Personal profile
Biography
I am a scholar of public administration with a focus on citizen-government relationships and the effective management of government. To answer these questions, he draws on lab and survey experimental methods, integration studies and computational social science.
I serve as an Associate Editor at Public Management Review and am or have been a member of the editorial boards of journals including Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Public Administration, Policy and Society, and Public Administration Review. His research has been supported by grants from the Chiang Ching-kou Foundation (Taiwan), the Economic and Social Research Council (UK), Research Grants Council (Hong Kong), Public Policy Research Fund (Hong Kong) and the National Science Foundation (China). I received the 2014 Kooiman Award for Best Paper in Public Management Review, the 2015 Radin Award for Best Paper in Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, the 2019 Louis Brownlow Award from Public Administration Review and the 2025 H. George Frederickson Award for Career Contributions to Public Management Research from the Public Management Research Association (PMRA).
I have consulted for APEC, OECD, UNDP and governments in Hong Kong and the UK. My research impact is also seen through citation. This includes in President Biden’s Financial Year 2023 Budget and the US Budget Guidance for Federal Agencies alongside Swedish legislation, the Portuguese Parliament and agencies including the European Commission, OECD, Office of the European Union, WHO, World Bank and a range of think tanks and governments in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Italy, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, Turkey, UK, and USA (from Overton).
I was President of the Public Management Research Association 2018-2020 (and was a Board Director 2007-2011) and was a Board Member of International Research Society for Public Management (2012-2017).
I am currently the Lee Shau Kee Foundation Chair Professor of Public Administration and Head of the Department of Government and International Affairs, and Director of the Lingnan University Institute for Advanced Study (LUIAS) and the Governance and Bureaucracy Lab of Lingnan University. Prior professorships were held at the City University of Hong Kong (Head of the Department of Public Policy, Associate Dean and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences), University of Hong Kong, and Cardiff University (UK). I have held visiting appointments at Delft University of Technology, Monash University, Rutgers University and Xi'an Jiaotong University and was a Fellow of the Advanced Institute of Management (a research centre of the UK ESRC/ESPRC). He is an elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 13 Climate Action
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SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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(Non-LU) Burdening our brain? Neurological effects of administrative burden ( 加重大脑负担?行政负担对神经系统的影响)
GEORGE, B. (PI), MOYNIHAN, D. (CoI), WALKER, R. M. (CoI) & ZHEN, S. (CoI)
1/01/25 → 31/12/26
Project: Non-LU Projects
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Management Innovation in Public Service Organizations: Adoption, Implementation and Performance (公共服務機構的管理創新:採用、實施與績效)
WALKER, R. M. (PI)
Research Grants Council (Hong Kong, China)
1/01/25 → 31/12/25
Project: Grant Research
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(Non-LU) The effect of red tape on emotions: A comparative replication study (繁文縟節對情緒的影響:一項比較複製性研究)
GEORGE, B. (PI), DECRAMER, A. (CoI), WU, P. (CoI) & WALKER, R. M. (CoI)
1/01/24 → 31/12/25
Project: Non-LU Projects
Research output
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Debate: What is Neuro Public Administration and why is it needed?
GEORGE, B. & WALKER, R. M., 10 Mar 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Public Money and Management.Research output: Journal Publications › Journal Article (refereed) › peer-review
Open Access -
Perceived credibility of performance information: experimental evidence on type and source effects
LEE, M. J. & WALKER, R. M., 7 Apr 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration. 26 p.Research output: Journal Publications › Journal Article (refereed) › peer-review
Open Access -
Tolerating violence: public opinion of anti-government protests and state repression
DONG, B., WALKER, R. M. & LIU, D., 2026, In: Democratization. 33, 2, p. 222-246 25 p.Research output: Journal Publications › Journal Article (refereed) › peer-review
3 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)
Prizes
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2025 H. George Frederickson Award for Career Contributions to Public Management Research
WALKER, R. M. (Recipient), 2025
Prize: Prize (CDCF)
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Stanford's top 2% most highly cited scientists 2024
WALKER, R. M. (Recipient), Oct 2024
Prize: Prize (CDCF)
Activities
- 4 Keynote Speech
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Social Impact of University Rankings
WALKER, R. M. (Keynote speaker)
8 Nov 2024Activity: Talks or Presentations › Keynote Speech
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Social Impact of University Rankings
WALKER, R. M. (Speaker) & CHAN, R. (Moderator)
1 Nov 2024Activity: Talks or Presentations › Keynote Speech
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Public Service Innovation : Types and Process
WALKER, R. M. (Speaker)
29 Oct 2024Activity: Talks or Presentations › Keynote Speech
Press/Media
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香港岭南大学Richard Walker教授来访交流:公共管理中的复制实验研究 Prof Richard M. Walker visits Beihang University
3/04/26
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Corporate News
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嶺大科研|探尋改善政府與市民互動之道 Feature of Prof Richard M. Walker on finding ways to improve government interactions with citizens
2/09/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research / Knowledge Transfer
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嶺大 Richard M. Walker 教授獲 2025 年度公共行政研究職業生涯貢獻獎 Leading Lingnan scholar Prof Richard M. Walker wins prestigious 2025 H. George Frederickson Award for Career Contributions to Public Management Research
21/05/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Achievements & Awards