Prof. LOU, Weiqun Vivian 

Biography

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Professor Vivian W. Q. Lou has been at the University of Hong Kong for more than 20 years and has been the Director of the Sau Po Centre on Ageing since 2015. She is also the professor and the program director of Master of Social Sciences in Gerontology at the Department of Social Work & Social Administration. Originally from mainland China, Vivian Lou came to Hong Kong for obtaining her Master’s degree and PhD of the Department of Social Work & Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong.

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She has published more than 150 journal papers in English, more than 25 journal papers in Chinese, more than 230 conference papers, more than 20 books in English, and more than 15 books in Chinese. She has also been invited to present more than 190 conferences by world-renowned universities and prestigious institutions all over the world. And she has been granted awards by the National Social Science Foundation of China, the Hong Kong Society for the Aged, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Labour & Welfare Bureau of The Government of Hong Kong SAR, and etc.

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Professor Lou has received many academic excellence awards and honours, including Hong Kong Smart Ageing Gold Award (2022), AGESW Career Achievement Award (2019), Associates of Duke-NUS Medical School (2019), Visiting Fellow of University of Southampton (2018-2019), Visiting Professor of King’s College London (2017), King’s/HKU Fellowship (2017-2018): University of Research Committee UURC, Expert of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2017-present), and etc.

Research

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Professor Lou is specialized in social gerontology including psychological and spiritual wellbeing; social support; long-term care; family caregiving; and grandparenting. Family caregiving for older adults with long-term care needs in particular stroke, dementia and/or at the end stage of life; Evidence-based practice on intergenerational solidarity; Social determinants on spiritual / psychological well-being among older adults and/or caregivers; Elderly volunteering; and Smart Ageing.

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Professor Lou’s research on Chinese family caregivers’ mental health and financial impacts were pioneer studies that generated high impact publications. Recently, Professor Lou extended to examine positive and/or resilient capacity of the family caregiving in Chinese context including studying secondary caregivers, social support, roles of domestic helper, effective intervention strategies, and gerontechnology and smart ageing. She also pioneered three mobile applications targeting volunteers, social workers, dementia caregivers, and stroke families respectively.

Teaching

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SOWK2133 Population aging and the controversies

SOWK6193 Social gerontology

CCCH9023 Family and development in modern China

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