Dr Michael LAI Ka Wai

Biography

Dr. Michael Lai is currently an Assistant Professor in the Felizberta Lo Padilla Tong School of Social Sciences at Caritas Institute of Higher Education, Hong Kong. He mainly teaches programme planning and evaluation, social innovation and social entrepreneurship, community studies, and social policy subjects.

He received his PhD from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2019, studying the strategies of sharing economy projects towards social transformation. His research areas focus on social enterprise and sharing economy, social transformation, economic sociology, digital sociology, and programme evaluation.

Before joining, he was an assistant professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Education at the University of Saint Joseph, Macao. He has accumulated years of teaching experience as visiting associates since 2012. Apart from academic research and teaching, he has collaboration with the community organizations, non-governmental organizations and social enterprises in Hong Kong and Taiwan for community training and programme evaluation. Prior to academia, he worked in various fields including NGO, think tank and university research institute.

Education

PhD, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

MA (Social Policy and Social Development), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

BA (Social Policy and Administration), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Professional Qualifications / Memberships

EMES International Research Network – Individual Member

Social Policy Association – Member

Teaching

Contextualising Community Study

Project Planning and Evaluation

Social innovation and Social Entrepreneurship

Social Policy Analysis and Advocacy

Social Research Methods  / Social Work Research Methods

Research

Adoption of digital technology among social workers in Macao

Selected Publications

Journal publications and book chapters

• Lai, M.K.W., & Ho, A. P. Y. (in press). Towards building cohesive community: the role of social capital in sharing economy. Social Transformations in Chinese Society
• Lai, M.K.W.,Leung, K.Y., & Leung, C.T.L. (in press). Financing the Welfare State System in Macao, Financing Welfare Systems in Asia, Routledge (Book Chapter, expected to be published in 2021)
• Lai, M.K.W., & Ho, A. P. Y. (2020). Unravelling potentials and limitations of sharing economy in reducing unnecessary consumption: A social science perspective. Resources, Conservation& Recycling, 153, 104546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104546
  [Impact Factor: Q1 and Ranked 11^th out of 274 in the Environmental Sciences in Journal Citation Reports 2020]

• Leung, Z. C. S., Ho, A. P. Y., Tjia, L. Y. N., Tam, R. K. Y., Chan, K. T., & Lai, M. K. W.(2019). Social Impacts of Work Integration Social Enterprise in Hong Kong –Workfare and Beyond. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 10(2), 159-176. https://doi.org/10.1080/19420676.2018.1541007
• 陳錦棠、黎家偉(2016)：社會企業的跨界治理–香港社會企業與營利部門之互動合作關係，輯於官有垣、陳錦棠、王仕圖編《社會企業的治理：臺灣與香港的比較》，（頁155-172），臺灣，巨流圖書公司。
• 陳錦棠、黎家偉(2016)：香港社會企業的治理與社會影響，輯於官有垣、陳錦棠、王仕圖編《社會企業的治理：臺灣與香港的比較》，（頁195-212），臺灣，巨流圖書公司

 Conference

• Lai, M.K.W.(2019). Unravelling sharing economy: Experiences from Hong Kong, oral presentation at 6th International Workshop on the Sharing Economy, 28-29 June, 2019, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
• Lai, M.K.W.(2019). Collective action towards social transformation through sharing commons: case study of a sharing economy project in Hong Kong, oral presentation at 7thEMES International Research Conference on Social Enterprise–"Sustainable development through social enterprise, co-operative and voluntary action", 24-27 June, 2019, Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom
• Ho, P.Y., & Lai, M.K.W. (2018). Sharing Economy in Hong Kong: an innovative strategy towards social transformation?, oral presentation at 5^th International Conference on Social Enterprise in Asia –"Social enterprise and social economy in Asia: Inclusive local community and global civil society", 21-23S eptember, 2018, Ritsumeikan University, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
• Lai, M.K.W.(2016). Constructed social enterprise policy in Hong Kong: role of policy / social entrepreneurs, oral presentation at 6^th International Postgraduate Conference –"Finding Futures in Uncertainties", 22-24 September, 2016, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
• 黎家偉(2016年12月)：香港社企治理與社會發展初探，胡哲生(主持人)，2016第七屆社會企業學術研討會，耕莘文教院。
• Ho, P.Y., & Lai, M.K.W.(2014). Measuring Social Impact of Social Enterprises: Is SROI a promising approach in Hong Kong?, paper presented at 3^rd International Conference on Social Enterprise in Asia –"Searching for Motives, Models and Measurement", 4-6 July, 2014, Yonsei Univesity, South Korea
• Chan, K.T. & Lai, M.K.W.(2013). Development of Social Enterprise in Hong Kong: A Review of Policy Initiatives, paper presented at 4^th EMES International Research Conference on Social Enterprise, 1-4 July 2013, University of Liege, Belgium