How to overcome problems of economic inequality in Hong Kong

Mr Cheung has been Chief Secretary for Administration since January 2017. He joined the Hong Kong Government as an Information Officer in July 1972. He transferred to the Administrative Service in September 1979 and was promoted to Administrative Officer Staff Grade A1 in September 2004. He had served in various policy bureaux and departments, including the former Finance Branch, the Home Affairs Department, the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Government House, the former Industry Department, the former Trade Department, the Financial Secretary’s Office, the Judiciary and the Central Policy Unit. He became Commissioner for Labour in January 1999, the Director of Education in June 2000 and Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour in July 2002. He was Secretary for Labour and Welfare from July 2007 to January 2017.

Effects on precise poverty alleviation strategy in China and its development plan in future

Abstract

Forty years of the reform and opening of the Mainland have made remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation. Especially since 2013, according to the national strategic goal of building a moderately prosperous society by 2020, the plan of ensuring “all populations in rural areas are lifted from poverty under current standards, poverished counties lose this label, and problems with regional poverty are essentially solved” is a new exploration for modern China in the practice of poverty alleviation. This study will investigate and analyze the development of China’s precise poverty alleviation and top design, objectively and comprehensively evaluate the results it has achieved and new problems, priorities and challenges faced, and project the future direction of China’s development and poverty alleviation.

Professor ZHANG Qi is a professor and the party secretary of the School of Economic and Resource Management at Beijing Normal University. Professor ZHANG has many years of research experience in agriculture land estate development, poverty alleviation and regional economic development. He has chaired about 80 poverty alleviation related research topics in the country and provinces, has published about 30 monographs and presented approximately 300 theses. Professor ZHANG is China’s well-known land policy and poverty alleviation research expert, and the Director of China Poverty Reduction Research Center at Beijing Normal University. The Center is China’s leading think tank in poverty alleviation policy research and is ranked seventh in the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences’ most influential think tank on precision poverty alleviation research.

Poverty in Taiwan: A profile in the new century

Abstract

1. To describe the poverty trend in Taiwan in the new century, including a) poverty rates (as below a half of median disposable income as OECD usually defined) of different family types and age groups, b) Social Assistance Act and Low Income Household and Population.
2. To introduce anti-poverty measures in Taiwan during the global financial Crisis.

Professor Cherng-Tay HSUEH, James is a professor of the Department of Sociology at the National Taiwan University. Professor HSUEH completed his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, US. His research interests are in the area of social stratification, social demography, family, welfare policy and sociology of education. He has written and published a book on the changing population of Taiwan in 2016. He was the Director of the Center for Population and Gender Studies, and the Children and Family Research Center at the National Taiwan University.

Poverty Alleviation Strategy for Elderly Population in Macau

Abstract

Compared with Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Macau is a micro and open economy, so it is more difficult for Macau SAR Government to deliver poverty alleviation strategy.  Despite revenue contraction in the 26 consecutive months from 2014 – 2016, Macau SAR Government still pay attention to build up a sustainable public retirement benefit system, like the sustainability of Social Security Fund (Public Pension System of Macau, the 1st pillar pension system) and the introduction of voluntary saving pension system (the 2nd pillar pension system). The paper is to review the historical development of Social Security Fund and the present public retirement benefit system.  Nowadays, the meaning of poverty alleviation is not just sustainable living, but also development, social inclusion and precision.  In order to deliver “New” poverty alleviation strategy for elderly population, Macau SAR Government studies or implements various measures, like elderly employment, smart healthcare (i.e. electronic healthcare voucher scheme) and pension finance (i.e. reverse mortgage and annuity).  The paper is to use the results of two telephone surveys to explore the feasibility of delay retirement and pension finance, as well as, the development of smart healthcare in Macau.

CHAN, Kin-sun is Programme Coordinator of Master of Public Administration and Assistant Professor of Department of Government and Public Administration, University of Macau, as well as, Chairman of Macau Social Security Society.  He is also Research Fellow of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, besides, Sau Po Centre on Ageing, The University of Hong Kong.

Poverty in Hong Kong: Challenges and Opportunities

Professor Paul YIP is the Associate Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, and the chair professor in Population Health at the university’s Department of Social Work and Social Administration, and Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, the University of Hong Kong. His interests include suicide prevention, population health, poverty research, demography and social policy, and program evaluation. He serves as the secretary general of the Asian Population Association and the research chair of the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong. He was a part-time member of the Central Policy Unit and a member of the Hong Kong government’s Steering Committee on Population Policy. He has published over 400 scientific papers in international journals.

Moderator

Dr. Zhang is a researcher with multidisciplinary background in urban planning, economics, and social work. He has received undergraduate training (BSc and BEcon) in Peking University and postgraduate training (PhD) in the University of Hong Kong. Dr. Zhang has a wide research interest in poverty alleviation, demographic transition, urban studies, and suicide prevention.

