Application Due Date: January 9, 2026
The Global Studies Program at the University of Chicago is pleased to invite applications for the 2026 L.C.K. Yung Global Studies Summer Fellowship in Hong Kong. This is an inter-institutional and interdisciplinary research program between the Hong Kong Jockey Club University of Chicago Academic Complex | The University of Chicago Francis and Rose Yuen Campus in Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong. Students will work directly on faculty-led projects to explore topics in the following areas: health and well-being, global finance, technology, public policy, language, and migration.
The Global Studies Program will provide funds to cover travel, lodging, and living expenses in Hong Kong for the research assistants. We will also provide administrative and research support in the form of mentoring, as well as methodological training at the campus in Hong Kong.
Accepted University of Chicago College students are eligible for a $1,000 Metcalf Grant Fellowship through the University of Chicago Career Advancement.
To apply, please complete and submit this Google form by January 9, 2026: https://forms.gle/qDyz7Za8EA4im6mf9
The form requires applicants to select up to three projects, motivating their interests and providing information on their technical, methodological, and linguistic skills. The form also requires applicants to upload a recent resume and to list the names and contact information of two references. Recommendation letters are not required at the time of application.
Please see the list of faculty-led projects below.
PROJECT #ONE
Assembling Community, Translating Care: Global and Local Trajectories of Mental Health in China
Prof. Zhiying Ma, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice
Since the 2000s, programs of community mental health have been on the rise in mainland China, constituting a forefront of social governance. They often translate global knowledge and resources into new visions and practices of care, such as the idea of mobilizing social services for recovery. Hong Kong has served an important hub of translation, with its services and scholarships influencing numerous psychiatrists and social workers from the mainland. Through interviews and archival research, this summer internship seeks to trace the translation of community mental health knowledge and practices through Hong Kong and their perception/reception in the mainland. It contributes to the PI’s larger project on studying the history of community mental health in China since the 1950s.
Essential Skills:
- Reading, writing, and speaking Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese)
- Basic library research skills
- Sense of responsibility and responsiveness; personability for interviewing
- Passion for understanding mental health services, policies, and social services in general (prior knowledge is preferred)
PROJECT #TWO
Communication Strategies to Reduce Alcohol Consumption
Prof. Boaz Keysar, Department of Psychology, University of Chicago
This project examines how message framing influences perceived risk severity and alcohol consumption behaviour. Recent research shows that subtle linguistic differences in health communication—particularly how agency is assigned in a sentence (e.g., “Alcohol increases the risk of cancer” vs. “You increase your risk of cancer by drinking alcohol”)—can influence how people perceive health risks and choose to act. Our previous work demonstrates that alcohol-agency framing (i.e., “Alcohol increases the risk of cancer”) can increase intentions to reduce drinking compared with human-agency framing (“You increase your risk of cancer by drinking alcohol”). However, we still do not fully understand why this agency effect occurs.
The current project aims to test whether the persuasive effect of message framing is driven by differences in perceived threat and/or psychological reactance (i.e., how defensive or resistant people feel when being told what to do). The project will involve designing and conducting randomized experiments across multiple languages and cultural settings (e.g., Chinese, English, German, Italian, Greek) to test the cross-cultural robustness of this communication strategy in promoting reduced alcohol consumption.
Essential and Preferred Skills:
Essential (or strong willingness to learn):
- Interest in behavioural science, health communication, or decision-making
- Clear written communication skills, especially for preparing experiment instructions and materials
- Attention to detail, especially when checking survey logic, translations, or data files
- Ability to work independently while updating the research team regularly
- Interest in quantitative data analysis and experimental methods
- Careful and reliable approach to research work
- Fluent spoken and written English
Preferred (but not required):
- Experience programming surveys/experiments (e.g., Qualtrics, Gorilla)
- Experience recruiting participants online (e.g., Prolific, CloudResearch)
- Experience with data analysis (e.g., R, SPSS, Stata, Python)
- Fluency in Chinese, German, Italian, or Greek (for cross-language stimulus testing)
PROJECT #THREE
Entangled Oligarchies: How Offshore Financial Networks Reshape Global Power Relations
Prof. Kimberly Kay Hoang, Department of Sociology, University of Chicago
This project examines how political and economic elites across multiple world regions use offshore financial centers, sovereign wealth funds, and cross-border investment networks to structure global power relations. The study uncovers patterns of coordination that shape capital flows and international influence. Combining computational tools with political-economic analysis, it maps financial linkages across North America, Europe, and Asia. The goal is to illuminate how these opaque systems challenge established governance structures and reshape the foundations of contemporary global political and economic power.
Essential and Desirable Skills:
Essential:
- Strong analytical and communication skills
- Interest in global finance, political economy, or international relations
- Ability to work with large datasets and secure-data workflows
- Willingness to learn metadata extraction and computational document analysis
- Commitment to ethical research and secure data handling
Desirable:
- Familiarity with Python, R, or other data tools
- Background in economics, public policy, or regional studies
- Interest in vector search, document clustering, or qualitative coding
PROJECT #FOUR
Tracing the Origins of Policy Ideas in China
Prof. Shaoda Wang, University of Chicago, Harris School of Public Policy
Using nearly four million policy documents issued by various levels of government in China over the past two decades—along with a comprehensive collection of major newspaper articles, social media posts, leaders’ speeches, and academic publications from the same period—we aim to systematically trace the origins of policy ideas in China, examine how they have evolved over time, and assess their implications for policy outcomes.
