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TZID:Asia/Hong_Kong
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251125T123000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251125T133000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260228T095327Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102954Z
UID:97929-1764073800-1764077400@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Survival of the Strongest: How Iron Technology Led to the Founding of the First Unified Chinese Empire in 221 BCE
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\nWe analyze whether and how iron technology drove political consolidation in pre-imperial China (770–221 BCE) using the China Archaeological Database (CADB)—689\,943 grave goods from 98\,020 sites. Dividing the era into eleven 50-year subperiods\, we construct a state-level proxy for its quantity of iron weapons and estimate panel and instrumental-variable models linking lagged iron weaponry to subsequent state outcomes: territorial expansion\, and survival. States with greater prior iron-weapon prevalence were more likely to win wars\, expand territory\, and avoid conquest; the effect of iron technology is robust to controls for agricultural productivity\, terrain ruggedness\, waterways\, population proxies\, and iron ore reserves. Based on woodland availability and distance to nomadic threats\, the IV exercise confirms the baseline effect of iron technology to be causal. Additionally\, we find that bronze weapons and iron farming tools do not consistently have a significant impact on a state’s territorial expansion and survival. In some cases\, their effects even show signs opposite to that of iron weapons. Therefore\, persisting with old technology or applying new innovations in non-battlefield contexts did not necessarily enhance a state’s offensive or defensive capacity. Mechanism tests show that resource-mobilization and other state-capacity challenges posed by iron weaponry stimulated state building—policy reforms\, county formation\, and broader elite recruitment\, which set the rival states apart and led to the eventual outcome of the Qin winning to form the first empire. \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKERSenhao HU is a PhD student in the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IHSS) at The University of Hong Kong. He has a keen interest in understanding the relationship between violence and state-building in historic China. \n\nABOUT THE SERIESThis series aims to introduce a wide range of cutting-edge research in various disciplines and areas. If you have any questions about this webinar\, would be interested in giving a talk\, or would like to be removed from this mailing list\, please contact Professor Ghassan Moazzin (gmoazzin@hku.hk). \n\nLight refreshments will be served for registered participants attending the seminar in person.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/survival-of-the-strongest-how-iron-technology-led-to-the-founding-of-the-first-unified-chinese-empire-in-221-bce/
LOCATION:201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Interdisciplinary Research Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-18.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251118T123000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251118T133000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260228T100513Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102954Z
UID:97940-1763469000-1763472600@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Cooking the Barbarians\, Conquering the Forest: Lanten Yao Spiritual Warfare at the Margins of Chinese and Tai Polities
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nThe Lanten Yao 藍靛瑤 of what is now northern Laos historically lived at the margins of three socio-political systems: the Chinese empire\, Tai polities (müang)\, and the forest. As they migrated into the region\, they engaged in cosmological warfare with the forest to conquer their land\, a conquest that engaged a pantheon of militarized deities. Lanten ritual experts mirror the Chinese Emperor’s ceremonies for pacifying borderlands\, yet they also invert this metaphor\, placing themselves at the center of the socio-cosmos. This presentation will explore this ongoing cosmological warfare as it plays out in three ritual spaces: the human body\, the village\, and the temporary altars known as the Celestial Yamen. We will conclude by considering how this tradition offers insights for understanding inter-ethnic and international relations in a multi-polar world. \n  \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKERS \nJoseba Estevez is a social anthropologist and Research Assistant Professor at the “Asian Religious Connections (ASIAR)” cluster of the HKIHSS\, HKU. Building on more than a decade of immersive fieldwork among the Lanten Yao (Mun) communities in northern Laos’s Luang Namtha Province\, Estevez’s research explores how Daoist cosmology and ritual shapes the social life of local communities. His recent research also investigates the local impacts of major infrastructure projects such as the Laos–China Railway\, the development of Smart Cities\, Special Economic Zones\, and the broader dynamics of international cooperation agencies in mainland Southeast Asia\, especially Laos and Thailand. \nDavid A Palmer (PhD\, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes\, Paris) is a Professor of anthropology jointly appointed by the HKIHSS and the Department of Sociology of HKU. He is the President of the East Asian Society for the Social Scientific Study of Religion and convenor of the HKIHSS “Asian Religious Connections” research cluster. He currently coordinates collaborative research projects on Daoism among the Yao ethnic minority in the China-Vietnam-Laos borderland\, and on religious and socio-cultural entanglements between China and countries of the Belt and Road Initiative. \n  \n\nABOUT THE SERIES \nThis series aims to introduce a wide range of cutting-edge research in various disciplines and areas. If you have any questions about this webinar\, would be interested in giving a talk\, or would like to be removed from this mailing list\, please contact Professor Ghassan Moazzin (gmoazzin@hku.hk). \n\n  \nLight refreshments will be served for registered participants attending the seminar in person. \n\n\n 
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/cooking-the-barbarians-conquering-the-forest-lanten-yao-spiritual-warfare-at-the-margins-of-chinese-and-tai-polities/
