From left: Prof Richard M. Walker, Director of LUIAS and Lee Shau Kee Foundation Chair Professor of Public Administration; Prof Arnold B. Bakker, Lingnan Fellow; Prof M. Jae Moon, Senior Lingnan Scholar; Prof Li Donghui, Associate Vice-President (Experiential Learning Projects).
Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, warmly welcomed the two distinguished scholars. He said, “Since its establishment two years ago, LUIAS has brought together 25 world-leading scholars from nine countries and territories, spanning a wide range of academic fields, including artificial intelligence, chemical engineering, mathematics, accounting, and public administration. This has enabled the University to build a sizeable interdisciplinary research platform, further enhancing Lingnan’s research capabilities. The two newly joined scholars are leading authorities in organisational psychology, and public management and digital governance, respectively. Their presence provides our faculty and students with invaluable opportunities to engage with world-class scholars, fostering cross-disciplinary innovation and inspiring young scholars to respond to societal needs in the digital era through an international ‘Liberal Arts + Technology’ perspective."
Prof Bakker is currently Professor of Work & Organisational Psychology at Erasmus University Rotterdam. He is one of the most frequently cited scientists in his field and recognised as one of “The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds” by Thomson Reuters since 2014. In addition to chairing the Center of Excellence for Positive Organizational Psychology, Prof Bakker is a fellow of several international academies and holds visiting professorships in Finland, South Africa, and Slovenia. His pioneering research on the Job Demands-Resources model, as well as his work on burnout and work engagement, has had a profound impact on the development of organisational behaviour research worldwide.
Prof Moon is the Underwood Distinguished Professor and Director of the Institute for Future Government at Yonsei University. He was named by Apolitical, an intercontinental network and learning platform for governments, as one of the world’s 100 most influential people in digital government, and has held numerous national and international leadership roles in public policy, including Co-Chair of Korea’s National Public Data Strategy Committee, and expert member of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI). His outstanding contributions to digital government and public sector innovation are very highly regarded internationally.
During their visit, the two scholars delivered formal lectures and held lengthy academic discussions with the University community. Prof Bakker’s “Fast and Slow Leadership” explored the differences between “fast” and “slow” routes of influence leaders seem to use, and analysed strategies to enhance organisational effectiveness. Prof Moon’s “Reimagining Government in the Age of AI: Opportunities and Challenges of Human–AI Collaboration in the Public Sector” offered an in-depth exploration of the future landscape of human–AI collaboration.
Prof Richard M. Walker, Director of LUIAS and Lee Shau Kee Foundation Chair Professor of Public Administration, noted that the academic expertise of the new members will enrich the University’s academic environment and promote interdisciplinary collaboration. He encouraged all staff and students to seize the opportunity to learn from these brilliant scholars and to raise the University’s academic standards.
