Dr. LAU, Pui Yan Flora 劉珮欣博士

Associate Head and Associate Professor

Personal Website

Contact

Office: Room LC837, Library Complex, Hong Kong Shue Yan University,

12 Wai Tsui Crescent, Braemar Hill, North Point, Hong Kong.
Phone: 21048241
Email: pylau@hksyu.edu

Academic and Professional Qualification

D.Phil. in Sociology, University of Oxford
M.Sc. in Sociology, University of Oxford
M.Phil. in Sociology, University of Hong Kong
B.Soc.Sc. in Sociology, University of Hong Kong

Specialism and Research Interests

Sociology of health
Healthcare policies
Ethnic minorities
Forced migration
Self and identity
Death and illness
Education and employment
Interdisciplinary research

Courses
Course offered in 2023-24
SOC 259          Race and Ethnicity
SOC 337          Criminology
SOC 356          Gender Relations
SOC 358          Poverty, Social Policy and Social Innovation
SOC 401-2       Honours Project

Course offered in previous years
SOC 107          Understanding Sociology         
SOC 405          Social Control
SOC 504          Individualization and the Family
GEC 102          The Struggling Self in the Global Society
 

Selected Publications

  1. Lau, P.Y.F. (2022) Book review for Leisure and forced migration: lives lived in asylum systems, Edited by Nicola de Martini Ugolotti and Jayne Caudwell. Leisure Studies, 41(4): 603-604. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2022.2037153 (Scopus CiteScore 2021: 3.8)
     
  2. Lau, P.Y.F. (2021). Empowerment in asylum seekers regime? The roles of policies, non-profit sector and refugee community organizations in Hong Kong. Journal of Refugee Studies, 34(1): 305-327. (https://academic.oup.com/jrs/article/34/1/305/5613781?guestAccessKey=4ed064cd-3572-4892-89b6-3ae711135a2b) (2021 Impact Factor: 2.966)
     
  3. Lau, P.Y.F. (2020). Fighting COVID-19: Social capital and community mobilisation in Hong Kong. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 40(9/10): 1059-1067. (https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-08-2020-0377) (Scopus CiteScore 2021: 2.5)
     
  4. Lau, P.Y.F. (2020). Bereavement and Loss. In D. Gu and M. Dupre (Eds.), Encyclopaedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_505-1
     
  5. Lau, P.Y.F., & Gheorghiu, I. (2018). Vanishing Selves under Hong Kong’s Unified Screening Mechanism. Cultural Diversity in China, 3(1), 21-35.  https://doi.org/10.1515/cdc-2018-0003
     
  6. Lau, F.P.Y. (2015) Breaking through the Barriers – Ethnic Minority Success Stories and their Implications for Policy Intervention in Hong Kong. Final Report for Funding Programmes of Research Projects on Equal Opportunities 2013-14. Hong Kong: Equal Opportunities Commission. 
    (https://www.eoc.org.hk/EOC/Upload/UserFiles/File/Funding%20Programme/policy/1314/20150707/HKSYU_Report.pdf)
     
  7. Lau. P.Y.F. (2014). Coping with the death of singleton children in China: the role of social capital. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 34(5/6), 401-415. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-06-2013-0065 (Scopus CiteScore 2021: 2.5)
     
  8. Lau, P.Y.F. (2012). Rethinking asset-based community development strategies in post-earthquake China: The role of social capital. Poverty and Public Policy, 4(3), 35-48. https://doi.org/10.1002/pop4.3 (Scopus CiteScore 2021: 0.8)

Research Projects

As Principal Investigator

  1. “How do ethnic minorities cope with cancer in Hong Kong? The role of public health services, social network and religion”, HK$947,631 funded by Research Grant Council (RGC), Faculty Development Scheme (FDS), 2021/22 Competitive Research Funding Schemes for the Local Self-financing Degree Sector, Jan 2022 – Dec 2023.
     
