Dr.Yang’s Visit to Hong Kong and Shenzhen Universities

Dr. Yang visited The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Shenzhen University to reconnect with mentors and collaborators and engage with new colleagues across the Greater Bay Area. These visits created meaningful opportunities to share our lab’s ongoing work on reimagining school-wide social and emotional learning (SEL), exchange ideas around professional preparation and training, and continue conversations related to the Global Classroom Initiative.

Throughout the visit, faculty, students, educators, and school leaders engaged in thoughtful discussions about how school-wide and district-wide SEL can be redesigned, integrated, and scaled across diverse educational systems and cultural contexts. The conversations highlighted the importance of cross-national collaboration in advancing equitable and sustainable approaches to student mental health and well-being.

A particularly meaningful moment was reconnecting with Chun Chen, Dr. Yang ’s first doctoral student, who is now leading the PRAISE Lab at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen. Her work with school districts and community organizations on systemic school-based intervention efforts across the Greater Bay Area reflects the growing impact of collaborative and globally connected scholarship.

The visit to HKU’s Educational and School Psychology program was especially significant. As an undergraduate, Dr. Yang first learned about the field of school psychology through HKU’s pioneering program, the first professional educational psychology program in Hong Kong grounded in school psychology training and service delivery models, and the first ISPA-accredited program in Asia. Returning years later as a collaborator and scholar made the visit a meaningful full-circle experience.