The Government announced today the reappointment of 59 members of the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit (CEPU) Expert Group.
Among those reappointed is Prof Naubahar Sharif, Head and Professor of the Division of Public Policy at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST).
Prof Sharif hailed the CEPU’s engagement as “extremely valuable” in bridging research and policy-making, highlighting that it helps researchers to understand the requirements of Hong Kong society at large.
For his part, CEPU Head Stephen Wong cited a visit by the CEPU to HKUST’s Institute of Public Policy as an example of the body’s mission to engage with university professors and think tanks striving to convert basic research into outcomes with real societal impact.
Prof Sharif echoed Mr Wong’s perspective, stressing that it can be difficult for the research community to understand the broader requirements of Hong Kong society without the bridging role performed by the CEPU.
He added that this interaction gives all parties an understanding of the level at which the CEPU operates, its vision for strategic long-term policy-making, and how researchers should pitch their work to generate greater impact for Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and the country as a whole.
“Without such direction, I think we are doing great work, but that great work may be a little bit unmoored.”
The CEPU oversees two funding schemes to support public policy research and knowledge transfer. These are the Public Policy Research Funding Scheme (PPRFS) and the Strategic Public Policy Research Funding Scheme (SPPRFS).
Mr Wong praised Prof Sharif’s contributions as a reviewer and his participation in round-table discussions at meetings to kick off or conclude projects under both schemes.
Prof Sharif outlined that he sees his role as a reviewer as being about upholding the high integrity of the process and the scientific quality of proposals, in addition to maintaining the utmost impartiality and objectivity. He added that the biggest contribution made by the project meetings is that they bring the projects to life, enabling a qualitative understanding both of the variety of stakeholders and the depth of impact involved.
“If we did not have those sessions, we would only know about the PPRFS and the SPPRFS from the websites.”
Meanwhile, “Fireside Chat with CEPU Experts” facilitates thematic discussions. Calling these a highlight, Prof Sharif explained that they foster dynamic exchanges among high-level stakeholders.
Mr Wong revealed that the topics covered in fireside chats to date have included educational reform in Hong Kong and the future of China’s economy, while the next one will focus on artificial intelligence.
Prof Sharif elaborated that these sessions create a spark among experts across different fields, allowing legislators, policy-makers, academics and industry participants to interact and collaborate.
“You are bringing together such high-powered individuals and so much intellectual firepower into the same room for one and a half hours or two hours that it is a really powerful process.”
