BS (Stanford); MA, PhD (University of California at Berkeley); Hon DSocSc (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology); Hon Doc (Soka); Hon LLD (Waseda); Hon Doc Management Science (National Central University); Hon Doc Economics (Fudan University); Hon LLD (The Chinese University of Hong Kong); Hon Doc Social Sciences (Lingnan University); Hon Doc Education (University of Macau); Fellow, Econometric Society; Academician, Academia Sinica, Taipei; Honorary Member, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Academician, International Eurasian Academy of Science
Ralph and Claire Landau Professor of Economics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Professor Lawrence J. Lau received his B.S. degree (with Great Distinction) in Physics from Stanford University in 1964 and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1966 and 1969 respectively. He joined the faculty of the Department of Economics at Stanford University in 1966, becoming Professor of Economics in 1976 and the first Kwoh-Ting Li Professor in Economic Development at Stanford University in 1992. From 1992 to 1996, he served as a Co-Director of the Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University, and from 1997 to 1999, as the Director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. He became Kwoh-Ting Li Professor in Economic Development, Emeritus, at Stanford University upon his retirement in 2006. From 2004 to 2010, Professor Lau served as Vice-Chancellor (President) of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. From 2010 to 2014, he served as Chairman of CIC International (Hong Kong) Co., Limited. Since 2007, Professor Lau has also been serving as Ralph and Claire Landau Professor of Economics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Professor Lau specialises in economic development, economic growth, and the economies of East Asia, including that of China. In 1966, he developed the first econometric model of China. He has authored, co-authored, or edited seventeen books and published more than 210 articles and notes in international professional journals.
He is a Member of Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi, a Fellow of the Econometric Society, an Academician of Academia Sinica, Taipei, a Member of the Conference for Research in Income and Wealth, an Overseas Fellow of Churchill College, the University of Cambridge, an Honorary Member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and an Academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences. Professor Lau was awarded the degree of Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa, by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 1999, the degrees of Doctor, honoris causa, by Soka University and Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, by Waseda University in 2007, the degree of Doctor of Management Sciences, honoris causa, by the National Central University, Taiwan in 2010, the degree of Doctor of Economics, honoris causa, by Fudan University in 2011, the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, by The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2014, the degree of Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa, by Lingnan University in 2020, and the degree of Doctor of Education, honoris causa, by University of Macau in 2021.
Professor Lau was a member of the 11th and 12th National Committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference from 2008 to 2013 and from 2013 to 2018 respectively, a Vice-Chairman of the Sub-committee of Population, Resources and Environment from 2010 to 2013, and a Vice-Chairman of the Sub-committee of Economics from 2013 to 2018. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) Finance Institute. In addition, Professor Lau also serves as a member of the Currency Board Sub-Committee of the Exchange Fund Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, a Non-official Member of the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, a Non-official Member of the Board of Directors of the Hong Kong Investment Corporation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange, Taipei. He also serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director of AIA Group Limited, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, and Far EasTone Telecommunications Company Limited, Taipei.