【After the Storm】 Is There Still Space for Polling in Hong Kong?
The World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) holds a conference annually, gathering hundreds of public opinion researchers from different countries to focus on the international development of public opinion research. ...Read MoreThis year, President and CEO of HKPORI Robert Chung attended the event both as the President of WAPOR and as a HongKonger. He admitted that during the conference in July, researchers from other places often asked him privately: Is there still space for polling in Hong Kong?
► Hong Kong in the Eyes of the International Community
In 2012, Hong Kong hosted the WAPOR annual conference, the first in Asia. Twelve years later, Chung attended the 77th WAPOR annual conference in Seoul. His personal experiences and the current situation in Hong Kong became areas of interest for researchers worldwide.
Chung observed over the four-day event, “Those who visited Hong Kong 12 years ago might wonder if Hong Kong is different now. Has freedom narrowed? Those who know Hong Kong recently just now have read negative media reports, but they are not too sure.”
Chung responds positively to such concerns, describing polling in Hong Kong as still free, though he acknowledges the city’s vitality and economy have declined. Regarding restrictions in polling, certain topics may touch the “red line,” which is already obvious in the media reports.
► Hong Kong’s Role in the International Community
As a HongKonger in an influential international position, Chung aims to showcase the qualities of Hong Kong people through his actions rather than just explanation. Over his year and a half as the President, he has actively promoted the international development of public opinion research. His diligence astonished WAPOR colleagues, but the growing membership and recognition by the international community have helped them adapt to this work pace.
“Hong Kong’s past international experience and our educational background contribute significantly to the international community,” Chung said, it is the message he hopes to convey. Hong Kong’s strength lies in its global perspective, and universal values should be the city’s guiding principles; only then will Hong Kong remain a part of the world.
► A Scientist’s Belief
With nearly 40 years in public opinion research, Chung concludes that the core value of this field is humanity, emphasising that public opinion research serves humankind. Reflecting on his efforts to advance the development of Hong Kong, WAPOR, and even human history, he found himself eagerly looking forward to a world that transcends borders, though it may seem more like a faith to many others.
(HKPORI’s Editorial)
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2024-08-31
【The Nature of Public Opinion Research: Liberty, Quality, Humanity】
Robert Chung, President and CEO of HKPORI, also serves as President of the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR). He chaired the final day’s roundtable discussion at this year’s WAPOR annual conference, exploring how public opinion research embodies humanistic values. It was one of the three keynote events of the conference. ...Read More
The theme of this year’s conference—The Soul of Public Opinion Research: Liberty, Quality, Humanity—builds on Chung’s speech at WAPOR’s 75th Annual Conference two years ago. “Seventy-five years on, it’s time for a historical review. Personally, I believe public opinion research has three core values: liberty, quality, humanity, with humanity being the most critical,” Chung remarked.
► Freedom to Publish Polls, The Right to Be Heard
At the conference, a keynote speaker addressed the topic of liberty, discussing why and how the freedom to conduct and publish polls should be protected. The speaker pointed out that the role of polls is to ensure people’s voices are heard. Since 1984, WAPOR has been issuing the “Freedom Report,” examining the degree of freedom in conducting and publishing polls worldwide. The 2023 survey found that 36% of countries have government bodies regulating election polls, compared to 30% regulated by professional organisations, and the situation was more pronounced in Africa and Latin America.
Another keynote speaker talked about “quality,” concentrating on the technical aspects of public opinion polling. The speaker emphasised the importance of high-quality polls in measuring true values, noting that quality measures should be accurate, reliable, and valid, allowing for international comparisons.
►The Humanistic Spirit of Public Opinion Research: The Aspiration of Researchers
On the final day of the four-day conference, Chung led a roundtable discussion. He stated, “If Liberty reminds us of all people’s right to be heard, and Quality urges all of us to adopt the highest standards when serving the people, then Humanity must have provided us with the ultimate purpose for upholding Liberty and Quality.” They discussed how opinion research could alleviate human conflict, the relationship between data collection and archiving with humanistic values, and how performing arts might integrate with public opinion research.
Chung believes that the humanistic spirit is the core of public opinion research. Regarding why he emphasises humanity, he shared a reason not explained in WAPOR: “As a HongKonger participating in WAPOR’s work for over 20 years, now as President, coinciding with Hong Kong’s declining trajectory of freedom… I feel the way forward for the people and culture of Hong Kong people is to maintain our international outlook.” As a public opinion researcher rooted in Hong Kong, he hopes to work together with international researchers to serve humankind.
