“It is essential to push research to the forefront as rigorous empirical studies should inform educational and social policy relevant to children and their families.”

Nirmala Rao

PROF. NIRMALA RAO

Ph.D., C. Psychol., FPBS, FHKPS

Nirmala Rao is Professor Emeritus, The University of Hong Kong (HKU). Until July 1, 2026, she was the Serena H C Yang Professor in Early Childhood Development and Education, Chair Professor of Child Development and Education, and Director of the Consortium for Research on Early Childhood Development and Education (CORE) in the Faculty of Education at HKU.

Her work lies at the intersection of early childhood education and developmental psychology, with a focus on child development and preschool quality across Asia. Her interdisciplinary research also demonstrates that girls’ education is a foundational driver of intergenerational well-being, with measurable effects on child development. Her work appears in leading journals and has earned international awards. Since 2022, she has been listed among Stanford University’s top 2% of scientists worldwide in the social sciences. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Early Childhood Research Quarterly and serves on the editorial board of premier journals. Committed to knowledge exchange, she has served on numerous non-profit and professional boards. She has also regularly provided expertise and consultancy to UNICEF, UNESCO, the World Bank, the OECD, and the WHO. She also has extensive senior management experience at HKU.