Research assistants will employ textual analysis tools to clean and analyze this corpus.
Essential Skills:
- Coding skills: Python, familiarity with textual analysis
- Language skills: reading ability in Chinese
PROJECT #FIVE
Crossing Courts: Transnational Sports Migration and Collaboration in Greater China
Dr. Teng Ge, Teaching Fellow in the Social Sciences, Department of Sociology
Sports as cultural phenomena are central to a country’s soft power. This project investigates how athletes, coaches, and sport organizations navigate transnational collaboration within Greater China, emphasizing Hong Kong’s role as a strategic hub connecting mainland China and global sport labor markets. Using publicly available game footage, media archives, and organizational documents on Chinese and Hong Kong athletes, the project maps training regimes, institutional structures, and cross-border mobility patterns. Undergraduate researchers will assist with archival collection, video coding, and organizational analysis to produce a comparative dataset illuminating how sport shapes cultural influence and international collaboration in the region.
Essential Skills:
- Interest in Globalization, Culture, and Sport Reading knowledge of Chinese
- Basic speaking ability in mandarin and/or Cantonese
- Basic data collection (primary and secondary sources, news, articles) and organizing skills
PROJECT #SIX
A Mixed-Methods Investigation: Evaluating the Efficacy of Buddhist Counseling Interventions
Dr. George Lee, Centre of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong
Buddhist counseling is an emerging discipline that integrates core principles of Buddhist Teachings with contemporary psychotherapeutic frameworks to create a comprehensive, non-faith based approach to psychological wellbeing. This project aims to empirically evaluate the efficacy of these novel counseling models for a variety of disorders. The specific objectives are: 1) to develop and validate psychometric scales for Buddhist psychological constructs like the Five Hindrances; 2) to examine the therapeutic effectiveness of specific Buddhist counseling protocols using a mixed-methods approach (e.g. surveys, interviews, and neuroscientific measures); and 3) to use this data to refine standardized treatment manuals.
Desirable Skills:
- Basic knowledge of statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R, Stata).
- Interest in learning neuroscientific data collection (e.g., EEG).
PROJECT #SEVEN
Improving Holistic Well-being of Substance Abusers
Prof. Carrie K. W. Li, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong
This study aims to investigate the underlying reasons for substance abuse and evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention program on holistic well-being of substance abusers. Mixed-methods study is used in this project. Interviews and surveys will be conducted with substance abusers in Hong Kong.
Essential and Desirable Skills:
Research assistants should be passionate and sensitive about the topics of substance abuse and well-being. Essential skills include conducting quantitative data analysis (strong analytical skills; proficiency in STATA or SPSS is preferred), qualitative data analysis (strong analytical skills), and literature review (excellent reading and writing skills in English, with some knowledge of Chinese preferred). Experience in survey data management is a plus. Strong work ethics and interpersonal skills are essential.
PROJECT #EIGHT
Social Norms and Alcohol Consumption Among Young Adults in Hong Kong
Prof. Junhan Chen, School of Future Media, The University of Hong Kong
This project investigates how young adults in Hong Kong decide whether to drink alcohol in social situations where drinking is the norm. Social gatherings are often where non-drinkers first feel influenced to start drinking, but this phenomenon is understudied in the Hong Kong context. The project will involve in-depth interviews with young adults to learn about their personal experiences with social drinking, their perceptions of peer norms, and their motivations for either participating in or resisting alcohol use. The findings will provide a foundation for developing future peer-resistance interventions tailored specifically for young adults in Hong Kong.
Essential and Desirable Skills:
Prefer experience or training on conducting in-depth interviews and analysing qualitative (interview) data
PROJECT #NINE
Research on Vulnerable Populations
Prof. Sally Cao, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong
This team conducts research on children and families from disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as on issues related to mental health of older adults. The student helpers will be involved in conducting literature reviews (on child development, counselling, mental health and aging). There will be opportunities to be involved in data analysis.
Essential and Desirable Skills:
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Essential: at least basic understanding about research, having read some papers on using questionnaires and interviews with participants.
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Desirable: good English writing skills, good interpersonal communication skills, and some understanding about SPSS.
PROJECT #TEN
A Data-Informed Empowerment Project for Carers of Patients Living with Dementia (PLwD) with iSupport
Prof Vivian W.Q. Lou, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong
Carers of patients living with dementia (PLwD) often encounter significant physical, psychological, and emotional challenges throughout the caregiving journey. WHO initiated the iSupport in the mid-2000’s, a skills and training programme for carers, to alleviate caregiver burden and increase their quality of life.
Emerging technologies, such as AI-based virtual assistants (VA) could serve as valuable tools for carers of PLwD. The proposed project is aim to adapt the WHO iSupport framework and develop an AI-powered VA for Chinese family caregivers of PLwD to complete the iSupport programme. The acceptance of this VA and intention to use will be evaluated through interviews and questionnaires.
Essential and Desirable Skills:
- Technical skills:
- basic understanding of AI and prompt engineering
- ability to assist with the development of the digital interface of the VA
- Teamwork and proactive learning: willingness to collaborate with people from various backgrounds and to learn new knowledge and skills
- Communication skills: good written and verbal communication skills for engaging with participants, conducting interviews, and writing reports.