Bingqin Li is Professor of Social Policy at the Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW Sydney. Her research focuses on social policy and governance, particularly how communities, governments and service systems respond to unmet social needs resulting from social changes and complexity.

A central theme of her work is the development of practical forms of coordination and community self-organisation before formal institutional arrangements are established, and how these arrangements are subsequently recognised, supported, scaled, absorbed or displaced by governments and service systems. She has developed this research across ageing and community care, migration, housing, volunteering, disability inclusion, health and mental health, poverty reduction, minimising gambling harm, social protection, urban governance and digital transformation.

Her research is comparative, with particular expertise in China and Australia. She has led and contributed to major research projects funded by the Australian Research Council, NHMRC, international research councils, governments and international organisations. She has advised the WHO, World Bank, UNICEF, UNESCAP, UNRISD and other public bodies.

Professor Li is Co-Editor of Urban Governance. She also serves on the editorial boards of Social Policy and Society, Poverty and Social Justice, the Journal of Chinese Sociology and China City Planning Review. She is also a member of the advisory boards of Social Policy & Administration, Housing Studies and Environment & Urbanisation. She is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Australian Social Policy Association.