The Centre for Civil Society and Governance (“the Centre”), established in December 2002, is the first research centre in Hong Kong dedicated to enhancing our knowledge of civil society.

The Centre focuses on studying the nature, constituents, dynamics, and roles of civil society, particularly its contributions to governance.

It aims to contribute to achieving a sustainable society by developing community-based, innovative solutions to inform policy deliberation and collective actions.

The Centre houses three specialised labs dedicated to different areas of research and action:

• The Non-profits and Philanthropy Lab (NPPL) seek to enhance the resilience, capacity and governance of the nonprofit and philanthropic sector as a means to attain social impact.
• The Policy for Sustainability Lab (PSL) aspires to build the social-ecological resilience to enhance the capitals for sustainability.
• The Social Entrepreneurship and Civic Action Lab (SECAL) strive to understand and foster community-based collective action as a vehicle for utilising human ingenuity, forging reciprocity, and building social capital.

A notable example of the Centre’s impactful work is the sustainable rural revitalisation project at Lai Chi Wo, which has been awarded the prestigious Special Recognition for Sustainable Development in the 2020 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

Bulit on the HSBC Rural Sustainability Programme initiated in 2013 and implemented by the Centre with full support from the Lai Chi Wo Village and HSBC, this project exemplifies the Centre’s commitment to fostering sustainable development through community engagement and innovative solutions.