Kerry Group Professorship in Public Policy

Professor Kenneth Wong holds The Kerry Group Professorship in Public Policy and is the Director of the newly established School of Governance and Policy at The University of Hong Kong (HKU).

Governmental actions affect how society functions, how the market operates, how human progress continues, and how people and nations work together to solve new challenges.  Professor Wong has conducted systematic research to examine the role of governmental actions in promoting economic growth, quality of life, policy innovation, and social and education progress.  His research differentiates governmental actions in different levels of the governing system, as well as benchmarking effective policy and practice across national and local systems.  Given the complexity of many policy challenges, Professor Wong is keen on collaborating with scholars and practitioners across different disciplines and policy domains.

Professor Wong has conducted extensive research in public policy and governance. His research has received support from the national Science Foundation, the Institute of Education Sciences, the Bloomberg Philanthropies, British Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and several foundations. He has authored or co-authored several books, including The Education Mayor: Improving America’s Schools. His co-authored book on the administrative presidency and federalism in the U.S. won the outstanding book award of the National Academy of Public Administration.

Professor Wong’s research has contributed to policy improvement.  He served as an advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Interior and the U.S. Secretary of Education on issues pertaining to Native Indian social and education progress. He was a key author of a report that included recommendations on these issues that received broad support.   

Professor Wong was a key architect of a data-informed education funding allocation system in the State of Rhode Island in the U.S.  The allocation system has been fully implemented by three governors from different political parties.  An independent assessment in 2020 ranked the Rhode Island school funding system the 4^th best among all fifty states on measures of equity and adequacy.

Further, Professor Wong’s research on mayoral governance in social and education policy has significant impact in large cities across the U.S.  Large city mayors have used Wong’s research to improve management and governance of their school systems, the largest spending item in the city budget. These policies have improved the quality of life and educational outcomes for children and youths in urban communities.

Before joining the faculty in HKU, Professor Wong was the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Professor of Education Policy, Professor of Political Science, and Professor of International and Public Affairs at Brown University.  He previously was on the faculty at Vanderbilt University and the University of Chicago.  He earned his BA. MA, and PhD at the University of Chicago.  He is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration in the U.S.