A Personal Perspective on Doing Good Research Seminar Series – Prof William Hayward: How a Life in Hong Kong Shaped My Career as a Cognitive Scientist

The third session of the A Personal Perspective on Doing Research Seminar Series for the 2025/26 academic year, organised by the School of Graduate Studies of Lingnan University, was held on 26 November 2025. It featured a stimulating talk titled How a Life in Hong Kong Shaped My Career as a Cognitive Scientist presented by Prof William Hayward, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Chair Professor of Psychology, and was attended by about 70 faculty members and students. Prof Hayward has been very involved in Hong Kong for many years, and in his lecture, he discussed insights from his life here, sparking lively discussions among the audience.

A leading scholar in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience, whose distinguished career spans New Zealand and Hong Kong, Prof Hayward examines how people interpret the world through visual information, particularly faces, objects, and shifts of visual attention. By combining behavioural measures with neural activity measured through electroencephalography (EEG) and eye-tracking, he and his team provide valuable information on how the human brain processes visual stimuli.

Prof Hayward has received extensive substantial research funding through the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC), including 14 General Research Funds (GRFs) as Principal Investigator and a Strategic Topics Grant as Co-Principal Investigator. He was also awarded a grant from the Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme in 2025/26 by the RGC. Complementing his research achievements, Prof Hayward contributes actively to the academic community as Associate Editor of the British Journal of Psychology and as a member of the RGC’s Humanities and Social Sciences Panel.

In his talk, Prof Hayward said how much his academic journey and personal experiences in Hong Kong have influenced his research direction and philosophy of science. He began by describing his research on face perception, including studies on “the other-race effect”, a mechanism involved in recognising faces among non-white groups. Drawing on examples from his work in Hong Kong and beyond, he illustrated how environmental and cultural factors shape visual attention and influence the way individuals perceive faces. He noted that his forthcoming RGC fellowship will further new investigations into face perception and cultural diversity in cognition.

Prof Hayward also drew a thought-provoking connection between his scientific interests and his passion for ultramarathon running, explaining how fatigue and endurance during long-distance races have made him appreciate cognition under stress, and how living and working in Hong Kong have enriched both his research and personal growth. He encourages young scholars to pursue their academic goals with curiosity and resilience, and to be open to new experiences.

Du Mukun, an MPhil student in Data Science, was impressed by Prof Hayward's ability to achieve outstanding results as an ultramarathon runner while also serving as Dean, and said “This accomplishment highlights his effectiveness in managing both work and leisure time. Prof Hayward is truly a role model who demonstrates how a personal passion can enrich academic work.”

The A Personal Perspective on Doing Good Research Seminar Series invites senior university management and leading scholars to discuss their research and perspectives. It aims to create a platform for exchange, enabling doctoral students and early-career researchers to engage in in-depth discussion with leading scholars, and draw inspiration from their stories.

The next seminar will be held on 21 January 2026, and features Prof Leng Mingming, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Chair Professor of Operations and Risk Management. He will present “Multi-player Allocations in the Presence of Diminishing Marginal Contributions: Cooperative Game Analysis and Applications in Management Science”, describing his own research experiences and the next wave of research trends, and explaining how cooperative game analysis and management strategies affect human resources.