Prof. Jesus Alfonso Daep Datu (Jess) is Professor in the Department of Special Education and Counselling. He is a well-being scientist with research programmes encompassing positive psychology, gifted education and talent development science, inclusive education, and STEM education. He is Director of the Science of Happiness and Positive Education (SHAPE) Lab at The Education University of Hong Kong. Prior to joining the EduHK, he served as Associate Professor of Guidance and Counselling and Gifted Education and Director of the Centre for Advancement in Inclusive and Special Education in the Faculty of Education at The University of Hong Kong. To date, he has published over 150 journal articles, 10 edited book chapters and 4 newsletters. He also has strong research funding portfolio, amounting to over HK$21.8 million from external and internal funding agencies as a principal investigator, co-investigator, or collaborator.

Professor Datu has received the Tom Oakland ISPA Outstanding Scholar Awardfrom the International School Psychology Association, the Michael Harris Bond Award for Early Career Contributions from the Asian Association of Social Psychology, the Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science, and the Dennis McInerney Self-PhD Award from the Global SELF Research Network. Additionally, he has been listed in The World’s Top 1% Researchers Based on Scientific Impacts Across All Disciplines since its first release in 2020.

Currently serving as Editor-in-Chiefof the International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, Professor Datu also sits on the editorial board of other reputable journals such as School Psychology International, Psychology in the Schools, Gifted and Talented International, Gifted Education International, Journal for STEM Education Research, and The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher.

• Positive psychology
• Gifted education and talent development science
• Inclusive education
• STEM learning

• Gifted education
• Inclusive education

• Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology (Sept. 2025 – present)
• Editorial Board Member, Gifted Education International (Jan. 2026 – present)
• Associate Editor, Psychology in the Schools (July 2025 – present)
• Editorial Board Member, Gifted and Talented International (May 2025 – present)
• Editorial Board Member, Journal for STEM Education Research (May 2025 – present)
• Editorial Board Member, The Asia Pacific Education Researcher (Mar. 2025 – present)
• Consulting Editor, Japanese Psychological Research (May 2024 – present)
• Co-Editor,Journal of Happiness Studies (July 2020 – present)
• Senior Associate Editor, School Psychology International (June 2021 – present)
• Editorial Board Member,Asian Journal of Social Psychology(January 2021 – present)
• Associate Editor, International Journal of Disability, Development, and Education(July 2020 – present)
• Editorial Advisory Board, Philippine Journal of Psychology(July 2020 – present)
• Editorial Board Member,School Psychology (February 2020 – present)