Prof Richard M. Walker, Head of the Department of Government and International Affairs and Lee Shau Kee Foundation Chair Professor of Public Administration at Lingnan University, has been given the prestigious Routledge Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM) in recognition of his sustained dedication and outstanding contributions to the field. Prof Walker is the first scholar in Hong Kong to receive this honour, bringing distinction to Hong Kong's academic community and emphasising Lingnan University's international leadership in the discipline.
Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University expressed his sincere congratulations to Prof Walker on this accolade, and said, "In recent years, Prof Walker has actively integrated Computational Social Science with public management research, and established the Governance and Bureaucracy Lab (GOVBUR Lab) at Lingnan University. The Lab examines new challenges, including the effectiveness and governance of artificial intelligence applications in the digital age, embodying the University's special vision of combining a liberal arts education with cutting-edge science. These international partners include several of the world's top 100 universities, such as Duke University, University of Michigan, and New York University in the US, Yonsei University in South Korea, and Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands, which further consolidates our position as a leading research-oriented liberal arts university, comprehensive in arts and sciences, in the digital era."
Prof Walker said he was greatly honoured to receive this international recognition, and that "I believe one of the research endeavours that contributed to this award is a replication project that I led, funded by the Research Grants Council (RGC), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), and the Public Policy Research Funding Scheme of the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit. The project analyses the applicability of Western public administration theories in Asia. Given that university education and research in Asian public administration draw predominantly on Western concepts and often overlook the unique economic, political, social, and institutional contexts in Asia, replicating experimental studies of citizen satisfaction with public services as well as performance indicator data analysis, are essential, and allow us to develop updated theoretical frameworks grounded in empirical findings and to bring Asian data into the global scholarly conversation."
Beyond refining traditional academic theories, Prof Walker has also used big data to examine very large volumes of literature, which show that the research theme of Management Innovation (MI) in public service has itself developed into an independent field of study. He is currently co-authoring a book on Management Innovation in Public Services with Prof Fariborz Damanpour of Rutgers University, to be published by the Oxford University Press. This will be the first academic work to systematically explore the topic, and study how rational and institutional factors shape the development and implementation of management innovation in public service organisations.
To increase Lingnan University's international influence, Prof Walker has founded the GOVBUR Lab, which incorporates perspectives from public administration and political science to focus on dynamic issues such as citizen-government relationships, artificial intelligence, and governance efficacy. The Lab will form partnerships and arrange academic exchanges with the world's top universities, bringing together distinguished visiting scholars such as Prof Wang Yuhua from Harvard University, Prof Meng Tianguang from Tsinghua University, Prof Lü Xiaobo from the University of California, Berkeley, Prof Oliver James from the University of Exeter, and Prof M. Jae Moon from Yonsei University, and further extend Lingnan University's academic influence in international public management research and contribute to consolidating Hong Kong's position as an international higher education hub.
The Routledge Lifetime Achievement Award is presented by the council of the IRSPM. It was first given in 2007, and goes to only one distinguished scholar each year.
Prof Richard M. Walker (right) delivers a keynote speech on his latest research, and receives the Routledge Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 annual conference of the International Research Society for Public Management.
Lingnan University today, 13 April, hosted its University Assembly with guest of honour Prof Arieh Warshel, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry in 2013 and widely recognised as one of the founding figures of computational chemistry. In his lecture Electrostatic Basis of Biological Actions, Prof Warshel shared insights from his decades of research and presented an integrated account of his life’s work, from fundamental physical principles and the laws governing electrons to the construction of the “microscopic world” of biological systems. He further extended this framework to the study and application of biomolecules, and highlighted the role of computational tools and artificial intelligence in advancing medical and pharmaceutical research.
The University Assembly was held in the Chan Tak Tai Auditorium on the Tuen Mun campus. There was an audience of around 600 people, including Lingnan’s senior management, staff, students, and young scholars.
Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, warmly welcomed Nobel Chemistry Laureate Prof Warshel, in honour of his visit to engage with Lingnan students and learn about the University’s latest developments. He said, “Leading scholars are a cornerstone of Lingnan’s competitiveness and help drive the University’s academic development and international exchange. Following Nobel Laureate in Physics Prof Samuel C.C. Ting’s joining Lingnan, we are delighted to host world-class scholar Prof Warshel at one of our signature academic events. This initiative enhances the campus internationalisation, providing faculty and students with invaluable opportunities to interact with outstanding scholars and to advance interdisciplinary inquiry. It not only inspires students to combine frontier research with societal needs, but also facilitates the translation of research outcomes into practical applications that deliver tangible benefits for society and sustainable development.”
In his lecture Electrostatic Basis of Biological Actions, Prof Warshel provided a systematic overview of more than four decades of research on biological reactions. He also shared how his interest in chemistry began. When he first entered university, he was uncertain about his academic direction. Encouraged by a friend who recognised his keen observational ability, he chose to study chemistry, a decision that sparked his lifelong passion for the field.
Prof Warshel is best known for developing multiscale molecular modelling of complex chemical systems, enabling the simulation of biomolecular systems and protein reactions at multiple levels. This work transformed the understanding of biochemical processes and led to his award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2013.
Prof Warshel guided the audience from fundamental physical principles, tracing the development from classical theories such as Maxwell’s equations and energy models to modern computational approaches. He emphasised that the key to understanding the complexity of biological systems lies in translating microscopic electronic interactions into macroscopic dielectric environments. The electrostatic models he pioneered have enabled scientists to calculate electrostatic free energy within proteins with remarkable precision.
These computational approaches have advanced the understanding of enzyme catalysis and the molecular basis of cancer-related mutations. Enzymes, as highly efficient natural catalysts, accelerate reactions not primarily through mechanical strain, but through electrostatic preorganisation that lowers activation barriers. Using the Ras protein (Rat sarcoma protein) as an example, Prof Warshel explained that mutations can disrupt electrostatic balance in GTP hydrolysis (Guanosine Triphosphate hydrolysis), leading to uncontrolled cell growth and contributing to tumour formation.
The influence of electrostatic interactions extends beyond reaction rates to energy transport and macromolecular dynamics in living systems. Processes such as proton transfer within cells and ion transport across membranes are governed by electrostatics. At the molecular level, systems such as ATP synthase (Adenosine Triphosphate synthase) operate under strict electrostatic constraints. These insights have been applied to the study of complex biological processes, including protein folding and cardiac hypertrophy.
Prof Warshel concluded that the missing link between the structure and function of biological macromolecules lies in electrostatic interactions. This highlights the fundamental role of physical principles in biology and underscores the importance of electrostatics in guiding future developments in precision medicine and bioengineering.
During an in-depth discussion session with students and faculty, Prof Warshel encouraged young people to pursue excellence, and integrate knowledge and translate it into a meaningful contribution to society.
Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Prof Arieh Warshel speaks at the Lingnan University Assembly.
The University Assembly, held in the Chan Tak Tai Auditorium on the Tuen Mun campus, was attended by around 600 members of the University’s senior management, staff, students, and young scholars.
Prof S. Joe Qin, President of Lingnan University and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science, delivers opening remarks welcoming Prof Warshel to the campus.
