BUS News

HKBU School of Business officially launched the seminar series of “Research in Action” on 2 June 2026. The event welcomed around 100 participants from diverse academic backgrounds from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and the Philippines. Held in both physical and livestream formats, the seminar sparked an engaging discussion on governance and public policy with a broad audience.

To begin, Professor Kimmy Chan welcomed Professor Zhang Han, Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Business, for his opening remarks. Professor Zhang highlighted the importance of connecting research with real-world impact and encouraged lifelong learning to discover knowledge. This was followed by a keynote presentation on “The Relationship between Civil Service Salaries and Corruption” by Professor Aris Stouraitis, Professor of the Department of Accountancy, Economics and Finance (AEF); Director of the Centre for Corporate Governance and Financial Policy; Programme Director of MSc in Finance (FinTech & Financial Analytics) (MScFIN (FTFA)).

Addressing a long-standing and complex public policy question—whether higher salaries for civil servants can reduce corruption—the talk explored debates spanning more than a millennium. Professor Stouraitis presented empirical findings drawn from 45 years of data across 90 Hong Kong Government departments, offering two key evidence‑based insights: first, higher civil service pay does reduce corruption; and second, this effect is reinforced when complemented by a strong public perception of anti‑corruption enforcement.

The session concluded with an active Q&A, moderated by Professor Chen Ting, Associate Head (Research) of the Department of Accountancy, Economics and Finance (AEF). Participants contributed thought-provoking questions and new perspectives, while the livestreaming extended the discussion beyond campus.

Bridging research with societal needs, the School is manifesting its impact in knowledge transfer and real-world application. The School of Business community looks forward to presenting more research-driven discussions to international audiences in upcoming sessions.