香港如何面對貧富懸殊的挑戰

張建宗自2017年1月起出任政務司司長至今。張建宗於1972年7月加入政府，任職新聞主任，1979年9月轉職政務職系，2004年9月晉升首長級甲一級政務官。他曾於多個政策局及部門服務，包括前財政科、民政署、前政務總署、前總督府、前工業署、前貿易署、財政司辦公室、司法機構及中央政策組。他在1999年1月出任勞工處處長，2000年6月出任教育署署長，2002年7月出任經濟發展及勞工局常任秘書長(勞工)。他在2007年7月至2017年1月期間出任勞工及福利局局長。

中國精準扶貧方略實施成效及未來發展趨勢

概要

中國改革開放40年來的扶貧脫貧成就舉世矚目，尤其是2013年以來，按照國家2020年全面建成小康社會戰略目標，確定的「在現行標準下農村貧困人口脫貧，貧困縣全部摘帽，基本解決區域性整體貧困問題」而實施的精準扶貧基本方略，是新時代中國扶貧脫貧實踐的又一次創新性探索。探究和分析中國精準扶貧精準脫貧的演進發展歷程、頂層設計，客觀全面地評價取得成效和面臨的新問題、重點和難點，展望中國未來減貧與發展走向。

張琦教授現任北京師範大學經濟與資源管理研究院書記、教授、博士研究生導師；北京師範大學中國扶貧研究院院長。兼任：中國國土經濟學會理事、全國城市可持續發展標準化技術委員會委員。長期從事農村土地房地產、扶貧脫貧和區域經濟發展研究。主持國家社科基金重點專案《精准扶貧精准脫貧機制路徑和創新模式研究》、教育部重大專案《貧困治理效果評估機制研究》和國家十三五規劃前期研究重大項目《我國扶貧脫貧機制研究》等有關扶貧脫貧等國家和省部委研究課題80多項，出版專著30餘部，發表論文300餘篇。是我國知名土地政策和扶貧研究專家。2018年2月入選由上海社會科學院智庫研究中心發佈的《2017年中國智庫影響力評價與排名》“全面小康與精准扶貧”10大最具有影響力智庫第七名，北京師範大學中國扶貧研究院是我國扶貧政策研究的重要智庫之一。

貧窮在臺灣：新世紀的概況

概要

主要描述2000-2015年臺灣的貧窮現象，包括以OECD國家慣常使用的貧窮率來描述臺灣各類家戶以及人口群的貧窮趨勢。其次，介紹臺灣的社會救助法以及法定低收入戶的狀況。最後，介紹在全球金融危機(2008-2010)時期，臺灣所推出的方案，協助民眾減少落入貧窮的機會。

薛承泰現任國立臺灣大學社會學系教授。薛教授畢業于美國威斯康辛大學（麥迪遜）社會學博士。薛教授關注社會階層與流動、家庭、社會人口學、福利政策、教育社會學等相關問題，是2016年《臺灣人口大震盪》的作者。曾任臺大人口與性別研究中心主任及臺大兒少與家庭研究中心主任。

澳門老年人口之扶貧策略

概要

相對中國內地、香港和臺灣，澳門特別行政區政府要在微觀開放經濟下的澳門實施扶貧策略比較困難。即使由2014至2016年，面臨持續26個月的收入收縮，澳門政府仍然投放精神建立一個可持續性的公共退休福利制度，例如社會保障基金的可持續性（澳門的公共退休金制度，退休金制度的第一支柱）以及自願性供款的退休金制度（退休金制度第二支柱）。講者將回顧社會保障基金的歷史發展及現在的公共退休福利制度。現今，扶貧的意義不只是可持續性的生活，亦講究發展、社區共融和精準。為了向長者人口提供「新」扶貧措施，澳門政府實行不同措施例如長者就業，智慧醫療（電子醫療卷計畫）及退休金財務（安老按揭和年金）。透過兩項電話調查的結果探討延遲退休及退休金財務的可行性，包括智慧醫療在澳門的發展。

陳建新博士是澳門大學公共行政管理碩士課程主任、政府與行政學系助理教授及澳門社會保障學會理事長。陳博士也是香港大學香港賽馬會防止自殺研究中心及香港大學秀圃老年研究中心榮譽研究員。

香港貧窮問題：挑戰與機遇

葉兆輝教授現任香港大學社會科學學院副院長（研究）、社會工作及社會行政學系講座教授，及香港賽馬會防止自殺研究中心總監。主要研究範圍包括防止自殺、人口健康、貧窮研究、人口學及社會政策、與計劃評估研究等。

葉教授在香港亦參與多項公共及社會服務，包括現任香港家庭計劃指導會榮譽顧問、The Asian Population Association秘書長等。並且曾任「防止學生自殺委員會」主席、香港特別行政區中央政策組非全職顧問，對香港人口發展提出策略性意見。葉教授有超過400篇的學術著作於國際期刊刊登。

研究座談主持人

張博士是一位在城市規劃、經濟和社會工作領域具有多方面的學科背景的研究人員。他曾在北京大學接受過本科培訓（BSc和BEcon），並在香港大學完成博士研究生課程。張博士在扶貧、人口轉變、城市研究和預防自殺方面擁有廣泛的研究興趣。