Participating in the Laidlaw Scholarship has reshaped how I understand leadership, research, and my responsibilities as a global citizen. Through my local psychology research on social media and information seeking, and my upcoming Leadership in Action project with SOS Children’s Villages Nepal, I have explored questions of empathy, ethical representation, access to support, and the responsible use of voice to uplift vulnerable communities. Although these projects take very different forms. One academic and independent, the other cross-cultural and applied. They ultimately address the same core question: how can research and creative action together advance dignity, inclusion, and well‑being for individuals and communities worldwide?
My research project, conducted locally in Hong Kong, investigated social media use and information‑seeking behaviour from a psychological perspective. Carried out largely as an independent study, it allowed me to take ownership of research design, data collection, analysis, and critical interpretation. As I reviewed literature and examined how individuals engage with online information, I became increasingly aware of how digital environments shape understanding, influence decision‑making, and affect mental well‑being. Many challenges in online spaces are not just personal but structural: unequal access to credible information, vulnerability to misinformation, and pressures of digital representation that can distort self‑perception and community connection. Conducting this research encouraged me to think critically about digital systems rather than individual behaviour alone, and about the role that ethical, context‑aware research can play in supporting healthier, more informed social interactions.
However, the Leadership in Action component of the scholarship will allow me to move beyond analytical understanding and engage directly with change in practice. This August, I will travel to Nepal to work with SOS Children’s Villages on the project Making Impact Visible, using photography and videography to document children’s lives, community programs, and care initiatives ethically and sensitively. Where my research explored patterns of information and connection in digital spaces, my LiA project will focus on creating genuine, respectful in-person connections and translating those into visual stories that honour dignity, protect privacy, and amplify the real impact of humanitarian work.
Experiencing both sides of this process has been deeply formative. Research helped me understand how environments shape experience and how representation influences perception, while the LiA project will demonstrate how meaningful change happens through intentional, compassionate, and collaborative action. Conversations about ethical storytelling and child protection can sometimes feel abstract, yet when grounded in careful listening, informed consent, and cultural sensitivity, they become actionable practices that protect and empower communities. This reinforced an important lesson about ethical leadership: meaningful change often emerges through enabling others to be seen safely and fairly, rather than framing narratives from an external perspective.
Throughout the scholarship, I also developed a stronger understanding of leadership as a collaborative and reflective process. Both research and the upcoming LiA require working with people whose backgrounds, expertise, and cultural perspectives differ from my own. In my independent research, I learned to balance self‑direction with discipline and accountability, ensuring rigor and integrity in every stage. For my LiA project, I will collaborate closely with local SOS teams, community members, and other scholars to ensure work is culturally appropriate and child‑centred. Learning to contribute confidently while remaining humble, curious, and open to guidance has been a central part of my growth. Navigating cross-cultural expectations and ethical boundaries requires careful listening, thoughtful communication, and a willingness to set aside assumptions in favour of shared understanding.
Together, these experiences have strengthened my understanding of global citizenship. Global citizenship is not only about cross-border engagement. It begins with respect for human dignity, commitment to equity, and responsibility to those who are less visible or protected. Well‑being, safety, and the right to be seen with dignity are universal concerns, yet access to secure support, fair representation, and compassionate storytelling remains uneven across societies. Addressing these disparities requires leaders who question inherited practices, centre marginalised voices, and collaborate across cultures to create more humane systems. Whether through research that deepens understanding of digital well‑being or visual storytelling that uplifts children’s lives ethically, leadership in psychology and humanitarian communication can contribute meaningfully to broader global goals of equity, inclusion, and care.
Reflecting on the Laidlaw Scholarship as a whole, the most valuable lesson I will carry forward is that leadership is rarely about individual authority. Instead, it is about responsibility: recognising gaps, vulnerabilities, and barriers that others may overlook. Listening deeply to the experiences of those affected; and acting with integrity to create conditions where people can thrive safely and with dignity. As I move forward in my academic and professional journey, I hope to continue building on this work, combining independent research, cross-cultural collaboration, ethical storytelling, and compassionate action to help build spaces, both digital and physical, where empathy, safety, and inclusion are not occasional efforts, but embedded values.