Powersoft

Because information and knowledge grow rapidly in modern society, we need experts from diverse backgrounds to keep up with them. Drawing from the extensive social capital of Powersoft, our team is composed of young talents from different academic backgrounds to provide insight to our clients. Upon the needs of individual projects, we will also invite relevant experts to tailor-make solutions.

Simon SHEN is the chairperson of Powersoft. He obtained his Bachelor degree (Political Science and History) and Master degree (Political Science) from Yale University and Doctor of Philosophy degree from Oxford University (Department of Politics and International Relations). His main research interests include globalization, international relations, terrorism and anti-terrorism, Chinese foreign policy, developmental studies and the Middle East. He is a Research Assistant Professor of Asia-Pacific Studies at Hong Kong Institute, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Vice-director of Asia-European Research Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University and Adjunct Professor of Hong Kong Center, Syracuse University USA. His publications can be found in international journals including Politics, Asian Perspective, Journal of East Asian History, etc. Besides his academic background, he shows a strong interest in community service. He is currently a member of RTHK Television Broadcast Advisory Committee, Hong Kong SARG Central Policy Unit Discussion Forum for Young People Members and the Antiquities Advisory Board.

Leo SHAM is the research director of Powersoft. He obtained his Bachelor degree (Public Policy and Management) from Murdoch University in Australia, and Master degree (Public Administration) from the University of Hong Kong. He also received postgraduate training on public administration in Tsinghua University in China and Murdoch University in Australia, respectively. He is a registered Social Worker (RSW) in Hong Kong. Before taking up his appointment at the Powersoft Consultancy Limited, he served in a civil society think tank, and a listing financial group as researcher and dealer representative respectively. His major research interests include political participation and legitimacy in Hong Kong and comparative public policy. He is currently a member of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre-Hong Kong Mediation Council, and the Hong Kong Political Science Association.

Gary WONG is the research director of Powersoft. He obtained a Bachelor of Social Sciences (General) in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Hong Kong. He is also an M.Phil. (Sociology) holder of the University of Hong Kong with a research focus on work and employment in urban China. Before joining Powersoft, he worked in APCO Worldwide with specialization in public affairs, innovate market and social research, and strategic communications. He was a part-time research assistant of Synovate (China) and previously worked at the Reorganization and Services Group of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. He received a Certificate of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education issued by the Foundation for the Advancement of University Teaching of the University of Hong Kong; and a Certificate in Humanities Study issued by Beijing Normal University. His major research interests include youth policy, employment policy in Mainland China, middle class, cultural identity and radio broadcasting in Hong Kong. He is also an article contributor to Ming Pao Daily, Sing Tao Daily, Hong Kong Economic Journal, Hong Kong Economic Times, Wenweipo, MUSE, Artslink, City Magazine and amPost, etc, with cultural and political commentary as focus.

Joseph LI is the senior researcher (Culture) of Powersoft. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages and Intercultural Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He is also an M.Phil. (Cultural Studies) holder of CUHK with a research focus on the politics of public space in colonial Hong Kong. Besides his strong academic background, he also shows a strong interest in cultural commentary. He is the editor-in-chief of META, a local socio-cultural commentary magazine to introduce and comment on cultural issues on Hong Kong, as well as broaden the discussions to international perspectives. He also contributed regularly to local newspapers and magazines like Ming Pao Daily, Sing Tao Daily, Asia Weekly, Artslink etc.

Jacky FUNG is the senior researcher (Education) at Powersoft. He received a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, from which he acquired ample research experiences. Under the supervision of a professor in Theoretical and Applied Finance Research Group of the Physics Department at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, he conducted a quantitative finance analysis with a physics model, focusing on pricing commodity options. Apart from his past experiences in the science sector, he also previously worked in a non-profit organization, conducting research on Hong Kong’s political issues and Chinese regional governance. Since joining Powersoft, Jacky has actively contributed to various consultancy projects, ranging from polling studies to comparative studies, and his latest research is focused on international relations. He is currently the student of Master of Internal Public Affairs at The University of Hong Kong.

Becky CHAN is the senior researcher (Statistics) at Powersoft. She received a Bachelor of Science in Statistics from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, from which she acquired solid quantitative and qualitative research knowledge through conducting various social science research and market research. With the previous working experience in the Research and Development department of Television Broadcasts Limited, she has gained hands-on experience on statistical information gathering, processing and forecasting. She has also been a volunteer at several non-profit organizations where she has obtained concrete experience on fundraising projects and youth policy research. With extensive involvement in research projects, she is proficient in various statistical software programs, including SPSS, S-Plus, SAS, Minitab and R programming.

Alan TO is the researcher of Powersoft, and the publication officer of Roundtable Publishing. He obtained his Bachelor degree(Integrated Strategic Communication) from City University of Hong Kong. He also received Associate Degree (Media and Cultural Studies in Arts) from the University of Hong Kong. Being an undergraduate, He was a reporter of Student Union Editorial Board and a volunteer in Roundtable. He interviewed celebrities and assisted in holding publishing for Roundtable Publishing, respectively.

Ben KWOK is the chief designer of Powersoft. He graduated from the School of Design of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a Higher Diploma in Multimedia Design and Technology. Ben has earned a number of awards, including Dean’s Certificate of Academic Achievement from the Faculty of Communication of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2006), Outstanding Award in the Exhibition of Hong Kong Students’ Creative Visual Arts Work (2004), the Secondary 7 Best Academic Result in Art and Design (2004), the Most Outstanding Exhibition Board of ‘Nurturing the Future Promotional Board Competition’ (2003) and the Silver Prize in Western Painting of The Youth Painting and Calligraphy for Hong Kong Competition (2003). Before joining Powersoft, he worked as a graphic designer at Crossark Limited. He is proficient in various software programs, including Photoshop, Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Flash, Dreamweaver, 3ds max, Maya, Premiere, After Effects and Java.

