Prof. Alex HE, Associate Professor of the Division of Public Policy (PPOL), has been honored with the 2023 Best Policy Research Award by the Chinese Policy Scholars Group (CPSG). This prestigious accolade recognizes outstanding contributions to policy research and analysis.

Prof. HE's award-winning paper, "Unpack the black box of pilot sampling in policy experimentation: A qualitative comparative analysis of China's public hospital reform," delves into how governments select pilot sites for large-scale policy experiments, focusing on China's extensive public hospital reform program that involved 200 cities nationwide.

Employing an innovative research methodology, Prof. HE and his co-authors combined Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) with illustrative case studies. Their findings unveiled five distinct strategies in China for pilot site selection, which alternates between favoring sites with good conditions and striving for geographic and economic diversity.

The study's significance lies in its contribution to understanding how governments choose sites for policy experiments, particularly in complex reform scenarios. It demonstrates that pilot selection is more nuanced than previously thought and sheds light on China's approach to managing large-scale policy reforms.

Not only does Professor HE's research advance our understanding of policy experimentation, but it also provides a wealth of knowledge for policymakers and researchers across the globe. The award serves as a testament to the far-reaching impact and significance of his contributions to the public policy domain.

We congratulate Professor HE on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to his continued contributions to the field of public policy research.