Li, Zhizhao 李志釗

Li, Zhizhao 李志釗

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology zligx@connect.ust.hk

Welcome to my academic portfolio! I am Eric, a mixologist, a chef, and a Ph.D. student at HKUST, under the guidance of Prof. Pengyu Zhu.

🎓 Research Interests

My research interest is deeply rooted in the intersection of urban policies, big data, and behavioral economics, with a particular focus on electric vehicle (EV) policies and travel behavior. In addition, I am also interested in the electric vehicle overcapacity issue. For the past two years, my primary research has been on pandemic-induced behavioral changes and their potential stickness in a high density urban context. I am now researching how the development of China’s electric vehicle industry will affect the daily travel behavior of rural and suburban residents in the future. I hope to have the opportunity to interact with scholars who share the same research interests!

Quote: “風檐展書讀，古道照顏色（Under the eaves I open the book and read; the ancient Way lights up my face）” from 《正氣歌》（The Song of the Spirit of Righteousness），文天祥 （Wen Tian-xiang, Song Dynasty）

🔥 News

  • 2025.03:  🎉🎉 The paper “Pandemic-era behavioral changes and post-pandemic persistence in the high-density urban context of Hong Kong” co-authored with Prof. Zhu, Yuqing and Jeff has been accepted by CITIES. We assess how the pandemic has modified the behaviors of Hong Kong’s residents and the durability of these changes, by undertaking a demographically representative survey from June to September 2022, with a subsequent follow-up in August 2023. Our findings reveal several pandemic-induced behavioral trends that diverge from existing literature, offering new insights into behavioral change and its persistence. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of emerging norms in the post-pandemic era and enhance preparedness for future public health challenges.
  • 2025.01:  🎉🎉 The paper “Analyzing Determinants of Traffic Violations in a Multi-Cultural Setting: Case of Abu Dhabi” co-authored with Prof. Praveen Maghelal and Prof. Pengyu Zhu has been accepted by Journal of Urban Management. We examined traffic violations in a multicultural context and found that drivers with switching driving licences (without domestic driving test) had a lower frequency of traffic violations.We provide a rationale for adopting a more open driving licence policy in a multicultural city.
  • 2025.01:  One of my most respected professors, Donald LOW, just published his new book “The Price of Zero”, an anthology of essays on the Chinese economy examines the causes and economic consequences of the zero-Covid policy that China pursued during the pandemic Link to know more .
  • 2024.09:  My Office has been relocated to Office C (Room 4336, lift 13-15, HKUST). Welcome~
  • 2024.09:  🎉🎉 My Supervisor, Prof. Pengyu Zhu, ranks 67848 in TopResearchersList, Top 1% Listed Researchers.
  • 2024.07:  🎉🎉 My Supervisor, Prof. Pengyu Zhu, has been recently awarded 5.2 million HKD and conferred the esteemed title of ‘RGC Research Fellow‘, a prestigious recognition from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) under their Research Fellow Scheme (RFS) in support of only the most outstanding scholars in Hong Kong.

📖 Educations

  • 2023.09 - now, Ph.D. in Public Policy, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong.
  • 2021.09 - 2023.07, Master in Public Policy, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong.
  • 2017.09 - 2021.05, B.B.A. in Applied Economics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen.

🎖 Grants and Awards

  • 2023.09, Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS), Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) - HK$1,500,000
  • 2023.09, HKUST RedBird PhD Award, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - HK$40,000
  • 2021.09-2023.07, Academic Excellence Scholarship (GPA 4.094/4.300), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - HK$40,000
  • 2017.09-2021.05, Bowen Scholarship, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen - RMB120,000

📝 Publications

PPR-CEPU
sym

Pandemic-era behavioral changes and post-pandemic persistence in the high-density urban context of Hong Kong

Zhizhao Li, Pengyu Zhu, Yuqing Guo, Jeffrey Chow. Cities

Project: 2021.A7.021.21C

  • Conduct a HKPSSD- based survey on the behavioral changes in Post-Pandemic Hong Kong. Lead in the data collection and data cleansing process. Then, use data collected via the HKPSSD-based survey and structural equation modeling (SEM) to identify the causal relationships between COVID-19 risks.
  • To investigate the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19 on a range of behavioral changes and to understand the role of four major intervening variables, namely access to technology, economic circumstances, stress, and attitudes and values.