{"id":33323,"date":"2025-09-02T17:15:19","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T09:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.socsc.hku.hk\/?post_type=school_news&p=33323"},"modified":"2025-09-04T12:17:04","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T04:17:04","slug":"achieving-exceptional-results-by-empowering-research-building-connections-and-boosting-wellbeing-a-winning-combination-for-dean-ming-wen","status":"publish","type":"school_news","link":"https:\/\/web.socsc.hku.hk\/tc\/school_news\/achieving-exceptional-results-by-empowering-research-building-connections-and-boosting-wellbeing-a-winning-combination-for-dean-ming-wen\/","title":{"rendered":"Achieving Exceptional Results by Empowering Research, Building Connections and Boosting Wellbeing: A Winning Combination for Dean Ming Wen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stellar rankings, new research hubs, more cross-departmental collaboration, and innovative programmes all play a part in the HKU Faculty of Social Sciences\u2019 many recent achievements under Dean Wen\u2019s leadership.<\/em><\/p>\n

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After becoming Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences (FoSS) at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) in October 2022, Professor Ming Wen is now crossing over the midpoint of her term with a slew of achievements under her belt \u2013 and many more in the pipeline.<\/p>\n

She took on the role following a two-decade academic career at the University of Utah, most recently as Chair of the Department of Sociology. At HKU, her priorities included building on the faculty\u2019s strong points and improving areas, including multi-disciplinary work and developing connections with mainland China.<\/p>\n

Building Connections and Community Spirit<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Professor Wen\u2019s expertise as a sociologist, coupled with her energetic and positive leadership style, enables her to identify boundaries effectively and foster collaboration across diverse groups \u2013 whether between individuals, departments, institutions, or even nations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very proud of seeing a much stronger sense of community spirit,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m a sociologist. I know the importance of social capital \u2013 the bonding, the trust, the collaborative, mutually respectful culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

One area where she has focused is on developing connections with institutions in mainland China by creating visiting scholarship opportunities and supporting joint conferences.
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Since her arrival in Hong Kong, she has been impressed by other connections that are already in place, including the faculty\u2019s involvement in knowledge exchange projects that benefit the community and the attendance of high-level government officials at some faculty events.<\/p>\n

These interactions fit well into the cross-departmental and collaborative academic community that she is continuing to build.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we can have direct communication between the faculty members \u2013 the researchers who are creating knowledge for teaching \u2013 and the government officials who are leading society politically and socially, that is such a good thing to have,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Global Academic Recognition<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cAcademic excellence and reputation is perhaps our strongest point,\u201d she says. \u201cThe faculty is recognised for its high-quality research and teaching standards.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a recognition that has reached new heights under her leadership.<\/p>\n

In the QS World University Subject Rankings 2025, which values reputation, international exposure and employability, HKU Social Sciences ranks 5th in Asia and 22nd in the world. Geography is ranked 3rd in Asia and 10th in the world, while Social Policy and Administration ranks <\/strong>5th in Asia and 11th in the world.<\/p>\n

The faculty also achieved outstanding results in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Subject Rankings 2025, which emphasise research quality, teaching standards and industry collaborations. HKU Social Sciences and Psychology advanced 6 and 5 positions globally, respectively, with both ranking 4th in Asia and 1st in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

Two faculty researchers are ranked among the top five in China, according to Research.com, and 18 professors \u2013 comprising 17% of the faculty members \u2013 rank among the world\u2019s top 1% of scholars according to Clarivate Analytics, in what Professor Wen says is \u201can extraordinary affirmation of their ground-breaking and impactful contributions.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Research Infrastructure<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Her most prominent achievements are in research.<\/p>\n

She has introduced three new strategic research themes to encourage cross-departmental collaborations: \u201cPopulation, Wellbeing and Human Behaviour\u201d; \u201cUrbanisation, Sustainability and Governance\u201d and \u201cCulture, Equity and Community Development\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are serving as good platforms to encourage cross-departmental collaborations as well,\u201d says Professor Wen. \u201cWe are now seeing numerous thriving multidisciplinary research projects within the faculty. We plan to continue to allocate resources to support these research clusters as structured platforms to promote high-quality research on these topics. We will do an annual review on how these research themes are running and then adjust, if necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

To raise the faculty\u2019s profile, she established the new HKU Research Hub of Population Studies for major multi-disciplinary research projects. One flagship initiative is her current research project: an ambitious study of early childhood development in Hong Kong, which is the first longitudinal, citywide study of its kind.<\/p>\n

She submitted the research proposal soon after she arrived in Hong Kong and was awarded more than HK$8 million to conduct the project.<\/p>\n

\u201cI truly love doing research,\u201d says Professor Wen. \u201cThe project is very challenging. It\u2019s going to be a comprehensive and informative study. We\u2019ve been very successful in terms of recruitment and data collection so far, and I\u2019m so very proud of my team.<\/p>\n

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Teaching and Learning<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

