The Encountering of Life Insurance FDI with a Socialist Market Economy in China: Social Embeddedness, Regional Contingency and Diverse Pathways     Mr LEUNG Wai Cheong     ( Supervisor: Prof G C S Lin ) Abstract: Foreign direct investment (FDI) in emerging economies has become a widespread phenomenon in the contemporary era of globalization. The proposed research aims to broaden the theoretical framework of locational determinants of life insurance FDI in China. Convention

Governing Food Waste in China: Policy Evolution, International Lessons, and Moral-behavioral Gaps in Urban Consumption    Ms LI Tonglu     ( Supervisor: Prof Peter K Koh ) Abstract: Food waste poses a critical global sustainability challenge, with China’s case being particularly severe due to its scale, distinctive consumption patterns, and resource constraints. Despite ongoing policy initiatives, governance effectiveness remains limited by persistent disconnects between p

Hopping on and off the Trails: Hiking Practices and Mobilities in Yunnan   Miss MENG Yiran    ( Supervisor: Prof Benjamin Iaquinto ) Abstract: This thesis is concerned with hiking practices in China’s post-pandemic tourism. Like other outdoor leisure activities, hiking has gained new traction after COVID-19 and become a fashionable way among urban dwellers to embrace a healthy and active lifestyle. Recognising China’s rapidly growing hiking tourism, a small but growing bod

Dust Activities in East Asia in the 21st Century: Trends, Dynamics and Relative Roles of China and Mongolia   Miss PAN Qidi   ( Supervisor: Prof Jimmy Li ) Abstract: Mineral dust, predominantly emitted through wind erosion in arid and semiarid regions, plays important roles in the Earth system by modulating numerous physical, chemical, and biogeographical processes. Dust also exerts significant climate forcing by altering solar and thermal radiation budgets. With extensive

Dissolved Organic Matter and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Headwater Streams Miss LIU Jiao  ( Supervisor: Prof Lishan Ran ) Abstract: Dissolved organic matter (DOM) serves as a critical link between terrestrial and aquatic systems. However, the regulatory mechanisms by which DOM composition and properties influence greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions remains largely unclear, especially under the context of global warming. This thesis addresses two central scientific questions

Effects of Exposure to Urban Green Spaces, Heat Stress and Air Pollution on Mortality Risk: A Geo-Health Perspective      Miss GAN Ziying  ( Supervisor: Prof Wendy Y Chen ) Abstract: As an emerging field, Geo-Health integrates geospatial technologies, (spatial) epidemiology, and health services/resource allocations, with a focus to fight the burden of diseases. A key thread of existing studies attempts to theorize how the spatial structure of neighborhood built environment

The Hidden Shipping Carbon Cost of Extreme Weather: Quantifying the Hydrodynamic Penalty of Hurricane Evasion     Mr LUO Qinrui         ( Supervisor: Prof Bo Huang ) Abstract: Global maritime transport is the backbone of international trade but faces intensifying threats from climate change, particularly the increasing frequency and severity of tropical cyclones. While existing literature focuses heavily on weather routing optimization algorithms, there remains a critical

Assessing Sustainable Yield Potential of China’s Staple Grain Systems     Ms LU Ziqiong        ( Supervisor: Prof Peng Zhu ) Abstract: Ensuring national food security while advancing agricultural sustainability is a critical challenge for China. Addressing this challenge requires spatially explicit quantification of crop yield, soil organic carbon (SOC), and their interactions at field-relevant scales. However, most existing studies assess crop yield and soil properties se

Governance through Urbanisation and Resettlement: Poverty-Alleviation Resettlement and the State Project of Urban Civilisation in Lhasa, Tibet    Mr LIU Langjie       ( Supervisor: Prof Junxi Qian ) Abstract: As a key component of the “poverty alleviation” strategy within the Tibet Autonomous Region’s 13th Five-Year Plan, between 2016 and 2020, 28,900 Tibetan farmers and herders identified as “impoverished households” were relocated to Lhasa. To facilitate the integration

Three Dimensional Building Modeling with LiDAR Point Clouds using Deep Learning  Miss SUI Jialu      ( Supervisor: Prof Hongsheng Zhang ) Abstract: Urban-scale three-dimensional building modeling constitutes a critical technical underpinning for optimizing urban energy allocation, boosting socioeconomic benefits, refining urban planning and governance systems, and advancing smart city development. As a core pillar of smart city construction, Building Information Modeling (

