Bio

Ray Poon is a policy researcher with expertise in regional economic development and Hong Kong–Mainland relations. He currently serves as Assistant Director at the Shanghai-Hong Kong Development Institute, a joint initiative of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Fudan University. He is also Co-convenor (Research) at Path of Democracy and an Honorary Research Fellow at the Institute of One Country, Two Systems and Basic Law at Jinan University. His work bridges academia and policy, fostering cross-sector collaboration between universities and think tanks to translate research into impactful, real-world applications.

Dedicated to cultivating future leaders in governance, Ray is the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Academy of Politics and Public Policy and formerly served as Convenor of Youth IDEAS. He actively brings diverse community voices into the policy arena, striving to chart new directions for Hong Kong’s development.

As a community practitioner, Ray is committed to broadening public access to academic knowledge. He is a Governor at EduTion Network, Executive Director of the Hong Kong (International) Aerospace Charitable Foundation, and Advisor to the Hong Kong Joint School Foreign Affairs Association. He designs and leads interdisciplinary public education initiatives that promote policy sciences and global literacy across all segments of society.

With a passion for youth empowerment, Ray currently serves on the Steering Committee of Yan Oi Tong Youth Space and as Vice President of the Youth Committee of the International Association of Chinese Traders. He has previously contributed to the YES Youth Academy Committee of Yan Oi Tong, the Youth Service Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, and served as President of the Hong Kong 200 Association. Ray believes that young people who pour their heart and passion into serving Hong Kong will brush colour into the city’s future.

He holds a BBA in Economics from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and an MSc in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.