission, Hong Kong

Female political participation is an important aspect of gender equality. However, in general, the proportion of women in positions of political leadership has always been lower than that of men. Despite the increase in female representation in the political sphere over the past few decades, women make up an average of only 23% of members of parliaments worldwide, and the growth has levelled off in recent years. In Hong Kong, women are underrepresented in political institutions, and knowledge about the public’s views on gender equality and female political leadership remains limited.

This study examines the Hong Kong public’s views on female political leadership and the barriers faced by women in attaining political leadership in Hong Kong. Specifically, this study aims to expand understanding of this issue in three aspects: perceptions and beliefs about gender equality in politics and female political leadership; qualities considered desirable in political leaders and differences related to gender; and structural and other barriers faced by women in attaining political leadership.

Through the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, this study will generate evidence-based policy suggestions and accompanying measures for the elimination of difficulties encountered by women in leadership roles. ■

Sexual Harassment: The Challenges of Navigating Gender Norms in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area

Investigators: Fanny M. Cheung* (PI) & Sally K. W. Lo*
Funding source: Policy Research @ HKIAPS, CUHK

A safe and comfortable work environment is essential to recruiting and retaining talent. Talent management is part of the fundamental infrastructure that forms the backbone of the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area.

The #MeToo and Time’s Up movements have highlighted the perpetuation of barriers to gender equity in work and educational settings across the world. Even in developed economies, legal and administrative mechanisms to protect against sexual harassment have shown limited effectiveness, given the cultural norms arising from power differentials and sexual taboos. Differences in perceptions of gender equality and differences in hierarchical power structures due to cultural variations will directly and indirectly influence an individual’s proclivity towards and tolerance of sexually hostile behaviours.

Given the increases in the number of overseas and cross-border assignments and academic exchanges, it is important to recognize cultural differences and gender norms when building knowledge about the issue of sexual harassment. With the rise of people-to-people connections in the Belt and Road Initiative, the potential risk of sexual harassment and gender discrimination in regional and international contexts should be recognized.

The research team will initiate the project with a local public survey of the perceptions of Hong Kong employees and students of cultural differences in the workplace/campus when travelling within the Bay Area for business and academic exchanges. In the next stage, the team will expand the study to other cities in the Bay Area from a comparative perspective. The team aims to gauge the cultural awareness of people who travel among cities in the Bay Area.

From a policymaking and managerial standpoint, cases of sexual harassment pose a challenge to governments, academic institutions, and multinational/multi-regional companies when sending staff or students to other locations for business and exchanges. The human costs of sexual discrimination and gender-based violence affect the institutions as well as the victims.

Based on these studies, the research team will provide pragmatic and evidence-based policy suggestions on how to promote gender equality and a safe workplace/campus environment, including recommendations on measures to enhance protections against sexual harassment in the Bay Area. ■

Train the Trainers: Minority Girls and Gender Justice

Investigators: Raees B. Baig (PI), Susanne Y. P. Choi, Sally K. W. Lo*, & Janice Chan
Funding source: Knowledge Transfer Project Fund, CUHK

Ethnic minority women in Hong Kong, mainly Muslim women, have been suffering from double marginalization and are at a greater risk of experiencing inequality than other groups because they face suppression in mainstream society as well as in their minority communities. Frontline workers find it difficult to reach out to ethnic minority women due to language and cultural barriers. The lack of interaction between minority women and local women, and the failure of minority women to integrate in local society, also means that limited progress has been made in the process of empowering women.

This project aims to establish connections among young minority Muslim women and local women. By strengthening their engagement with each other, we expect to empower both groups in the effort to advocate for the rights of women in Hong Kong.

This project provides a safe platform for young ethnic minority women to discuss gender equality with people from the older generation in society, and with members of their family and their religious communities. Through training and ongoing conversations, young women will eventually build up the capacity to lead the discussion. Intergenerational gender perception is important in this context as it affects the education, employment, and lifelong development of young people. An intergenerational approach will allow us to observe acculturation and changes in the ethnic minorities of Hong Kong. The networks and mutual support groups developed from this project can serve as a focal point for the empowerment of Muslim women.

We will also collect qualitative and quantitative data on how ethnic minorities perceive gender equality, which will shed light on issues of diversity and inclusion in our society. It is crucial for the government and service providers to possess such knowledge to be able to envisage the genuine experience of inequality encountered by ethnic minorities, and thus to provide support by devising and implementing policies and providing services. ■

Young People’s Perceptions of the Future: A Comparison of Hong Kong and Beijing

Investigators: Anthony Y. H. Fung* (PI), Victor W. T. Zheng*, & Kevin T. W. Wong (Hong Kong team)
Collaborator: National Institute of Social Development, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Funding source: Policy Research @ HKIAPS, CUHK

The aim of this project is to understand, investigate, and compare the perceptions of young people in Hong Kong and Beijing about their future. A city-wide survey will be conducted simultaneously in Hong Kong and Beijing in 2018, in which a common questionnaire will be used to interview young people between the ages of 15 and 34. Sub-themes of the research will include young people’s self-image, confidence in the society, subjective well-being, career planning, as well as education and job inspiration. This research will shed new light and understanding on the lives of young people and the challenges that they face living in highly globalized metropolitan cities in a borderless world with sophisticated technology. ■