Decoupling Urban Warming from Economic Growth through Land‑Use and Land‑Cover Dynamics: A Multi‑Scale Perspective Mr Li Yiyan     ( Supervisor: Prof Hongsheng Zhang ) Abstract: In the urbanization process of the 21st century, balancing economic growth and environmental issue has become a central challenge for urban construction. Economic growth brings a range of benefits, including increased income, improved social welfare, and enhanced infrastructure. However, it also res

Transportation Equity in Dense Cities: Environmental Burdens and Mobility Benefits  Mr NIU Chenming  ( Supervisor: Prof Junshi Xu ) Abstract: Transportation equity in dense cities is shaped by both environmental burdens and mobility benefits, yet conventional evaluations often obscure how these impacts vary across space, time, and travel modes. This research advances two connected, equity-focused studies that examine how traffic-related emissions and emerging mobility tech

Refining Regional Carbon Emissions Inversion by Integrating Urban-Climate Interactions  Miss ZHOU Wan  ( Supervisor: Prof Yuyu Zhou ) Abstract: High-resolution and timely monitoring of urban greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is pivotal for effective climate mitigation, as cities constitute the dominant source of global anthropogenic carbon. However, traditional "bottom-up" inventories suffer from intrinsic limitations, including multi-year latency, insufficient spatiotemporal

Comprehensive climate mitigation pathways under urbanization  Mr LI Shijie  ( Supervisor: Prof Yuyu Zhou ) Abstract: Climate change, driven by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, is posing a threat to both the natural environment and human society. To mitigate climate change, an increasing number of countries have embarked on climate mitigation actions, making commitments such as energy transformation and net-zero emissions. As an active participant in these efforts, C

Investigating Variation in Space Industry Activities, 2000-2025 Mr BONSOR David James Sam ( Supervisor: Prof Patrick Adler ) Abstract: Space activities are commonly understood to have been dominated by state-led programmes in United States and the Soviet Union during the pioneering stage of the industry beginning in 1950s. Since the early 2000s, as rocket and satellite technologies have become more accessible, economics more affordable, and regulation more amenable, the in

Towards Seamless High Resolution Global Land Surface Parameter Products Generation Mr GUAN Shikang     ( Supervisor: Prof Shunlin Liang ) Abstract: Land surface parameters derived from satellite observations have found broad applications in diverse sectors, including meteorology, agriculture, forestry, and transportation, where they play a critical role in informing development policies. Driven by advances in high-performance computing and the rapid evolution of artificial

Public participation in urban tree health citizen science: an integrated cognitive–environmental framework Ms PENG Chen   ( Supervisor: Prof Wendy Y Chen ) Abstract: The increasing frequency of biotic and abiotic disturbances is directly undermining the health of urban trees and substantially raising the potential risk of economic, social, and environmental losses. It has therefore become urgent to conduct comprehensive and timely monitoring of tree health. As an efficient

Tracking the sources of terrestrial water deficit during drought development from a water balance perspective Mr LIU Rutong     ( Supervisor: Prof Laibao Liu ) Abstract: Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS) constitutes the largest accessible freshwater bank on earth and serves as a critical buffer against hydrological extremes. TWS deficits integrate the cumulative impacts of precipitation deficits and elevated evapotranspiration, providing a more comprehensive and persistent i

Quantifying Knowledge Spillovers from Mobile Scholars Miss ZHANG Zixuan    ( Supervisor: Prof Frank van der Wouden ) Abstract: To what extent does knowledge trickle down? In the economic geography and business literature, a general assumption is that novel knowledge can be accessed by others, by hiring persons who have that knowledge. Yet, surprisingly little empirical evidence exists, while it is central to innovation policies and recruitment strategies. We contribute to

Information Session on MPhil / PhD Admissions 2026-27 Date: 6 November 2025 (Thuday) Time: 15:30-16:30 (HKT) Zoom Link:  https://hku.zoom.us/j/97623559988?pwd=ZXUO3exbOBiERAmfwU4ndtCev7af0T.1 Meeting ID: 976 2355 9988 Passcode: 888866