Happenings

Professor Wai Fung Lam, Dr. Jessica Williams and Dr. Vivian Chu attended the 20th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (June 15–21, 2025). Relating to the Centre’s Forest Village project, Jessica presented on "Participatory Approaches to Ecosystem Service Assessment: Integrating Community Assessment and Values in Revitalising peri-urban Systems" as part of the panel on "Decision-Making in Social-Ecological Systems and Commons Dilemmas" which was also moderated by Dr. Williams. Here, initial research findings were shared to highlight how such participatory approaches can identify diverse stakeholder needs in complex social-ecological systems, provide insights into management approaches and manage trade-offs. Vivian’s presentation was based on experiences accumulated from a number of the Centre’s project. Her presentation ‘University-NGO collaborations for the co-creation and scaling of social innovations’ was part of the panel titled ‘Co-creating Social Value and Innovation’ where we aim to contribute to the literature through a typology of universities-NGO partnerships in relation to the level of complementarity and the outcomes achieved. Part of the outcomes we highlighted in the presentation is the effect of scaling social innovations. Special thanks to Brenda Bushouse for organizing and moderating this insightful discussion. Vibrant exchanges with fellow panellists and participants—including Lu Yu, Tamara Keshecki, Isabel Guerrero, Raul Lejano, (among many others) - have contributed to enriching our conference experience. The first day of the conference was concluded with an incredible performance by The Expandable Brass Band bringing their joyful music and spreading their charm to help everyone to feel refreshed for the week of intellectual exchanges. Many thanks to colleagues at the University of Massachusetts, the IASC 2025 organisers, for arranging the insightful excursions with Cherry Hill Cohousing and Sirius Ecovillage. Cherry Hill Cohousing has 32 houses and a common house (community building), a wood workshop, an office building, and gardens that are shared and completely managed by community members. We had the opportunity to learn how a group of ~80 people self-organises their community life, how decisions are made and the ways in which management tasks are shared. Our host Jerry explained the difference between decisions made through consensus versus a consent-based system and the latter is the mode that they find works best for their decentralized governance system. Sirius Ecovillage operates as both a non-profit educational center and spiritual community that embodies sustainable living. Members of the community share the responsibilities of managing the grounds which contain organic gardens, greenhouses, and other facilities. It was inspiring to find out how members of this intentional community support each other’s wellbeing and personal growth in pursuits of sustainability and mindfulness. We are grateful to our knowledgeable hosts Jerry Koch-Gonzalez (Cherry Hill) and Marianne Connor, Education Program Manager (Sirius) from whom we have learnt a great deal.

New Co-Directors for the Master of Social Sciences in Sustainability Leadership and Governance! We are thrilled to announce Dr Winnie Law and Dr Vivian Chu as the new Co-Directors of our Master of Social Sciences in Sustainability Leadership and Governance. Dr Winnie Law is the Deputy Director and Principal Lecturer at the Centre. Her expertise lies in community and stakeholder engagement, social impact assessment, sustainable urban regeneration and rural revitalisation. Dr Law contributes significantly to local and regional sustainability issues and integrating sustainability theories into practice through policy research and action projects. Dr Law has more than 20 years of teaching experience at territory education and served on various Hong Kong SAR Government advisory boards, as well as European Union and United Nations city planning and environmental management programmes. Dr Vivian Chu is a Lecturer at the Centre and has served as the Programme’s Deputy Director, with research interests in environmental policy, collaborative governance and sustainability. Dr Chu leads efforts in academic research on building sustainable communities, sustainable behaviour and policy tools, as well as sustainability assessment. Dr. Chu teaches a number of undergraduate and postgraduate courses offered by the Centre on environmental policy and governance. Together, Dr Law and Dr Chu will spearhead the Programme, leading continuous enhancement of academic rigour under the fast-changing era of sustainability. They will work closely with the prestigious teaching team to uphold the best academic quality for students. The Centre wish to confer their gratitude to Dr Margaret Burnett for her co-ordination work during her tenure as Programme Director. The teaching team looks forward to continuing working with Dr. Burnett in the Capstone and other courses. Please join us in congratulating them on their new roles! About the Programme : Launched in 2003, our Master of Social Sciences in Sustainability Leadership and Governance equips future leaders with skills to tackle pressing sustainability challenges through innovative solutions. The Programme combines interdisciplinary coursework, hands-on projects, and industry partnerships to prepare graduates for impactful careers in sustainability.

The Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment Launching Ceremony cum Market Fair 2025 will be composed of Project Launching Ceremony, Market Booth Fair, Interactive Workshops, Thematic Exhibition, Inclusive Performance and Sharing Sessions. It aims to serve as an essential platform, for members from all walks of life to discover and learn about the potential and values of PWD in different aspects, to exchange knowledge and lessons, as well as to facilitate dialogues, collaborations and partnerships in order to create more opportunities for PWD, foster the development of inclusive employment and make Hong Kong a more inclusive and sustainable society. Date and Time: 2 May 2025 (Friday)        1p.m. – 7p.m. 3 May 2025 (Saturday)  11a.m. – 7p.m. 4 May 2025 (Sunday)     11a.m. – 7p.m. Venue: Atrium, L1, D PARK, Tsuen Wan Fee:  Free Click HERE to register