Undergraduate student from APS wins top prize in international public policy case competition

Nicole Guan Yanxi, a third-year student of the Bachelor of Social Science Education (Honours) (Greater China Studies) programme from the Department of Asian and Policy Studies, won the top prize at the 2021 Tsinghua International Case Analysis Competition of Public Policy on Sustainable Development Goals. Organised by Tsinghua University’s School of Public Policy and Management, it is one of the most prominent international academic competitions in the field of public policy.

Held between April and August 2021, the competition was organised to encourage students from different countries, cultures, universities and professional backgrounds to focus on public policy issues related to sustainable development, and to stimulate them to develop academic analytical skills and critical thinking abilities by discussing complex and real-life scenarios. The competition was divided into two categories: an undergraduate student division, and a master student division.

This year’s competition was highly competitive, with a total of 147 students from 53 reputable universities and colleges from around the world forming 49 teams to join the competition. These higher institutions included EdUHK, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, The London School of Economics and Political Science, and the University of Michigan.

Nicole formed a team with a student from New York University and conducted a case study entitled “Sham Shui Po is the New Brooklyn: Could New Cultural Industry and the Original Community Coexist?”. Nicole’s team, named Eruri, was one of the 13 undergraduate student teams that made it past the first two rounds of selection and entered the final competition held on 21 August 2021. Team Eruri won the first prize of the undergraduate student competition and was highly praised by the jury, receiving a cash prize of US$3,000.

The team was mentored by Dr Fox Hu Zhiyong, Associate Professor of the Department of Asian and Policy Studies, who provided strong guidance and support. He said, “I am glad that our student performed so well in a major competition. The Bachelor of Social Science Education (Honours) in Greater China Studies programme explores development, governance and policy issues with a particular focus on the Greater China region. It equips students with the skills to identify and solve complex social problems within the context of Greater China. By participating in international competitions like Nicole, students can gain valuable opportunities to hone the knowledge and skills they have learnt here.”