(HKPORI’s Editorial)
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2024-08-24
【Search for History, Serve the History】
The Historical Depth of Hong Kong Public Opinion Research
The World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) held its annual conference in Seoul last month. Twelve years ago, Hong Kong was the first Asian host, marking a significant milestone due to its unique international status. ...Read MoreMore importantly, it was a recognition of the historical depth and research development of public opinion research in Hong Kong.
► The Beginning: Pressure Built up on Day One in 1991
Hong Kong’s first academic public opinion research institution, the Public Opinion Programme at The University of Hong Kong (HKUPOP), was established in June 1991, led by Robert Chung. That same year, the British Hong Kong government held its first direct elections for the Legislative Council. Public opinion polls began then. Chung recalls, “There were already people saying that opinion polling was part of election engineering.” The polls showed democrats leading, and they won almost all the direct-elected seats in September. Public opinion polls, as a scientific tool, gained visibility and caught the government’s attention. This marked the start of Hong Kong’s polling development.
By 2000, during the “HKU Polling Incident,” polls were deeply embroiled in political controversy. Following the incident, HKU’s Council formed an independent committee which confirmed that government pressure on HKUPOP constituted an infringement on academic freedom. HKUPOP’s work continued. Polls continued to reflect social conditions, with polling institutions mirroring another side of societal reality. In July 2019, HKUPOP spun off from HKU with Robert Chung’s retirement, forming today’s Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (HKPORI).
► A Historical Regret: Unfulfilled Deliberative Polling
Robert Chung reflects on the development of Hong Kong’s polling and the unfulfilled dream of Deliberative Polling. Proposed by a Stanford professor, this method involves randomly sampled citizens receiving balanced briefing materials and engaging in discussions with experts or political leaders held by neutral moderators, directly influencing government policies.
Stanford worked with HKU to provide workshops for Hong Kong and Macau researchers. In 2011, Macau conducted deliberative polling on amendments to the Publishing Law and Broadcasting Law, resulting in delaying the latter. However, the fairness of the balanced materials provided was questioned. In Hong Kong, deliberative polling never happened, leaving methodological discussions unexplored.
► History in the Future
Over the past 30 years, Hong Kong’s public opinion research has faced many challenges, with more expected in the future. Yet, internationally, Hong Kong scholars hold positions in WAPOR, present research on Hong Kong polls at annual conferences, and push forward cutting-edge research methods. The future remains promising.
(HKPORI’s Editorial)
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2024-08-17
【Notes from Seoul】Let People’s Voices Be Heard: Using Public Opinion to Resolve Conflicts
At the end of last month, the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) concluded its 77th annual conference in Seoul, South Korea. Founded after World War II, the association has been in existence for three quarters of a century. ...Read MoreThis year’s theme returned to the essence of public opinion research: Liberty, Quality, and Humanity. Hundreds of public opinion researchers from around the world gathered to discuss the current role and impact of opinion polls and how to use innovative methods to interpret them, to let people’s voices be heard.
► The Distance Between Hong Kong and Mega Events
Such mega events have also taken place in Hong Kong. In 2012, when the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (HKPORI) was still part of The University of Hong Kong, WAPOR held its 65th annual conference there, marking its first outside Europe and America. Robert Chung, then Director of the HKU Public Opinion Programme, recalls that the decision to choose Hong Kong followed years of internal discussion, marking a significant step in developing public opinion research in Asia. He described it as a historic breakthrough for WAPOR and Hong Kong, showcasing the city’s uniqueness as an international metropolis through language, transport, and cuisine.
12 years have gone by, can Hong Kong host the annual conference again? Chung, now President and CEO of HKPORI, ponders this. He believes Hong Kong’s freedom has shrunk compared to 12 years ago, leading to government “advice” when touching on certain topics. However, there’s still space for public opinion polls to exist. For instance, publication of election polls are not restricted, and exit polls can still be conducted upon proper application. As a matter of fact, WAPOR held its annual conference in Dubai two years ago, focused on examining the post-war development of public opinion research. Chung, then Vice President of WAPOR, said WAPOR has also considered the local government’s level of openness when it chose Dubai as the conference location.
