Professor CY Hoon is an Asia specialist whose work spans research, teaching, and institutional leadership in contemporary social science. He previously served as Director of the Centre for Advanced Research in Brunei and currently heads the International Office at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), where he leads the university’s internationalisation strategy and global partnerships.

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His research lies at the intersection of sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies, with a focus on the Chinese diaspora, multiculturalism, cultural politics, religion, and identity in Southeast Asia. Over nearly two decades, he has worked across academia, policy, and industry, bringing a research-informed perspective to real-world challenges and engaging closely with government and institutional stakeholders.

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More broadly, his work is shaped by a sustained interest in how societies manage diversity—how identities are negotiated, how differences are governed, and how cohesion is built in increasingly complex and interconnected contexts. This perspective informs not only his research, but also his approach to international collaboration, education, and public engagement.

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Professor Hoon has delivered keynote addresses and presented at over 100 international conferences and forums, including platforms associated with UNESCO, the Shanghai Forum, the Sydney ASEAN Forum, the China–ASEAN Think Tank Strategic Dialogue Forum, South East Asia Minister of Education (SEAMEO) Centres Policy Research Network Summit. He is Editor-in-Chief of a book series with Springer Nature and serves on several international advisory boards. His work has been widely featured in television, radio, and print media.

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He is particularly interested in how cultural difference is not merely managed, but made meaningful in shaping the ways societies imagine belonging, order, and their place in a changing world.