Missions

 

The Center for Applied Economic Social and Environmental Research (CAESER) at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, previously operating under the title Center for Applied Social and Economic Research (CASER), was inaugurated in December 2009. The rebranded CAESER reflects an expanded commitment not only to the rigorous quantitative analysis of social and economic issues but also to the critical exploration of environmental factors and their concomitant effects on public well-being within Hong Kong and mainland China.

This expansion into environmental research domains is a response to the escalating importance of sustainable development and environmental concerns in policy-making and academic discourse. CAESER aims to integrate environmental considerations such as resource usage, ecological impact, and climate change into its comprehensive assessments of human welfare implications. The center's pioneering work has been underpinned by notable initiatives such as the Hong Kong Panel Study of Social Dynamics (HK-PSSD), the region's first household panel survey, which was supported by the RGC-CPU Strategic Public Policy Research funding from 2009 to 2014. Through interdisciplinary research, CAESER is dedicated to providing insights that will guide policy decisions towards promoting economic growth, social advancement, and environmental sustainability.

 
                      Prof. Pengyu ZHU
                      Director of Center for Applied Economic Social and Environmental Research, HKUST