Professor Robert Li reshaping how academia meets hospitality at Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). Since stepping in as Fung King Hey Memorial Professor of Tourism Management in January 2025,he's pushed the “compleat scholar” idea. It blends cross-disciplinary research with real-world applications.
Li's journey began in public sector,working at Nanjing Municipal Tourism Bureau as destination marketing specialist. Experiences there raised questions about city's image impact on public perception and behavior. This curiosity led him to U.S. for postgrad studies. He wanted to dive deeper into “destination image.”
Li noticed a gap between academia's theories and industry's needs. He set out to close it. Developed long-term research programs. These link projects together,answering theory questions while giving practical tools for scholars and industry pros.
Now, Li runs research initiatives across fields like computer science,psychology,and public health. His tourism and well-being work's been a game-changer. Offers insights for tourism boards and employers on unhealthy vacation norms . Studies also look at travel as “lifestyle medicine,” tackling depression and loneliness in seniors.
Li wants his research to reach wide audience . Stresses communicating findings simply,especially for non-English speakers. Set up a WeChat platform. Turns complex academic work into easy-to-digest stories. Helps Chinese tourism practitioners access research.
After over 20 years in U.S.,Li came back to Asia to apply global insights in an Asian context. He sees CUHK's business school as a unique spot for rigorous tourism education. Closer ties to industry practices than traditional academia .
As tourism,hospitality,and retail sectors merge,Li calls for new perspective. Sees these not as narrow tracks,but where key business concepts meet. This view shapes courses for experience economy.
One big move: MSc in Leadership for Experience Economy, launching this year. Aims to train pros in “hospitality thinking” — openness to diverse views. Within three months of its announcement,over 1,000 applications rolled in. Demand's high.
With AI changing the game,Li wants to nurture talent designing meaningful experiences across industries and cultures. Hong Kong's perfect for this. East meets West here. As China shapes global tourism's future,skills from Li's programs will be crucial…
