The Tech for Good Initiative (TGI) is a public policy research initiative led by the Centre for Civil Society and Governance of The University of Hong Kong (HKU). It was launched in September 2021 at the HKU, together with Meta (then known as Facebook), which became TGI’s founding partner.
TGI comes as a result of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between HKU and Meta as both the two parties wish to create a new kind of practitioner-scholar collaboration to strengthen institutional innovations with the use of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data in governance and public policy in a manner that is socially embedded, conducive to sustainability, and compatible with inclusive growth. TGI is also open to partnerships and collaborations with other corporates and academic institutions in relevant fields of research.
TGI has several main pillars of work including teaching and learning, research grants for relevant topics and fields, public policy scholarship, and exchange programs with technology companies in the Silicon Valley and other partner universities in the United States.
The TGI is currently housed at the Centre for Civil Society and Governance (CCSG), with support from faculty members of Social Sciences. Our guest lecturers are from Meta, Google, Microsoft and other technology companies and the public sector. The TGI’s leadership team includes three co-directors — Professor Wai-Fung Lam, Director of the CCSG and Programme Director, Master of Public Administration (MPA), HKU, and Mr. George Chen, Honorary Senior Fellow at the CCSG, and Ms. Raina Yeung, Director of Privacy and Data Policy, Engagement, APAC Meta.
For more inquiries, please contact Dr. Winnie Law, Deputy Director for CCSG at ccsg@hku.hk.
Tech for Good Initiative (TGI) is housed at the Centre for Civil Society and Governance (CCSG) of The University of Hong Kong (HKU), with support from faculty members of Social Sciences and our external partners and guest speakers.
Currently, the initiative has three co-directors to oversee the practitioner-scholar collaborations related to the interplay between emerging technologies and governance. It also has an Executive Committee for key project planning and executions. TGI also has a team of researchers and guest lecturers from leading technology companies including Meta, Google, Microsoft, among others.
Teaching and learning sit at the heart of the Tech for Good Initiative at the Centre for Civil Society and Governance of The University of Hong Kong (HKU).
The first edition of the course started in the Fall semester of 2021 when HKU scholars and experts from Meta (formerly known as Facebook) co-designed a new course called “Opportunities and Challenges in Digital Governance” and is renamed as “Digital society and governance” in 2024-25 academic year. Later the course has also expanded to include guest lecturers from other leading industry players like Google and Microsoft. Currently, the course is open to students of HKU’s Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of International and Public Affairs (MIPA) and Master of Social Sciences in the field of Sustainability Leadership and Governance (MSLG) programs.
Under the framework of Tech for Good Initiative (TGI), The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Meta (formerly known as Facebook) will work together to launch a new research paper series and community outreach project for the research interests of scholars in the Asia Pacific region and the broader public community.
“Facebook Scholarship in Public Policy and Sustainability Leadership” is launched under the HKU-Meta (formerly known as Facebook) Tech for Good Initiative to support outstanding students in the University’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Master of Social Sciences in the field of Sustainability Leadership and Governance (MSLG) programs. Meta kindly pledged an initial donation of HK$350,000 per year from the academic years 2021-22 to 2023-24 to support outstanding young scholars to conduct research on public policy, governance and sustainability, with a focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) ethics and Big Data governance.
