Research Projects | Centre for Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies

Explore our diverse portfolio of projects that are transforming higher education

Project Title: Diversifying Leadership in Elite Universities: The Development of an Empirically Grounded Recruitment Framework for the Global Higher Education Sector
	Project Highlight The project will research the biographical life histories and career trajectories of those who lead elite universities globally investigating the wider implications for diversifying leadership at this level. This project brings together a team of four higher education experts from the UK, Australia and Hong Kong as Co-PI’s. They will establish the basis on which VCs/Presidents are selected and develop a recruitment framework to support the diversification of university leaders in elite institutions internationally. A sequential mixed methods approach will be used combining prosopography to analyse a range of biographical data, candidate pack analysis for VC, Presidents or Rector posts and interviews.
Prof. Bruce MACFARLANE Dean of FEHD Co-Director of CHELPS	Grant Organization UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) research grant Grant Amount HK$6 Million plus (equivalent) Commencement Date: This 30 month ESRC funded project will begin early in 2025.

Project Title:
Diversifying Leadership in Elite Universities: The Development of an Empirically Grounded Recruitment Framework for the Global Higher Education Sector

Project Highlight

The project will research the biographical life histories and career trajectories of those who lead elite universities globally investigating the wider implications for diversifying leadership at this level. This project brings together a team of four higher education experts from the UK, Australia and Hong Kong as Co-PI’s. They will establish the basis on which VCs/Presidents are selected and develop a recruitment framework to support the diversification of university leaders in elite institutions internationally. A sequential mixed methods approach will be used combining prosopography to analyse a range of biographical data, candidate pack analysis for VC, Presidents or Rector posts and interviews.

Prof. Bruce MACFARLANE

Dean of FEHD

Co-Director of CHELPS

Grant Organization

UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) research grant

Grant Amount

HK$6 Million plus (equivalent)

Commencement Date:

This 30 month ESRC funded project will begin early in 2025.

Project Title: Investigating teacher evaluative judgement in an AI-mediated assessment landscape: a phenomenographic study
	Abstract Generative AI (GenAI) tools such as ChatGPT are increasingly used by university students worldwide to help with their assessment tasks. This presents unprecedented challenges for teachers to make judgements on various difficult issues – for example, how should teachers judge students' work that has been partially or fully enhanced by GenAI? Do students who complete their work without GenAI assistance deserve a higher grade? These questions point to an urgent need to support teachers in their evaluative judgement – i.e., the process through which teachers assess the quality of students' work – in an AI-mediated assessment landscape. Developing such support necessitates an in-depth understanding of the varying practices and concerns teachers face in their evaluative judgement, which has not yet been captured in empirical research. Therefore, this project proposes three main objectives: (1) To explore how teachers make evaluative judgement of students' work that may to varying degrees be mediated by GenAI; (2) To identify the key factors that shape different teacher evaluative judgement; (3) To generate preliminary insights into the impact of teacher evaluative judgement on students' interaction with GenAI.
Dr. Jiahui LUO Assistant Professor	Grant Organization Early Career Scheme supported by RGC Grant Amount HK$779,200 - 24 months (2025 Jan to 2026 Dec) Impact of Research To stimulate discussions around how “quality” in students’ work can/should be redefined in a time when knowledge production becomes increasingly collaborative and AI-mediated. To inform teacher professional development, assessment designs and AI policies to enable more responsible and effective use of GenAI for teaching and learning in higher education.

Project Title:
Investigating teacher evaluative judgement in an AI-mediated assessment landscape: a phenomenographic study

Abstract

Generative AI (GenAI) tools such as ChatGPT are increasingly used by university students worldwide to help with their assessment tasks. This presents unprecedented challenges for teachers to make judgements on various difficult issues – for example, how should teachers judge students' work that has been partially or fully enhanced by GenAI? Do students who complete their work without GenAI assistance deserve a higher grade?

These questions point to an urgent need to support teachers in their evaluative judgement – i.e., the process through which teachers assess the quality of students' work – in an AI-mediated assessment landscape. Developing such support necessitates an in-depth understanding of the varying practices and concerns teachers face in their evaluative judgement, which has not yet been captured in empirical research.

Therefore, this project proposes three main objectives:

(1) To explore how teachers make evaluative judgement of students' work that may to varying degrees be mediated by GenAI;

(2) To identify the key factors that shape different teacher evaluative judgement;

(3) To generate preliminary insights into the impact of teacher evaluative judgement on students' interaction with GenAI.

