This year’s recipient of both the President’s Award for Outstanding Performance in Teaching and for Outstanding Performance in Research, Early Career category, Dr Chrysa Keung Pui-chi is making significant strides in early childhood education both as an educator and a researcher. As Assistant Professor at the Department of Education Policy and Leadership, Dr Keung specialises in educational inequality, parental involvement and teacher development. Her recent research focus has shifted to leadership practices, play-based learning and positive education within early childhood studies.
Well-versed in using large-scale data to investigate educational transitions and pathways, Dr Keung is leading projects that range from exploring the professional agency of Hong Kong kindergarten teachers who work with socio-economically disadvantaged children (2025-2026) to analysing university teachers’ conflicting priorities in assessment in the age of GenAI (2025). Her commitment to understanding the intersections of leadership, teacher agency and educational outcomes places her in a key role in influencing the future of early childhood education.
As a teacher, Dr Keung recognises the importance of listening to and understanding her students’ needs. She values collaboration and enjoys engaging graduate students as teammates and partners, rather than just students. Reflecting on her experience at EdUHK, she says she is “Consistently inspired by the self-awareness and originality” of her Gen Z students. “There’s much I can learn from their inquisitive and innovative spirit,” she adds.
