Advancing Social Governance
and Sustainability
Social Governance and Sustainable Development Lab
Research Hub
Email:
sgsdlab.cuhksoc@gmail.com
aasiama@cuhk.edu.hk
NEWS
August 2026
🎉 Congratulations to Prof. Jin Sun on Receiving the 2026 ASA Sociology of Development Faculty Article Award!
We are delighted to announce that Prof. Jin Sun, Executive Director of the Laboratory for Social Governance and Sustainable Development, and Prof. Grégoire Mallard have received the 2026 Sociology of Development Faculty Article Award from the Sociology of Development Section of the American Sociological Association.
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The two scholars were selected as co-recipients of the award for their article:
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Sun, J., & Mallard, G. (2025). “Post-neoliberal parallel globalization: The unipolar to multipolar transition in transnational financial orders.” Socio-Economic Review. Advance online publication.
Read the article: https://doi.org/10.1093/ser/mwaf051​
The article examines the transformation of the global financial order from a predominantly unipolar system toward a more multipolar and fragmented configuration, which the authors describe as “post-neoliberal parallel globalization.” It highlights the emergence of parallel financial infrastructures, alternative circuits of capital, and evolving geopolitical alignments that are reshaping the architecture of global capitalism.
The award recognizes the article’s timely and significant contribution to the sociology of development and to understanding contemporary changes in global financial and political-economic orders.
This achievement is a testament to Prof. Sun’s scholarly excellence and highlights the impactful research being conducted at the Social Governance and Sustainable Development Lab.
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Please join us in congratulating Prof. Sun and Prof. Mallard on this remarkable accomplishment!
July 2026
Prof. Jin Sun Receives 2026 Asian Journal of Criminology Best Paper (Honourable Mention) Award with Affiliated Students
We are delighted to announce that Professor Jin Sun, Executive Director of the Laboratory for Social Governance and Sustainable Development, together with his co-authors and our Affiliated Students, Shiyu Gu and Ruotong Su, has received the 2026 Asian Journal of Criminology Best Paper (Honourable Mention) Award.
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The award recognises their article:
Sun, J., Gu, S., & Su, R. (2026). AI‑Empowered Responsive Regulation for Preventing Future Crimes: An Empirical Inquiry into the Regulatory Pyramid to Combat Future Crimes in China and Southeast Asia. Asian Journal of Criminology, 21, Article 8.
This prestigious award honours outstanding scholarly contributions published in the Asian Journal of Criminology. According to the 2026 Award Committee, the study makes an important conceptual and empirical contribution by extending Braithwaite’s regulatory pyramid to the era of artificial intelligence. Drawing on interviews with frontline police officers and digital experts across China and Southeast Asia, the research proposes an innovative AI‑empowered regulatory framework and offers valuable insights into cross-border cybercrime governance and regional cooperation.
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The award was presented during the Asian Criminological Society’s 2026 Annual Conference, held in Penang, Malaysia, from 14–18 July 2026.
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This recognition reflects the Laboratory’s continued commitment to advancing cutting-edge research on crime, technology, governance, and social transformation. We extend our warmest congratulations to Professor Sun, Shiyu Gu, and Ruotong Su on this outstanding achievement.
July 2026
Prof. Hua ZHONG Delivers Keynote Address and Participates in Academic Conferences Across Taiwan, Chengdu, and Shanghai.
We are delighted to share that Prof. Hua ZHONG, Associate Director of the Laboratory for Social Governance and Sustainable Development, recently delivered a keynote presentation at a conference in Taiwan and attended academic conferences in Chengdu and Shanghai.
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The conferences focused respectively on drug-related issues, environmental justice, and social security and governance innovation.
Prof. ZHONG's contributions and participation reflect the Lab's active engagement in academic exchange and its continued commitment to research on criminology, social governance, justice, and sustainable development.
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For details, please refer to the following conference reports:
1. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/7lv0KelEOSviMCYlbclKcg
2. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/EMnOfK3oCUGCLmndeYFI3w
3. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/6dwnpXO1mBZNWZPX-V5I7Q
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June 2026
🎉 Congratulations to Prof. Sun Jin on Being Selected as a Feixiaotong Jiangcun Resident Scholar!
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We are delighted to share that Prof. Sun Jin from the Department of Sociology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has been selected for the inaugural Jiangcun Resident Scholars Programme in memory of Prof. Fei Xiaotong.