Dr. Jiahui LUO

Assistant Professor

Grant Organization

Early Career Scheme supported by RGC

Grant Amount

HK$779,200 - 24 months (2025 Jan to 2026 Dec)

Impact of Research

To stimulate discussions around how “quality” in students’ work can/should be redefined in a time when knowledge production becomes increasingly collaborative and AI-mediated. To inform teacher professional development, assessment designs and AI policies to enable more responsible and effective use of GenAI for teaching and learning in higher education.

Project Title: National Security Education in Hong Kong’s Universities in the ‘New Era’
	Abstract Strengthening national security education (NSE) was one of the key issues addressed in the Chief Executive’s 2022 Policy Address. Unlike NSE implementation in primary and secondary schools, that in universities does not depend on centralised curriculum reform. Higher education institutions enjoy structural autonomy, and the curriculum and student population are more international and diverse. This 12-month study (2024-2025) will explore the learning experiences of Hong Kong university students in the context of NSE.
Dr. Zhenzhou ZHAO Associate Professor	Grant Organization HKSAR Govt - Public Policy Research Funding Scheme (PPR) Grant Amount HKD$589,439.40 12-month (2024-2025) Impact of Research The proposed study will contribute to the development of NSE policy in Hong Kong.

Project Title:
National Security Education in Hong Kong’s Universities in the ‘New Era’

Abstract

Strengthening national security education (NSE) was one of the key issues addressed in the Chief Executive’s 2022 Policy Address. Unlike NSE implementation in primary and secondary schools, that in universities does not depend on centralised curriculum reform. Higher education institutions enjoy structural autonomy, and the curriculum and student population are more international and diverse. This 12-month study (2024-2025) will explore the learning experiences of Hong Kong university students in the context of NSE.

Dr. Zhenzhou ZHAO

Associate Professor

Grant Organization

HKSAR Govt - Public Policy Research Funding Scheme (PPR)

Grant Amount

HKD$589,439.40 12-month (2024-2025)

Impact of Research

The proposed study will contribute to the development of NSE policy in Hong Kong.

Project Title: A higher education hub for doctoral education: The case of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme
	Abstract The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) is a flagship higher education hub policy to attract the “best and brightest students” globally to pursue a PhD in Hong Kong’s universities. However, no empirical research has been undertaken into any aspect of the scheme, which has strategic importance in meeting multiple policy objectives: developing the higher education sector in Hong Kong; improving the global standing of Hong Kong’s universities; enhancing the talent pool for the labour force; and bolstering the image of Hong Kong as a cosmopolitan city. More generally, research on mobile students in Hong Kong remains limited, with most studies on international students focused on those in the Anglophone West. The current project is the first empirical investigation of HKPFS awardees. From August 2024 to July 2025, we will conduct a three-phase sequential mixed method study. Phase one will involve a questionnaire survey (n=250) to investigate the motivations of non-local HKPFS awardees (from Mainland China and elsewhere) to pursue a PhD in Hong Kong, their experiences as PhD students in Hong Kong, and their post-graduation mobility and career plans. In phase two, we will conduct in-depth interviews with a subset of the respondents (n=50) to gather a more comprehensive understanding of their background, experiences, and post-graduation intentions. In phase three, we will conduct in-depth interviews with HKPFS graduates (n=50) to investigate how a Hong Kong PhD shaped career opportunities and outcomes over the long term. The team will also conduct a smaller-scale supplementary project, covering the same three phases, with non-local Economic and Social Research Council-funded PhD students at the University of Glasgow to provide an international comparative case. We apply two analytical perspectives that build on our earlier work (e.g., Wright & Mulvey, 2022) by extending concepts from Bourdieu’s logic of practice: “promised capitals” and the “global field of higher education”. These concepts aid in illuminating HKPFS awardees’ perspectives on the position of Hong Kong as a doctoral study destination in the global higher education landscape, and on the value of a Hong Kong PhD as it relates to accumulating institutionalised cultural capital (i.e., credentials), embodied cultural capital (i.e., knowledge, skills, dispositions), and social capital (i.e., networks) for careers.
Dr. Ewan WRIGHT Associate Professor	Grant Organization Public Policy Research Scheme (PPRS) Grant Amount HK$392,150 - 12 months (August 2024 - July 2025) Impact of Research The research findings and subsequent policy recommendations will enable: the strengthening of Hong Kong’s education hub status in terms of attracting talented students; improving the Hong Kong PhD experience; and promoting the retention of highly-skilled PhD graduates and their contribution to Hong Kong’s labour force.

