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We are pleased to announce that our project research has yielded a high-impact academic output, with a new study accepted for publication in the British Educational Research Journal (BERJ) — a Q1-ranked journal and a leading global forum for educational research.
Full Article: https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.70196
About the Research
Funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charitable Trust (HKJCCT), this study draws on interviews and participant observation with 27 non-Chinese ethnic minority (EM) students across 13 universities and colleges in Hong Kong. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the research compares the mental health challenges faced by local and international EM students, examining how their needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness are often undermined in campus life.
Key Findings
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Both Groups: Shared competence-related challenges, including navigating an academic environment that is institutionally insufficiently diverse, alongside general university stressors.
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International EM Students: Reported social isolation, exclusion, loneliness, homesickness, and “fear of missing out” — relatedness challenges specifically tied to displacement.
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Local EM Students: Experienced chronic and deeply rooted ethnic segregation and discrimination within social networks, representing more endemic forms of relatedness thwarting.
Significance
This research contributes to the literature on marginalization and ethnic segregation in non-Western contexts while offering a comparative lens on student well-being in diverse university settings. It highlights the urgent need for tailored mental health support and calls on institutions to enhance campus inclusivity through diversity promotion, targeted resources, and efforts to reduce isolation.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charity Trust for funding the ‘Jockey Club Shining Together with Cross-Cultural Youth Project’. We would also like to thank all of the students who took part in the interviews.
Project Name & Details
The Jockey Club Shining Together with Cross-Cultural Youth Projectis a dedicated, three-year initiative designed to fill this void. Our purpose is to provide culturally sensitive, targeted, and evidence-based support to ensure every young person has the foundation to thrive.
Funder
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charitable Trust