She plans to attract more high-calibre, non-Hong Kong students.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis is the first year we\u2019re allowed to admit more than 25% non-local students,\u201d she explains. \u201cWe plan to substantially enhance our efforts in promoting our faculty to high school students and their parents in areas outside of Hong Kong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students will be able to choose from several new programmes in the coming academic year. For undergraduates, a new joint bachelor\u2019s degree with Peking University\u2019s Yuanpei College will be introduced, as well as new majors in Computational Social Science and Geospatial Data Science.<\/p>\n

Students seeking internships will be able to find opportunities in a wider variety of sectors than before, with the notable addition of private businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cPreviously we were mainly focused on NGOs and maybe research opportunities, but now we\u2019re reaching out to more private business sectors,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

For postgraduate students, a new Taught Postgraduate (TPg) programme in Global Governance and Policy will be launched in autumn 2026.\u00a0 Other TPg programmes already launched are in social data analytics and population studies, with more new offerings in the works.<\/p>\n


\nAlumni Engagement
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u201cI\u2019m very proud of our accomplishments in alumni relationship within even the past year,\u201d says Professor Wen.<\/p>\n

This year, the faculty launched an alumni mentorship programme, matching 100 alumni with current students.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis initiative aims to nurture professional growth and meaningful connections within our social sciences community,\u201d she explains. \u201cWe also launched the Young Alumni series where a dynamic group of recent graduates lead industry sharing sessions to offer valuable perspectives and expert guidance to students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alumni can also continue learning through the Lifelong Learning Series, a new FoSS lecture series aimed at sharing informed and thought-provoking insights.<\/p>\n

Seasoned graduates have not escaped Professor Wen\u2019s eye, either.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn June, we welcomed back the 1975 Bachelor of Social Sciences class for their 50th<\/sup> reunion,\u201d she says. \u201cThey are around 72 years old. I personally very much enjoyed this visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Wellbeing Support for Staff and Students<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Wellbeing has a special resonance for Professor Wen<\/p>\n

\u201cI know how important it is to feel good in order to do well,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

A new Assistant Dean for Student Enrichment was recently appointed to develop training and support initiatives.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is to enhance our students\u2019 soft skills, like communication and time management skills, and also enhance their resilience, making them better prepared for an enjoyable and fulfilling post-college life,\u201d explains Professor Wen.<\/p>\n

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She has launched regular events to build a sense of community and offer individual support, including<\/p>\n

mindful eating sessions and a popular series of casual TREAT-Chat featuring treats like chocolate fondue, ice cream and coffee, giving staff and students a sweet break and a moment of support, particularly during the busy semester.<\/p>\n

\u201cBasically, we\u2019re out there talking to people and inviting people to come in to talk,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n


\nLooking Ahead<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Professor Wen has many more plans for the faculty.<\/p>\n

One of the exciting ongoing projects is underway at the HKU Research Hub of Population Studies \u2013 a general social survey of Hong Kong, which will be another first for the city to collect comprehensive data on various aspects of Hong Kong residents\u2019 lives, including socioeconomic status, migration intentions, health and wellbeing, social attitudes, background information, etc.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can be a repeated cross-sectional survey to periodically monitor what\u2019s going on in Hong Kong,\u201d she explains. \u201cThat\u2019s a very important project.\u201d<\/p>\n

December will see the launch of a new research centre funded by a US philanthropist, Dr Jim Stone, and dedicated to the study of socio-economic inequality in Asia. \u00a0Dr Stone and his foundation have founded nine Stone Centers in the US and several in Europe.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis centre at HKU will be the very first Stone Center established in Asia, so we are all very excited about this Stone Center,\u201d says Professor Wen.<\/p>\n

The rest of the world is not forgotten either, with the launch of a Global South Initiative earlier this year, which includes a seminar series and a visiting fellowship scheme, with the first cohort of fellows arriving later this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast, but not least, we\u2019re currently exploring opportunities to establish a faculty office in Shenzhen to broaden and deepen our connection with researchers in mainland China,\u201d she says. \u201cThis initiative is still at the very early stage, so more to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Contributing writer: Liana Cafolla<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","school_new_categories":[],"school_news_tag":[],"thought_leadership_category":[797],"department_category":[],"class_list":["post-33323","school_news","type-school_news","status-publish","hentry","thought_leadership_category-featured-scholars"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.socsc.hku.hk\/tc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/school_news\/33323"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.socsc.hku.hk\/tc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/school_news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.socsc.hku.hk\/tc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/school_news"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.socsc.hku.hk\/tc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"school_new_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.socsc.hku.hk\/tc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/school_new_categories?post=33323"},{"taxonomy":"school_news_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.socsc.hku.hk\/tc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/school_news_tag?post=33323"},{"taxonomy":"thought_leadership_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.socsc.hku.hk\/tc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/thought_leadership_category?post=33323"},{"taxonomy":"department_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.socsc.hku.hk\/tc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/department_category?post=33323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}