Chan-Hoong Leong

Leong Chan-Hoong, PhD, is Head of Policy Development, Evaluation, and Data Analytics at Kantar Public, a global policy consulting firm that specialises in the government and non-profit sector. Prior to this, he has held positions as Associate Professor at the Centre for Applied Research, Singapore University of Social Sciences (2019-2022), and Senior Research Fellow and Head of Social Lab (2016-2019, Dy Head, 2013-2016) at the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore (NUS). He read a PhD (Psychology) from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (2006), and M.Sc.'s on Statistics (2011) and Applied Geographic Information Systems (2019) from the NUS. His research focuses on immigration, inter-racial relations, national narratives, and human-environment interactions.

Chan-Hoong is a Fellow and elected governing board member of the International Academy for Intercultural Research (IAIR), and he chairs the Rae and Dan Landis Outstanding PhD Dissertation Award Committee. He has served as Consulting Editor for the International Journal of Intercultural Relations (IJIR 2013-15) and Asian Journal of Social Psychology (2018 - now), and Guest Editor for the IJIR 2013 and 2019 Special Issues “Multiculturalism: Beyond Ethnocultural Diversity & Contestations” and "Viewing intercultural adaptation & social inclusion through constructs of national identity", respectively.

He currently serves as a Council member for the National Integration Council in the Ministry of Culture, Community, and Youth, and a panel member of the Community Advisory Panel at the Ministry of National Development .

Chan-Hoong has consulted widely for various government agencies (e.g., defence, education, population), statutory boards (e.g., People’s Association), and international organisations including the Israel Science Foundation and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. He is also the Singapore national representative for the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR).

EDUCATION

• M.Sc. (Applied GIS), National University of Singapore, Singapore (2019)
• M.Sc. (Statistics), National University of Singapore, Singapore (2011)
• Ph.D. (Psychology), Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (2006)
• M.A. (Psychology), University of Queensland, Australia (2001)
• B. Soc. Sci. (Psychology, Hons.), National University of Singapore, Singapore (1997)

AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIP

• Best Poster Award (Application in Substantive Issues), “Using spatial big data to unpack neighbourhood effects on social wellbeing”, BigSurv (Big Data Meets Survey Science) Conference (2020). Sponsored by European Survey Research Association, Statistics Netherland, Utrecht University, and RTI International (US)
• Dan and Rae Landis Outstanding Dissertation, 1st Runners-Up Award, International Academy for Intercultural Research (2007)
• PhD Scholarship, School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (2002 to 2004)
• Joseph Samuel Beaglehole Trust Foundation Travel Award (2003). Awarded by Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

EMPLOYMENT

• 2022 Feb – now: Head of Policy Development, Evaluation, and Data Analytics, Kantar Public
• 2019 Oct – 2022 Feb: Associate Professor, Centre for Applied Research, Singapore University of Social Sciences
• 2009 Feb – 2019 Oct: Senior Research Fellow & Head, Social Lab (till April 2019), Institute of Policy Studies, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
• 2007 Oct – 2009 Jan: Head of Psychology Programme, SIM University (renamed as Singapore University of Social Sciences in 2017)
• 2006 Jan – 2007 Oct: Post-doctoral Fellow, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

• National Representative (Singapore), World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) (2019 – present)
• Elected Board Member, Intercultural Academy for Intercultural Research (2019 - present)
• Fellow, Intercultural Academy for Intercultural Research (2018 - present)
• Chair, Rae and Dan Landis Outstanding Dissertation Award committee, International Academy for Intercultural Research (2018 - present)
• Singapore Psychological Society (2006 – present)
• New Zealand Psychological Society (2006 – present)

CONSULTANCY – GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY

• Panel Member, Community Advisory Panel, Ministry of National Development (2022 - now)
• Council Member, National Integration Council, Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth (2022 - now)
• Panel Member, Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth, National Integration Workgroup on Community (2016 - 2021)
• Advisory Panel, Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth, Youth Conversation (2018 - 2019)
• Advocacy and Research Panel, National Council of Social Service (2014-2016)
• Expert Mentor, Ministry of Education Gifted Education Branch, Humanities and Social Sciences Research Programme (2015)
• Vice-Chairman, Ministry of Community Development, Youth, & Sports, REACH Policy Study Workgroup (Integration) (2010)