Prof. Kara Chan, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong
Prof. Kara Chan is a Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University. She holds a PhD in Psychology from City University of Hong Kong and has extensive academic qualifications, including degrees in communication, applied statistics, digital marketing, and divinity. With a career spanning academia and professional practice, she has served as Associate Dean, Department Head, and visiting professor at institutions in Europe and the U.S. Her research interests include advertising, youth and media, and consumer behavior. Prof. Chan has received numerous awards, including recognition among the world’s top 2% scientists by Stanford University.
Publication Profile
Orcid
Google Scholar
🎓 Educational Background
Prof. Kara Chan possesses a rich and diverse academic background that spans multiple disciplines. She earned her PhD in Psychology from City University of Hong Kong in 1997, with a dissertation focused on mass media and environmental protection. She holds an MPhil in Communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (1984) and an MSocSc in Applied Statistics from the University of Hong Kong (1989). Additionally, she completed a BSc from the University of Hong Kong in 1982. Expanding her expertise, she obtained a Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing in 2017 and a Master of Divinity from Rockbridge Seminary in 2024.
💼 Academic and Professional Experience
Prof. Kara Chan has had an extensive academic career at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), serving as Associate Dean (2019–2025), Head of the Department of Communication Studies (2010–2013), and Professor since 2005. She also held visiting professorships at Aarhus University, Alpen-Adria Universitat, and Copenhagen Business School. A Fulbright scholar at Bradley University (1999–2000), she previously served as Associate, Assistant Professor, and Lecturer at HKBU. Her professional background includes roles as a statistician for the Hong Kong Government (1987–1993), marketing communication specialist, and media planner at leading firms like Ogilvy & Mather and J. Walter Thompson
🏅 Awards and Honors
Prof. Kara Chan has received numerous accolades for her scholarly excellence and teaching impact. She was named among the World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University (2022–2024) and won the 2024 Emerald Literati Award for Outstanding Paper. Her recognitions include the Grand Prize at the 2021 Peking University Blended Teaching Contest and multiple Emerald Literati Awards. She received the President’s Award for Research Supervision (2018) and Scholarly Work (2006, 2014) at HKBU. Prof. Chan is also a Fulbright Scholar (1999) and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2019). Her contributions span research, teaching, and knowledge transfer.
🔬 Research Focus
Prof. Kara Chan’s research primarily centers on media influence, consumer behavior, youth studies, advertising psychology, environmental communication, and health communication.Her studies often explore the impact of mass media, celebrity endorsements, and advertising on adolescents’ materialism and social comparison. She also investigates green marketing, environmental attitudes, and behavioral segmentation among consumers. Additionally, she contributes to interdisciplinary research in public health, digital media use, and cross-cultural marketing. Her work merges psychology, marketing, and communication studies, reflecting a broad but integrated approach to understanding how media shapes societal values and individual decision-making.
Publication Top Notes
📘 Mass communication and pro-environmental behaviour: waste recycling in Hong Kong – Cited by 527, 🗓️ 1998 ♻️
📘 Impact of celebrity endorsement on brand image among Chinese adolescents – Cited by 437, 🗓️ 2013 🌟
📘 Market segmentation of green consumers in Hong Kong – Cited by 378, 🗓️ 1999 🌿
📘 Materialism and social comparison among adolescents – Cited by 377, 🗓️ 2007 👥
📘 Social comparison, imitation of celebrity models and materialism among Chinese youth – Cited by 237, 🗓️ 2008 📺
📘 Parent‐child communications about consumption and advertising in China – Cited by 237, 🗓️ 2003 👨👩👧
📘 Environmental performance measurement indicators in construction – Cited by 231, 🗓️ 2006 🏗️
📘 Consumers’ response to offensive advertising: a cross-cultural study – Cited by 223, 🗓️ 2007 🌍
📘 Perceived effects of ICT use on employee health and stress (Austria & Hong Kong) – Cited by 220, 🗓️ 2015 💻🧠
📘 Low-dose metronomic chemotherapy: a systematic literature analysis – Cited by 220, 🗓️ 2013 💊
📘 Use of internet and traditional media among young people – Cited by 205, 🗓️ 2007 🧑💻
📘 Environmental attitudes and behaviour of secondary students in Hong Kong – Cited by 202, 🗓️ 1996 🏞️
📘 Obstetric ICU patients: a 10-year review – Cited by 171, 🗓️ 2010 🏥