| Principal Investigator | Project Title & Description |
| Professor Eric Fong |
Hong Kong General Social Survey
(Donor: Kwok Yat Wai Charitable Fund)  This project aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of the social and economic well-being of people living in Hong Kong. To achieve this, we propose to collect data on various types of information from Hong Kong residents, including socioeconomic status, migration intentions, health and wellbeing, social attitudes, and personal background information. By collecting a more comprehensive set of data, we can gain a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of these issues. We plan to interview about 4,000 individuals between the ages of 18 and 65. |
| Professor Ming Wen
(Project Coordinator) |
Early Childhood Development in Hong Kong: A Longitudinal Study (RGC CRF2023/24)
This project aims to establish the Hong Kong Early Childhood Development Longitudinal Study (HK-ECDLS), the first city-representative study in Hong Kong, tracking the development of about 3,000 young children (starting from age 3) from 200 kindergartens for three consecutive years. In response to the growing importance of early childhood education and care for sustainable economic and social development, this study seeks to fill the fundamental information gap by building a longitudinal dataset that includes comprehensive information on children and their families to provide the quality and breadth of evidence necessary to monitor and evaluate child development in Hong Kong. The evidence generated from this research will be invaluable to various stakeholders, ranging from children and families to schools, communities, and society, and informative to the development of effective policies and intervention programmes to promote positive and healthy child development. |
| Professor Guy Abel | Variations in the Human Capital of Migration Flows across Development Levels (GRF2024/25)
This project examines the link between educational attainment and migration patterns across different countries and development levels. While age- and sex-related trends in migration are well-documented, the role of education remains underexplored due to limited access to relevant statistics. Drawing on large-scale census microdata, we analyse how the educational composition of migration flows shifts across regions and development stages. By examining both international and internal migration, the research will gain a deeper understanding of how human capital responds to demographic and economic shifts. |
| Professor Guy Abel | Integrating Data to Predict Bilateral Migrant Population Sizes in the Asia Pacific Region (GRF2025/26)
This project develops an integrated framework for estimating international migration flows in the Asia-Pacific region, a context where migration remains significant yet poorly measured. Traditional data sources such as censuses and surveys are often outdated, inconsistent, or unavailable. To overcome these limitations, we combine conventional migration statistics with digital trace data from social media platforms to generate timely estimates of migrant stocks across regional corridors. By applying a Bayesian hierarchical modelling approach tailored to the Asia-Pacific region, the research addresses core challenges such as underreporting and definitional discrepancies. In collaboration with the Asia–Pacific Regional Office of the International Organisation for Migration, this work aims to strengthen regional capacity for migration monitoring and evidence-based policymaking. |
| Professor Guy Abel | Variations in the Human Capital of Migration Flows across Development Levels (GRF2024/25)
This project examines the link between educational attainment and migration patterns across different countries and development levels. While age- and sex-related trends in migration are well-documented, the role of education remains underexplored due to limited access to relevant statistics. Drawing on large-scale census microdata, we analyse how the educational composition of migration flows shifts across regions and development stages. By examining both international and internal migration, the research will gain a deeper understanding of how human capital responds to demographic and economic shifts. |
| Dr Ted C. T. Fong (Co-Investigator: Professor Ming Wen) |
Multidimensional Determinants Of Cognitive Function And Markers In Early Mid-Adulthood: Insights From The Add Health Study (GRF2025/26)
Cognitive function is essential to maintaining independence and quality of life. Two neurocognitive biomarkers, neurofilament light and tau, are positively associated with elevated dementia risks. Existing evidence suggests cognitive function to have multidimensional determinants, and genome-wide association studies have demonstrated genetic factors to contribute to heterogeneity in both cognitive function and behavioural factors. Add Health is a longitudinal study that has prospectively followed a nationally representative sample of adolescents into early midlife. This cohort study has compiled polygenic risk scores for various phenotypes in young adulthood (Wave IV) and novel biomarkers of immune and cognitive functions in early mid-adulthood (Wave V). No research has examined the potential interplay between genetic factors and other determinants, and the underlying pathways in the long-term genetic effects on cognitive function remain unclear. The proposed project will utilize Add Health data to elucidate the multidimensional determinants of cognitive health in early mid-adulthood in three studies. The results of the proposed studies will link cognitive function and biomarkers with determinants across the genetic, biopsychosocial, behavioural, lifestyle, and environmental domains. Our multidisciplinary approach will provide valuable insights on early detection of cognitive decline, facilitating targeted interventions to ameliorate the risks of subsequent neurodegenerative diseases. |
| Professor Hongjian Cao (Co-Investigator: Mr Shaofan Wang) |
Parental Responses to Child Positive Emotions and Their Consequences for Child Development in Various Domains: An Integrative, Theorizing Review and a Systematic, Meta-Analytic Synthesis
(Supported by the HKU RHPS Seed Grant Scheme for Research on Population Studies) |
| Professor Yanjia Cao | Accounting for Time Barrier to Assess Discrepancy between Vaccine Perception and Availability in Kenya
(Supported by the HKU RHPS Seed Grant Scheme for Research on Population Studies) |
| Professor Hongjian Cao (Co-Investigator: Mr Shaofan Wang) |
Parental Responses to Child Positive Emotions and Their Consequences for Child Development in Various Domains: An Integrative, Theorizing Review and a Systematic, Meta-Analytic Synthesis
(Supported by the HKU RHPS Seed Grant Scheme for Research on Population Studies) |
| Professor Peiyi Lu (Co-Investigator: Professor Tarani Chandola) |
A Cross-national Study on the Lifecourse Housing-related Determinants of Old Age Health
(Supported by the HKU RHPS Seed Grant Scheme for Research on Population Studies) |
| Professor Yuyu Zhou (Co-Investigators: Professor Hongsheng Zhang and Mr Lihen Zhong) |
Synergistic Effects of Green Recovery Policies and Air Pollution on Consumer Behaviour of Population
(Supported by the HKU RHPS Seed Grant Scheme for Research on Population Studies) |
| Dr Sing-Hang Cheung (Co-Investigator: Dr Corine Sau-Man Wong) |
Risk and Protective Factors of Problematic Smartphone Use, Psychological Symptoms, Insomnia and Suicidality among Hong Kong Secondary School Students
(Supported by the HKU RHPS Seed Grant Scheme for Research on Population Studies) |
Migration
Population and Development
Poverty and Social Mobility
Family and Youth
