Professor Kathy Kar-Man Shum Associate Professor Faculty of Social Sciences HKU Scholars Hub

“Professor Shum earned her BSc in Human Biology, an MSc in Physiology from the University of Toronto and a PhD in Educational Psychology from HKU. Her research primarily focuses on children’s language and socioemotional development, highlighting the unique challenges faced by children with special educational needs, such as those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She currently serves on the editorial board of an internationally acclaimed journal on autism. Professor Shum is not only an accomplished researcher but also a recognized innovator in teaching. Since 2019, she has served as the Director of the Master of Social Sciences in Educational Psychology program at HKU, the first and only program in Asia accredited by the International School Psychology Association (ISPA). She received the Social Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award at HKU in 2020 in recognition of her excellence in teaching and leadership. Besides being a notable scholar who has a prolific publication in high-impact journals, Professor Shum has made far-reaching impact to the community through extensive collaborations with local NGOs and community organizations. Together with her team, she designed and initiated modular intervention programs and the largest territory-wide project that provided school-based intervention services to over 3,500 students with ADHD along with their families, and direct support to teaching staff across more than 300 primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. Her collaboration with an NGO on a parenting program to support caregivers has garnered the Silver Award and the ‘My Favourite Project Award’ at the Wofoo Asian Award for Advancing Family Well-Being during the CIFA Regional Symposium & MSF Asian Family Conference in Singapore in 2022.”