Message from the Programme Director

Professor Jiangnan Zhu to Lead HKU's Doctor of Public Administration Program (DPA) program into New Chapter

Hong Kong — Hong Kong — Professor Jiangnan Zhu has been appointed Director of the Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) program at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), effective July 2026. The HKU DPA program is the first and leading professional doctorate in Public Administration in Greater China, preparing experienced leaders to champion effective governance and leadership in a rapidly changing global environment.

Professor Zhu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration (PPA) and an internationally recognized scholar whose research focuses on corruption and anticorruption, elite politics, and public opinion in China. Her pioneering research has reshaped understanding of governance in authoritarian regimes, and she has published extensively in top-tier journals. Her latest monograph, Bribery as a Third Path to Power? Political Selection in China Beyond Performance and Patronage, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2026.

Professor Ming Wen, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, said: "Professor Zhu is an exceptional scholar and academic leader. Her pioneering research on governance and anticorruption, combined with her engagement with governments, NGOs, and international organizations, makes her uniquely positioned to lead the DPA program into its next chapter. We are confident that under her directorship, the program will continue to thrive and attract top professionals from across the region.”

A Steering Committee has been established, comprising Professor Jiangnan Zhu, Professor Kwan Nok Chan, Dr. Xiaoqi Wang, and Professor Patrick Nip. The program has also welcomed several distinguished new supervisors, including Professor Robert Thomson, Professor Lianjiang Li, Professor Kwan Nok Chan, Professor Hui Li, and Dr. Xiaoqi Wang— further enriching its intellectual depth and supervisory capacity. To learn more about current teaching faculty, click HERE.

Professor Robert Thomson, Head of the Department of Politics and Public Administration, added: "Professor Zhu's scholarly contributions are extraordinary, and her dedication to nurturing future leaders is well established. Her recent recognition with the Rosie Young 90 Medal for Outstanding Young Woman Scholar is a testament to her excellence in both research and leadership. I look forward to seeing the DPA programme flourish under her leadership.”