A/ProfYongjian Ke

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
I have been researching PPPs since my Bachelor’s thesis in 2005. My contribution to this field has been recognised in bibliometric studies, including being reported as the 7th most influential author in a 2020 analysis, the 2nd most cited author in a 2019 review, and the 4th most productive author in a 2016 global analysis. My work examines PPP mechanisms, risk allocation, and how projects can be structured to achieve public value while remaining viable for the private sector.

Risk Allocation and Management
Risk allocation in China’s PPP projects was the focus of my PhD and remains a core research area. My paper “Preferred risk allocation in China’s public-private partnership (PPP) projects” is widely cited and has supported both academic debate and practical discussion. I continue to study how risk is assigned and managed in practice, with a consistent position that risk should sit with the party best able to manage it, not simply the party with less bargaining power.

Project Management and Governance
My broader research addresses infrastructure project delivery and inter-organisational governance. In recent international collaboration with Prof Ralf Müller and other colleagues, I examined network governance in long-term project collaborations. This stream seeks to test and refine multi-level governance ideas in the Chinese PPP market and to clarify how governance operates across project, organisation, and network levels.

Social Sustainability
I study social sustainability in infrastructure, including PPP projects in aged care. Through PhD supervision and related research, I contributed to a framework for assessing social sustainability outcomes, with stakeholder theory used as a key lens. This work informs how public and private actors can design policy settings, procurement requirements, and contracting practices to improve social outcomes.

Relational Contracting
I conduct joint research on relational contracting to improve outcomes in public construction projects. By comparing views from public owners and private contractors and consultants, I developed a relational contracting framework aimed at practical use in major public projects. This stream links relational practices with contract management and project performance.

Social Media Use in Project Management
I investigate how social media data can support infrastructure project delivery. This includes studies on platforms such as Twitter to track public sentiment and identify operational issues during delivery and operations. The aim is to inform how agencies and project teams can use public signals as one input to communication and issue management.

Social Licence for Infrastructure
With Prof Yong Liu (Zhejiang Sci-Tech University), I am developing a framework to evaluate and improve social licence for NIMBY infrastructure projects in China. This work focuses on social risk, public acceptance, and engagement strategies across the project lifecycle. It aims to support project teams in managing acceptance in a structured way.

Value Co-creation
With Prof Yan Ning (Nanjing University), I study value co-creation in infrastructure projects. This research examines how stakeholders contribute to value across the project lifecycle and how value can be planned, managed, and assessed. This work has been supported by funding from the National Science Foundation of China.

Social Procurement in China
I examine how procurement practices in China can create social value beyond standard delivery objectives. This includes how social requirements are specified, implemented, and assessed through procurement and contract arrangements. The goal is to provide evidence on what works, what fails, and why.

AI Readiness for Projects
I develop an AI readiness framework for construction projects, with attention to the temporary and multi-party nature of project organisations. This stream focuses on project-level conditions for AI adoption, including data availability, team capability, governance, and delivery constraints. It aims to provide a practical basis for diagnosis and implementation planning within projects.