Passing of Dr Antonia Keung

Born in Hong Kong in 1979, Antonia moved to the University of York in 2000, after completing her Higher Diploma in Public Administration & Management at the City University of Hong Kong, to read for a BA in Social Policy. It was the beginning of a very long connection with York. After completion of her BA, Antonia continued on to postgraduate studies at York, all the way up to PhD in Social Policy, which she completed in 2007. Thereafter she held a number of short-term associate positions supporting teaching and research projects in Social Policy at York before securing her first established Research Fellow position in 2008, where she worked on a range of high profile projects, including studies funded by the Cabinet Office, Audit Commission, Children’s Society, British Heart Foundation and the Economic and Social Research Council. In 2013 Antonia secured a teaching position in Social Policy and from then on combined teaching – particularly in specialisms around quantitative methods, child well-being and poverty and inequality - with  her research on major topics including poverty and child well-being.

Antonia’s most recent work on fuel poverty was featured in the Guardian and Child Poverty Action Group and paved the way for a long debate on the impact of fuel price increases for millions of households, resulting in many families and their children experiencing fuel poverty and social insecurity. Antonia’s work provided an early warning on the impacts of rising fuel prices on household incomes and raised awareness that larger families with children, and lone‐parent families with two or more children, are more likely to be experiencing fuel poverty, and exposed the detrimental impact that this can have for children and young people. This work was a key driver in the formation of the University of York’s cross-departmental Cost of Living Research Group. Such was the profile of this work that the UK government Department of Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) made a visit to York in 2023 to draw on the expertise of York researchers. Antonia’s hospitalisation came at a time that her research had particularly significant traction among policymakers. During her brief return to work, she continued her research with the same commitment and enthusiasm. Sadly, time was not on her side.

Antonia published multiple books, articles and chapters. Her research first and foremostly aimed to contribute to wider discussions and policy debates with multiple contributions raising awareness to Hong Kong and UK child poverty gaps and how to address them. Antonia was also a passionate educator foregrounding contemporary research on child poverty and well-being and offering inspiration to final year students to complete their dissertations on relevant topics. Antonia was also a strong advocate and inspiring educator of quantitative research methods contributing to both undergraduate and postgraduate modules. Antonia would also offer her insights to colleagues, invoking great patience and taking a genuine interest in our research. 

For us, her colleagues, Antonia will be remembered for deploying kindness, graciousness and enthusiasm at work. Antonia was a beloved and highly respected colleague and her commitment to child poverty and well-being as well as her personal determination will be inspirational for us all. Our thoughts are with her family, especially her surviving husband and children who she loved dearly.