EurekAlert! News by Subject: Social & Behavior - Home

Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 26-Oct-2026 11:16 ET (26-Oct-2026 15:16 GMT/UTC)

From soil to sound: HKU exhibition reimagines Hong Kong’s rural traditions through contemporary art

The University of Hong Kong
Meeting Announcement

An innovative and artistic showcase breathing new life into a 300-year-old Hakka village officially opened yesterday (17 June) in Central. Organised by The University of Hong Kong’s Centre for Civil Society and Governance (HKU-CCSG), the contemporary exhibition marks the culmination of the 9-month artist incubation programme, “Celebrating Traditional Wisdom Through Art.”

HKU solidifies elite global standing, ranking 11th place in QS World University rankings 2027

The University of Hong Kong
Grant and Award Announcement

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has solidified its position in the highest echelons of global higher education, securing the 11th spot globally for the second year running in the QS World University Rankings 2027, announced by the global higher education analytics organisation Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) on 18 June. By retaining this historic high, HKU firmly cements its standing as a premier institution both globally and locally, leading the city’s higher education sector as a beacon of academic excellence and global impact.

HKU showcases leadership in language education through successful CAES Conference 2026

The University of Hong Kong
Meeting Announcement

The Centre for Applied English Studies (CAES) at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), in association with the Association of Hong Kong Language Centres (AHKLC), hosted the conference “Innovations in Language Education: Advancing Pedagogy, Practice and Research” from 2 to 3 June 2026 at the HKU Lee Shau Kee Lecture Centre. The two-day Conference brought together more than 300 participants from the eight UGC-funded universities and around the world. It provided a dynamic platform for academic exchange, professional learning, knowledge sharing and international collaboration.

Liquid biochar fertilizer could help farmers grow more with fewer nutrient losses

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new field study published in Biochar shows that liquid biochar mineral complex fertilizers can substantially improve pasture yield, nutrient balance and farm-level economic returns, offering a promising pathway toward more efficient and sustainable fertilizer use.

Journal: Biochar

Women negotiate as effectively as men – but leave people happier

Cornell University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Men and women achieve similar economic outcomes in negotiations, but female negotiators foster stronger interpersonal relationships, which lead in turn to greater satisfaction with the result and a greater desire to negotiate with that woman again in the future, according to new research co-authored by Cornell University.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Researchers discover how our brains react to surprise

University of Sydney
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Australian researchers have uncovered what happens behind the scenes in our brain when we’re faced with a predictable situation versus a surprise, giving vital clues in a long-standing mystery in neuroscience.

Journal: JNeurosci

Study finds social determinants of health can match or exceed genetic risk in predicting common diseases

The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai shows that social determinants of health—including environmental conditions, health behaviors, access to resources, and social well-being—can play an equally important or even greater role than genetics in predicting a person’s risk of developing common diseases. Published in the June 22 online issue of The American Journal of Human Genetics [DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2026.05.014], the study, titled "Integrating Social Determinants of Health and Genetic Risk in Disease Risk Models," examined how inherited genetic risk and social, behavioral, and environmental factors interact to influence disease risk across diverse populations.

Journal: The American Journal of Human Genetics