Lecture by Prof. Jin Chan in the 50th talk of the “Tan Lark Sye Lecture Series”
The 50th session of the Tan Lark Sye Lecture Series, organized by the Institute of International Education and the Tan Lark Sye Institute of New Era University College (NEUC), was held on 27 May. The session featured Professor Dr. Jin Chan from University of Greenwich, as the guest speaker, delivering a lecture titled “From Social Phenomena to Rigorous Research: Designing Social Inquiry”. The lecture was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Teoh Hee Chong, from Institute of International Education, and attracted more than 110 participants. In the lecture, Prof. Chan began with the concept of “social phenomena,” analyzing how such observations can be effectively constructed into researchable questions, and further emphasized the importance of formulating high‑quality research questions.
Prof. Chan has over 30 years of experience across industry and academia, having worked in environmental consulting and renewable energy sectors in Europe and Asia. He graduated from the University of Cambridge, where he was a Shell Chevening Scholar and a Cambridge Commonwealth Dorothy Hodgkin Doctoral Scholar. He is currently a professor at the University of Greenwich, responsible for research output evaluation, and serves as a research member of the Cambridge Energy Policy Research Group (EPRG).
His research spans sustainable development and the circular economy. He has published nearly 100 works, including more than 20 articles in SSCI/SCI journals, and serves as editor and editorial board member for several international journals. Prof. Chan has led and participated in numerous international research projects, including EU-funded programs, the UKRI Newton Fund, projects under the British Academy, as well as China’s national social science and natural science foundations. He is also a reviewer for the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
During the lecture, Prof. Chan discussed situating research questions within appropriate theoretical frameworks and identifying underlying assumptions that may influence research outcomes. He emphasized that researchers must recognize the intrinsic logical relationship between theory, research questions, and methodology to ensure rigor, academic contribution, and overall research quality.
Following the lecture, participants and moderator actively engaged with the speaker during the Q&A session, raising questions related to research design, theoretical construction, and interdisciplinary approaches. The exchange further strengthened the institution’s mission to advance academic research and foster cross‑disciplinary collaboration.