Project Title:

A higher education hub for doctoral education: The case of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme

Abstract

The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) is a flagship higher education hub policy to attract the “best and brightest students” globally to pursue a PhD in Hong Kong’s universities. However, no empirical research has been undertaken into any aspect of the scheme, which has strategic importance in meeting multiple policy objectives: developing the higher education sector in Hong Kong; improving the global standing of Hong Kong’s universities; enhancing the talent pool for the labour force; and bolstering the image of Hong Kong as a cosmopolitan city. More generally, research on mobile students in Hong Kong remains limited, with most studies on international students focused on those in the Anglophone West.

The current project is the first empirical investigation of HKPFS awardees. From August 2024 to July 2025, we will conduct a three-phase sequential mixed method study. Phase one will involve a questionnaire survey (n=250) to investigate the motivations of non-local HKPFS awardees (from Mainland China and elsewhere) to pursue a PhD in Hong Kong, their experiences as PhD students in Hong Kong, and their post-graduation mobility and career plans. In phase two, we will conduct in-depth interviews with a subset of the respondents (n=50) to gather a more comprehensive understanding of their background, experiences, and post-graduation intentions. In phase three, we will conduct in-depth interviews with HKPFS graduates (n=50) to investigate how a Hong Kong PhD shaped career opportunities and outcomes over the long term. The team will also conduct a smaller-scale supplementary project, covering the same three phases, with non-local Economic and Social Research Council-funded PhD students at the University of Glasgow to provide an international comparative case.

We apply two analytical perspectives that build on our earlier work (e.g., Wright & Mulvey, 2022) by extending concepts from Bourdieu’s logic of practice: “promised capitals” and the “global field of higher education”. These concepts aid in illuminating HKPFS awardees’ perspectives on the position of Hong Kong as a doctoral study destination in the global higher education landscape, and on the value of a Hong Kong PhD as it relates to accumulating institutionalised cultural capital (i.e., credentials), embodied cultural capital (i.e., knowledge, skills, dispositions), and social capital (i.e., networks) for careers.

Dr. Ewan WRIGHT

Associate Professor

Grant Organization

Public Policy Research Scheme (PPRS)

Grant Amount

HK$392,150 - 12 months (August 2024 - July 2025)

Impact of Research

The research findings and subsequent policy recommendations will enable: the strengthening of Hong Kong’s education hub status in terms of attracting talented students; improving the Hong Kong PhD experience; and promoting the retention of highly-skilled PhD graduates and their contribution to Hong Kong’s labour force.

Project Title: Learning Citizenship Values in Chinese Universities: A Role for International Students in Promoting Chinese Values Globally
	Abstract With the rapid internationalisation of higher education, young people’s experiences of transnational mobility are increasing. The potential effects of this type of mobility on citizenship formation are underexplored, especially in the Chinese context. This three-year study will address the topic of citizenship in the context of Chinese universities’ aspirations for regional and global reach.
Dr. Zhenzhou ZHAO Associate Professor	Grant Organization Research Grants Council (RGC), the General Research Fund (GRF). Grant Amount HK$938,700 Impact of Research This study will provide new insights into approaches to citizenship learning for transnational young people, which is becoming an important research focus in national and global contexts. The insights gained are expected to influence policy and the development of curricula for international students within China's higher education system. About the team The research team, comprising Prof Bruce John Macfarlane, Prof Kerry John Kennedy and Dr. Zhao from EdUHK, Prof Guo Zhonghua from Nanjing University, and Prof Jin Xie from Tsinghua University, achieved a full score of 5.0 during the rigorous peer review process conducted by the RGC subject panels for the 2024/25 exercise.

Project Title:

Learning Citizenship Values in Chinese Universities: A Role for International Students in Promoting Chinese Values Globally

Abstract

With the rapid internationalisation of higher education, young people’s experiences of transnational mobility are increasing. The potential effects of this type of mobility on citizenship formation are underexplored, especially in the Chinese context. This three-year study will address the topic of citizenship in the context of Chinese universities’ aspirations for regional and global reach.

Dr. Zhenzhou ZHAO

Associate Professor

Grant Organization

Research Grants Council (RGC), the General Research Fund (GRF).

Grant Amount

HK$938,700

Impact of Research

This study will provide new insights into approaches to citizenship learning for transnational young people, which is becoming an important research focus in national and global contexts. The insights gained are expected to influence policy and the development of curricula for international students within China's higher education system.

About the team

The research team, comprising Prof Bruce John Macfarlane, Prof Kerry John Kennedy and Dr. Zhao from EdUHK, Prof Guo Zhonghua from Nanjing University, and Prof Jin Xie from Tsinghua University, achieved a full score of 5.0 during the rigorous peer review process conducted by the RGC subject panels for the 2024/25 exercise.