  2. “People without identity: Exploring the social experiences of asylum seekers in Hong Kong”, HK$437,000 funded by Research Grant Council (RGC), Faculty Development Scheme (FDS), 2015/16 Competitive Research Funding Schemes for the Local Self-financing Degree Sector, Jan 2016 – Dec 2017.
     
  3. “The expectation and decision making process for fresh university graduates: the role of social ties”, HK$18,600 funded by Research and Staff Development Committee (RSDC), Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Mar 2014 – Aug 2015.
     
  4. “Breaking through the barriers – Ethnic minority success stories and their implications for policy intervention in Hong Kong”, HK$8,900 funded by Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), Jan 2014 – Jan 2015.


Selected Talks (Since 2022)

  • Invited speaker, ‘Breast and cervical cancer: places to seek help in Hong Kong’, hosted by Social Justice for Migrant Workers on 26th February 2023
  • Panellist of the discussion, ‘The essence of building resilience in the multicultural community’, Ethnic Minorities Multicultural Assembly 2022, hosted by Health In Action on 26th November 2022
  • Invited speaker, ‘Careers in Academia’, St Cross Careers Programme Hilary Term 2022, hosted by St Cross College, University of Oxford on 2nd March 2022
  • Invited speaker, ‘Culture of tourism in Hong Kong: a sociological perspective（從社會學的角度看香港旅遊文化）’, at香港文學文化座談會, co-organized by Departments of Chinese Language and Literature, History and Sociology at HKSYU on 22nd January 2022


Selected Conference Presentations (Since 2022)

  • Lau, P.Y.F. (2023, September). A critical evaluation of cultural competence in medical sector: perspectives of ethnic minority cancer patients and local healthcare professionals in Hong Kong. Paper to be presented at BSA Medical Sociology Conference 2023, University of Sussex, UK. (Online)
  • Lau, P.Y.F. (2023, August). Researching asylum seekers and ethnic minority cancer patients in Hong Kong: some methodological and ethical concerns. Paper presented at Centre for Experimental Social Science, Nuffield College, in partnership with the UNICEF Regional Office for East Asia and Pacific, Oxford, UK.
  • Lau, P.Y.F. (2023, June). Healing through social media: Experiences of ethnic minority cancer patients and survivors in Hong Kong. Paper presented at RC16 Sociology of Health, XX International Sociological Association, World Congress of Sociology. Melbourne, Australia. 
  • Lau, P.Y.F. (2023, June). Surviving detention: how do service providers contribute to social adjustment and integration of asylum seekers in Hong Kong?. Paper presented at Society for Hong Kong Studies  (SHKS) Annual Conference 2023, HK. 
  • Lau, P.Y.F. (2022, December). Mobilizing social capital in times of social distancing: digital communication among ethnic minority cancer patients in Hong Kong. Paper presented at the 23rd Annual Conference of the Hong Kong Sociological Association, Lingnan University, HK.


Other academic activities

  • Academic Assessor, Advanced Diploma in Applied Social Sciences (Psychology/Counselling) and Advanced Diploma in Applied Social Sciences (Corrections), HKU SPACE (Jul 2023 – present)
  • External Examiner, Department of General Education and Language Studies of Caritas Bianchi Colleage of Careers (CBCC) and School of Humanities and Languages of Caritas Institute of Higher Education (CIHE) (Jan 2023 – present)
  • Member of Multidisciplinary Review Panel, New Frontiers in Research Fund 2022 Special Call – Research for Postpandemic Recovery, Canada Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) (May – Dec 2022)
  • Session Co-organizer, RC31 Sociology of Migration, XX International Sociological Association (ISA), World Congress of Sociology. Session title: Migration in Asia – Integration and Cultural Diversity. Melbourne, Australia, 25th June – 1st July 2023
  • Member of Programme Review Panel, HKU SPACE (2022)
  • Editorial Advisory Board Member, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy (2021 - now)
  • External Examiner/ External Academic Advisor, Lingnan Institute of Further Education (LIFE) (2013-2020/ 2020-23)