► Hong Kong’s Role in the World, The Role of Polls Globally
At this year’s conference in Seoul, Hong Kong’s public opinion research was still present. Among the many presentation sessions, scholars from Hong Kong and other countries studied together the elections in Hong Kong, France, Qatar, Kuwait, India, and Mexico, exploring factors influencing voter behaviour.
Chung, now WAPOR president, chaired a roundtable on the last day, focusing on how public opinion research embodies humanity. The session invited German and Hong Kong artists who created the theatre production “100% Hong Kong”, presented the concept of “100% City”, and how they bring polls to the stage and transform numbers into life. Chung concluded by stating that public opinion research ultimately serves humankind.
Upholding the core values of public opinion research is increasingly important amid the complex political situations and rapid technological advancements. Researchers believe that by letting people’s voices be heard, public opinion research can help resolve conflicts. Founded in 1947, WAPOR is one of many international organisations established after World War II, embodying the human spirit throughout history in the quest to prevent future conflicts.
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2023-01-31
Letter from the WAPOR President (January 2023)
……thank you fellow members for electing me to this position two years ago! I will do my best to fulfil my duties, but I will need help from every one of you!
Taking up this position is a real challenge! The whole world is facing unprecedented problems on all fronts. To us in WAPOR, our primary concern shall remain to be professional integrity and quality for the wellbeing of humankind.
In our 75th Anniversary Conference in Dubai, we had the precious opportunity of reviewing our own history, and then ventured into the next 75 years and beyond. Knowledge growth is not linear, so let us aim at achieving more in the next 25 years compared to what we have already achieved over the past 75 years!
In my own soul-searching exercise, I have concluded that there are three core values for WAPOR, namely, Liberty, Quality and Humanity. I explained them in Dubai: Liberty is the right to let people’s voice be heard, it is the right to conduct and publish scientific research on what people think. Quality is the application of scientific methods, the development of professional standards, research techniques among professionals and representatives across different disciplines. Humanity guides us to apply our knowledge to mitigate disasters and conflicts, to promote the common good of humankind. Enhancing Humanity should be our ultimate goal. I consider these three core values to be equally important to our entire WAPOR community, whether at the “central”, “regional” or “individual” level.
In the two years ahead of me, I shall be the number one servant of the WAPOR community. I now appeal to each and every one of you for your continued support of me and WAPOR, so that we can work together to serve humankind based on the core values we believe in.
...Read MoreWAPOR shall not be an organization limited by boundaries, whether geographical, ethnical, cultural, or epistemological. Over the past 75 years, we have developed very successfully in areas of conceptual, methodological, professional, and cross-cultural studies. We shall treasure our achievements, but we shall also break new ground, like the application of advanced technologies, the breaking of barriers between different sciences, and even the integration of science and art. In terms of organization, we shall work closely with our sister organizations around the world, our own regional chapters and country representatives who will be our link with the general membership. We shall promote diversification and bottom-up initiatives in different areas and domains of WAPOR development, rather than homogeneity and top-down directives.
Our common mission, after all, is to let the voice of the people be heard. For this purpose, people should not be divided, and we ourselves should not be divided. I personally look forward to seeing a borderless world united by a common humanity, one day, and I will use the next 100 days to be a period of intensive consultation and consolidation. Let us work together for a better world!
Mao Zedong’s merits and demerits were split 70-30, according to Deng Xiaoping in 1980. Deng Xiaoping’s own split was also 70-30, according to surveys conducted by the POP Team in February 1997. We do not have any data on Jiang Zemin.
In February 1997, the POP Team summarized Hong Kong people’s appraisal of the merits and faults of modern Chinese leaders, including Deng Xiaoping, Zhou Enlai, Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai Shek, with figures obtained in 1995, 1996 and 1997. Now we don’t have any. Is it a loss? We leave it to the historians.
Do we need these conclusions? This is a question for historians, but for the basis of such conclusions, opinion researchers may be able to help. However, history is constantly being rewritten, and public opinion is always on the change, so the questions of when is the best time and what is the best conclusion cannot be easily answered.
...Read MoreChina’s first emperor has died for more than 2,000 years, the appraisal of his rule is still inconclusive. Scientists recently announced that DNA samples collected from Greenland permafrost can be traced back to 2 million years ago. They had the samples 16 years ago, but could only wait until now for technology to advance.
The same is true for our team. The conditions are not yet mature and the risk is not yet released, there is no rush to conclude any research. We will preserve the data as much as we can, just like scientists preserving their DNA samples, in order to facilitate future research.
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