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Marking the 90th anniversary of Fei Xiaotong’s landmark Jiangcun fieldwork, this prestigious programme brings together leading scholars from across China to conduct immersive field research in Kaixiangong Village (Jiangcun). As a partnership of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Peking University, and the Suzhou Wujiang government in Jiangsu, the initiative aims to advance rural revitalization, grassroots governance innovation, and sustainable local development through close collaboration between academia and communities.
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Prof. Sun, who serves as Executive Director of the Laboratory for Social Governance and Sustainable Development and Deputy Director of the Public Policy Research Centre at CUHK, will join a distinguished cohort of scholars contributing their expertise to this important national initiative.
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For details, please refer to https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/QLss2BWIhyc4aQqFZF0ZZQ (Chinese version), or (Click HERE for English version)
June 2026
📢New Publication Announcement
We are delighted to share a recently published paper by our Project Coordinator and Research Associate, Dr. Aikins A. ASIAMA, in the Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology:
Asiama, A. A. (2026). Pathways of intention: Narratives of future withdrawal from cyber fraud among Ghanaian youth.
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Read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40865-026-00306-y
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May 2026
📢New Publication Announcement
We are delighted to share three recently published papers on cyberfraud and cybercrimes by our executive director, Prof. Jin SUN:
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Sun, J., Gu, S., Su, R., & Zhang, Y. (2026). A cat and mouse game: How cyberfraud syndicates evade responsive policing by adapting motivational postures in China and the Golden Triangle. Crime & Delinquency. https://doi.org/10.1177/00111287261441240
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Sun, J., Gu, S., & Su, R. (2026). AI-empowered responsive regulation for preventing future crimes: An empirical inquiry into the regulatory pyramid to combat future crimes in China and Southeast Asia. Asian Journal of Criminology, 21, 8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11417-025-09477-x
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Sun, J., & Gu, S. (2025). Responsive policing for cyberfraud prevention: An empirical inquiry into the regulatory pyramid to protect cyberfraud victims in China. Policing & Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2025.2548237
May 2026
SGSD Lab Directors and Student Affiliates Participate in ACCCJ Academic Events at PolyU
On 11 May 2026, members of the Social Governance and Sustainable Development (SGSD) Lab took part in two significant academic events organized by the Academy of Chinese Society of Criminology and Criminal Justice (ACCCJ) at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU).
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Distinguished Lecture by Professor Liqun Cao
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Our Director, Professor Nicole W.T. Cheung (Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology, CUHK), served as the moderator for the distinguished lecture titled "How Incorruptible Are the Police in Taiwan, and What Are Their Correlates?" delivered by Professor Liqun Cao, Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Ontario Tech University, Canada, and Academy Fellow of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.
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Held in GH Podium Annexe, 4/F, Room GH405, PolyU, the lecture presented findings from a first-of-its-kind survey on police integrity in democratic Taiwan, offering valuable insights into how individual and organizational factors shape police conduct.
Postgraduate Workshop — Paper Presentations
Following the lecture, the ACCCJ Postgraduate Workshop (11:00–13:00 HKT) featured paper presentations from emerging scholars across Hong Kong and Macau, with Dr. Liqun Cao as discussant and Prof. Vincent Cheng (PolyU) as moderator.
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We are proud that two SGSD Lab student affiliates from The Chinese University of Hong Kong presented their research:
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Xinyi Shen (CUHK) — "'They Are Not My Clients': Coproduction and Intersectionality between Chinese Female Criminal Defense Lawyers and Their Clients"
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Zariatu Ibrahim (CUHK) — "Digital Competence in Context: Testing the Interplay Between Digital Literacy, Social Bonds, and Cyber Delinquency Among Ghanaian Youth"
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Other presenters included Jiang Wei (PolyU), Mengyi Wang (HKU), and Hou Fong Pat (University of Macau).
A Rare Gathering of Criminologists in Hong Kong
The events concluded with a celebratory luncheon — described by participants as "a rare gathering of criminologists in Hong Kong" — bringing together leading scholars from CUHK, PolyU, HKU, University of Macau, and Ontario Tech University. The gathering fostered meaningful dialogue on the future of criminological research in the Greater China region and beyond.
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The SGSD Lab extends its warm thanks to ACCCJ and PolyU for hosting these enriching events.
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