96th Congregation (2026)

This year marks the 29th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland. Over the years, Professor Lau Siu-kai has remained a steadfast and authoritative figure in the discourse surrounding the political systems and social development of both the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong. His analyses are widely acclaimed for their depth and insight. The web portal of Phoenix New Media aptly describes his commentary as “bold in style, balanced in perspective, and unique in its analysis.”

With familial roots in Dongguan, Guangdong, Professor Lau was raised in Hong Kong. He commenced his undergraduate studies with a focus on sociology and economics, later earning his PhD from the University of Minnesota in the United States. Professor Lau has strong bonds with The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Upon returning to Hong Kong, he joined the Department of Sociology at CUHK and was promoted to Chair Professor in 1990. He also held concurrent key leadership roles as Associate Director of the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies (1990-2002) and Chairperson of the Department of Sociology (1994-2002). Upon his retirement in 2007, he was conferred the title of Emeritus Professor by the Department.

During his tenure as Associate Director of the Asia-Pacific Institute, Professor Lau spearheaded one of its pioneering research projects, titled “Social Indicators and Social Development of Hong Kong”. The project developed a tailored methodology for systematically collecting and analysing urban data to reveal the city’s underexplored social problems. This initiative yielded valuable insights for both the government and the public, setting a new benchmark for sociological research in Hong Kong. In a groundbreaking move, Professor Lau led his team to conduct field surveys with residents in Kwun Tong. Building on this innovative momentum, his team later partnered with researchers from other universities to establish the only investigative team at the time that gathered time-series data directly from the community.

Professor Lau’s deep concern for Hong Kong society is rooted in the Chinese values of devotion to family and nation shared by traditional scholars. He once articulated this sense of duty, stating:

“I recognise the responsibility and commitment that intellectuals bear toward their country, its people, and society. I firmly believe that intellectuals should serve society with the spirit of ‘to be the first to worry about the nation’s woes; and the last to rejoice upon its prosperity’, all while sharing ‘universal compassion for all beings’. After graduating from secondary school, I set aside my initial plan of studying Chinese language and history at university. Instead, I chose to major in sociology and economics. Through further reflection, I decided to dedicate my academic career to political sociology.” (Preface to Hong Kong’s Constitutional Reform)

This trajectory reveals that Professor Lau’s academic path was again driven by his profound sense of duty to the people, society and the nation. He identifies with Song Dynasty intellectuals such as Fan Zhongyan and Zhang Zai. Zhang’s famous dictum, “universal compassion for all beings”, embodies a spirit of care and empathy for humanity and all things. This very sentiment resonates deeply in Professor Lau’s academic works, including Hong Kong Politics During the Transition Period, The Practice of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ in Hong Kong, and The Political Mentality of Hong Kong People.

The Analects of Confucius states: “The gentleman perfects his way through learning.” Professor Lau is the embodiment of a gentleman. He majored in sociology, became a sociology teacher and contributed to Hong Kong society with his expertise. Before Hong Kong’s return to its motherland, Professor Lau had been playing an instrumental role in ensuring a stable transition by providing strategic counsel to the Chinese government, particularly in the design of the constitutional and electoral systems of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). From 1993 to 1997, he was appointed by the Chinese government as Hong Kong Affairs Advisor, and from 1993 to 1995 as a member of the Preliminary Working Committee for the HKSAR. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress appointed him as a member of the Preparatory Committee for the HKSAR from 1996 to 1997.

Following Hong Kong’s return to China, Professor Lau remained actively engaged in the city’s governance and development, offering policy recommendations to both the Central Government and the HKSAR Government. His official appointments included serving as Head of  the HKSAR Government’s Central Policy Unit (2002-2012) and as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference from 2003 to 2018. From 2013 to 2023, he served as Vice-President of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, and was named its Advisor in 2023.

Professor Lau has long been engrossed in Hong Kong affairs. In analysing local political phenomena, he consistently underscores the importance of focusing on Hong Kong’s uniqueness, rather than indiscriminate applications of Western theories. He maintains that a good grasp of Hong Kong’s democratic development must be anchored in a profound understanding of its distinctive context. To unravel the internal logic of Hong Kong’s political development, he argues, one must place Hong Kong in a long-term historical perspective and examine its position in the international landscape. The rapid transformations of the Chinese Mainland, the Central Government’s policy towards Hong Kong, the colonial experience and the dynamic shifts in the internal power structures of local society should all be taken into account. Consequently, Hong Kong’s democratisation, to Professor Lau, is neither a straightforward extension of Western theories nor a mere adoption of foreign models. Its complexity and singularity call for a localised analytical lens—one capable of capturing the evolution of the city’s distinctive form of governance, which diverges from conventional paradigms to suit Hong Kong’s needs. It is from this foundational perspective that Professor Lau’s analytical approach to societal issues derives its clarity, depth and enduring relevance.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to society, Professor Lau was appointed a Justice of the Peace as early as 1999. He has served the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong people with unwavering dedication and outstanding eminence. As Head of the Central Policy Unit, he led critical policy research and public opinion analysis, offering strategic counsel directly to the Chief Executive, the Chief Secretary for Administration, and the Financial Secretary. For his exemplary public service, he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star in 2012. With a lifelong dedication to the study of sociology and political development, Professor Lau is widely regarded as an authoritative expert on Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong affairs and international politics. For years, he has actively advanced public policy research, while offering insights to strengthen the implementation of “One Country, Two Systems” and to drive Hong Kong’s longterm prosperity and stability. Through his prolific publications and media commentary, Professor Lau has worked tirelessly to deepen public understanding of the policy positions of both the Central and HKSAR Governments. In recognition of these contributions, the HKSAR Government awarded him the Grand Bauhinia Medal in 2024.

Over the past decades, Professor Lau has been a prominent voice in the media, offering summaries and incisive analyses of the Central Government’s policies toward Hong Kong, the governance of the HKSAR, and the domestic and international landscapes facing Hong Kong. Through his thoughtful engagement, he has helped the people of Hong Kong better understand and navigate the changes and challenges. His life and work exemplify the Mencian ideal: “In obscurity a man makes perfect his own person, but in prominence he makes perfect the world as well.” By applying his sociological expertise in the service of the public good, Professor Lau demonstrates a profound commitment to the Confucian principle of “taking the world’s affairs as one’s personal duty”, extending his contributions to the broader community.

In recognition of Professor Lau’s exceptional contributions to society and the political system of Hong Kong, and to The Chinese University of Hong Kong, I respectfully invite Mr Chairman to confer upon Professor Lau the degree of Doctor of Social Science, honoris causa.