Professor Jiangnan Zhu to Lead HKU’s Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) program into New Chapter
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 internationally recognized scholar whose research uniquely integrates 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 Robert Thomson, Head of the Department of Politics and Public Administration, remarked: “Professor Zhu’s scholarly contributions are excellent, 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.”
Professor Ming Wen, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, stated: “Professor Zhu is an outstanding scholar and academic leader. Her innovative research on governance and anti-corruption, along with her extensive engagement with governments, NGOs, and international organizations, uniquely positions her to guide the DPA program into its next chapter. We are confident that, under her leadership, the program will continue to flourish and attract top-tier professionals from across the region.”
Along with the new directorship, a Steering Committee has been established to provide strategic advice to the program. In addition to Professor Zhu, the Steering Committee comprises distinguished members such as Professor Kwan Nok Chan, Professor Patrick Nip and Dr. Xiaoqi Wang. The program has also welcomed several renowned scholars as new supervisors, including Professor Robert Thomson, Professor Lianjiang Li, Professor Kwan Nok Chan, Professor Hui Li, Dr. Xiaoqi Wang, and Professor Jiangnan Zhu. The strong supervisor team will further enrich the program’s intellectual depth and supervisory capacity. To learn more about current teaching faculty, click HERE.