Kai-chi LEUNG is the Community Director of Powersoft. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts (Geography) from the Hong Kong Baptist University, M.Phil. in International Studies from the Clark University and Ph.D. in Geography from Minnesota University. His research interest include urban studies, technology and society, Chinese diaspora, globalization and international studies. He is currently a part-time lecturer at Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong and Department of Cultural Studies at Lingnan University. Besides his academic commitment, he also shows strong interest in community participation, including various urban renewal social participation activities. He is also a guest host of radio program at Hong Kong Commercial Radio, regular article contributor of Ming Pao Daily, CUP Magazine, etc.

Benson WONG is the senior consultant (Education) of Powersoft. He obtained his B.Soc.Sci. in China Studies (History) from Hong Kong Baptist University, M.Phil. in Political Studies from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, P.C.Ed. in History education and Ph.D. in Politics and Public Administration from the University of Hong Kong. During 2006-07, he was awarded a Contemporary China Fellowship at National Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu, a postdoctoral fellowship at the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy in Taipei, and then served a visiting scholar in public policy at I-Shou University in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. He is Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Policy and Administration at the Hong Kong Institute of Education and has taught at Chu Hai College of Higher Education, specifically courses in media studies and political studies. He is currently a convener in Roundtable Social Science Society, The Roundtable Community (Social Science Research Network). Since 2003, he has written over 100 commentaries published in Ming Pao, Apple Daily, Hong Kong Economic Times, Hong Kong Economic Journal, Oriental Daily, Ettoday.com (Taiwan), and is a regular contributor of META published by The Roundtable Community, specializing in Taiwan affairs.

YC MAK is the senior consultant (Urban Planning) of Powersoft. He has a strong background in the real estate and property sector. Having worked in projects in Mainland China, South East Asia and Hong Kong, he has gained considerable experience in property investment, project management and real estate asset repositioning. He has previously worked for Gateway Capital Group, Hutchison Whampoa Properties and Davis Langdon & Seah. He obtained his Bachelor degree (Quantity Surveying) from Univesity of Salford, UK, and Master of Business Administration degree from Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Member of Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors. YC is currently working in private equity real estate.

Canny MA is the senior consultant (Urban Planning) of Powersoft. She obtained a Bachelor in Architecture from the South China University, and a Master in Urban Design from the University of Hong Kong. She has extensive working experience in both Mainland China and Hong Kong, and is currently a practicing urban designer. The previous projects that she has previously participated in cover a wide range, from strategic planning, master planning to detailed urban design and control guidelines. She is now working in EDAW Ltd., a leading company in landscape and urban design field which is based in the States. Canny is particularly interested in heritage and conservation issues and she is devoted to relevant social services as well. She is one of the core members of Hong Kong Architecture Centre and a part-time tour guide of heritage tours in Hong Kong.

Edmon CHUNG is the senior consultant (Information Technology) of Powersoft. He currently serves as the Vice Chairman for the Internet Society Hong Kong Chapter, a professional membership society with more than 100 organizations and over 20,000 individual members worldwide. As a dedicated young IT professional, his achievement in the industry was recognized as early as in 2000, when he was selected by The Globe and Mail as a ‘Young Canadian Leader’. He is an inventor of patents that describe underlying technologies for multilingual domain names and email addresses on the Internet. He founded Neteka Inc. in partnership with the University of Toronto Innovations Foundation in 1999, and went on to win the Most Innovative Award in the Chinese Canadian Entrepreneurship Award in 2001. Neteka was successfully acquired by a global industry leader in 2003. He obtained a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Master of Engineering from the University of Toronto. He is also a PhD Candidate of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Enterprise Management.

Hugo CHU is the senior consultant (Economics & Finance) of Powersoft. He served as Executive Committee member at the International Academy of Financial Management (Hong Kong Chapter), a worldwide financial professional organization. Hugo has extensive working experiences in both business and social sectors. Hugo was chiefly involved in wealth management services and corporate financial planning in a Fortune 500 financial institution. He has also worked in different non-profit organizations and think tanks involving on designing marketing and fundraising projects and various social research projects. Hugo is holder of Registered Financial Planner (RFP) and Chartered Wealth Manager™ (CWM™) designations. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Social Policy and Administration from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and is currently a Master Candidate (Finance) of the Michael Smurﬁt Graduate Business School, University College Dublin. Hugo is also the Fellows of International Acedemy of Financial Management (FIAFM™), Ordinary Member of the Hong Kong Securities Institute (MHKSI), and member of Asia Pacific Association of Financial Planning Professionals (APAFPP).

Audrey AU is the senior consultant (Advertising) of Powersoft. She is currently an account manager of JWT Hong Kong. Her key accounts include Freescale Semiconductor (formerly called Motorola Semiconductor) overseeing the APAC, China, Taiwan and Korean markets and a residential development project in Guangzhou developed by Hutchison Whampoa Properties. Before joining JWT, she had worked with Draft FCB in an exclusive team for the Hong Kong Tourism Board, during when she launched the tactical campaign “2006 Discover Hong Kong Year” and worked closely with the Agency network for promotional executions. She has also worked with a local 4As Agency – Freeway Communications since she graduated on accounts of different categories including Samsung Electronics, DTC (DeBeers) and Fidelity. She obtained her Bachelor of Social Sciences (General) from the University of Hong Kong in 2001 with a major in Psychology. She was also awarded the HKU Worldwide Undergraduate Student Exchange Scholarship for a ½ year exchange study in the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.