LOCATION:201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Interdisciplinary Research Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-21.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251113T053000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251113T190000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260228T102936Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102955Z
UID:97957-1763011800-1763060400@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Fostering Sustainable Growth and Family Unity: A Fireside Chat with Mr Mahesh Harilela
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nHong Kong is a nexus for business families over the world\, with some families celebrating generations in the vibrant community. In this iteration of the HKU Family Wealth Series\, the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (“IHSS”) is honoured to have invited Mr Mahesh Harilela to share his perspectives on how his family with as many as 165 members in Hong Kong ensure that the family’s values and business ethics are sustained generation after generation. Guest moderator Ms Pauline Yeung will guide the fireside chat\, which promises to offer an enlightening look at how families in Hong Kong think about time\, place and people. \n  \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKER \nMahesh Harilela is an entrepreneur and philanthropist\, well-respected within the vibrant business community of Hong Kong. As a member of the renowned Harilela family\, he has contributed to the diverse portfolio of the Harilela Group\, which spans hospitality\, real estate\, finance\, and more. In particular\, the group owns and operates 15 hotels globally\, including Hong Kong’s Holiday Inn Golden Mile and the London and Hong Kong-based brand The Hari. \nMahesh’s insights and actions have had a profound impact on the Harilela Group’s operations and strategic direction. His work supports the group’s ventures into new areas like renewable energy\, agriculture\, advanced technology\, and NewSpace Economy\, thereby contributing to the Harilela family’s legacy of innovation and global engagement. \nMahesh also actively participates in the Harilela Family Council\, where he plays a crucial role as Convenor in areas such as preserving the family’s heritage\, shaping family governance policies\, and supporting the development of the family office. He also launched the Harilela 100 Talk Series at the Harilela Mansion that celebrates the diversity\, openness\, and cosmopolitan nature of Hong Kong through insightful discussions. \nMahesh’s contributions reflect his deep commitment to both his family’s legacy and the broader community\, showcasing his influence in fostering sustainable growth and family unity. Through his involvement\, he helps to ensure that the values and business ethics of the family – which has as many as 165 members in Hong Kong – are maintained and passed down generation after generation.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/fostering-sustainable-growth-and-family-unity-a-fireside-chat-with-mr-mahesh-harilela/
LOCATION:G01\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:HKU Family Wealth Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-27.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251111T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251111T120000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260228T103425Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102955Z
UID:97963-1762858800-1762862400@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Religion\, Secularism\, and Love as a Political Discourse in Modern China
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\nWhat is the meaning of love in modern Chinese politics? Why has ai (love) been a crucial political discourse for secular nationalism for generations of political leaders as a powerful instrument to the present day? This book offers the first systematic examination of the ways in which the notion of love has been introduced\, adapted\, and engineered as a political discourse for the building and rebuilding of a secular modern nation\, all the while appropriating Confucianism\, Christianity\, popular religion\, ghost stories\, political religion\, and their religious affects. The insights of this exploration expand not only the discussion of the role of emotions in the project of Chinese modernity\, but also the study of affective governance and religious nationalisms around the world today.\nABOUT THE SPEAKERGuo Ting studies religion\, politics\, and gender in transnational Asia. She is currently Assistant Professor of Cultural and Religious Studies\, Chinese University of Hong Kong and incoming Assistant Professor of Language Studies\, University of Toronto. She is the book reviewer editor for the Journal of the American Academy of Religion and a Diversity and Equity Committee representative for the Association for Asian Studies. She co-hosts a podcast called 時差 in-betweenness (@shichapodcast).\nABOUT THE SERIESThis series aims to introduce a wide range of cutting-edge research in various disciplines and areas. If you have any questions about this webinar\, would be interested in giving a talk\, or would like to be removed from this mailing list\, please contact Professor Ghassan Moazzin (gmoazzin@hku.hk).\nLight refreshments will be served for registered participants attending the seminar in person.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/religion-secularism-and-love-as-a-political-discourse-in-modern-china/
LOCATION:201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Interdisciplinary Research Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-28.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251104T123000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251104T133000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260228T123226Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102955Z
UID:97975-1762259400-1762263000@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:“Middle Women Rising (zhongnü jueqi)”: Framing Gendered Spiritual Empowerment in Contemporary China
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nBeginning in late 2023 the notion of “nine purple li fire trend (jiuzi lihuo yun 九紫离火运)” started to emerge on various Chinese media platforms. The trend (yun 运) is a temporal unit of twenty years from 2024 to 2043 during which the Chinese world enters the final stage in the cosmic cycle of “Three Phases and Nine Trends (sanyuan jiuyun 三元九运)”. The popular articulation of “nine purple li fire” is closely tied to the predicted rising (jueqi 崛起)\, or awakening (juexing 觉醒)\, of middle women (zhongnü 中女) during these twenty years. According to the Book of Changes (Yijing 易经)\, the eight trigrams can be mapped onto a traditional household in which the li trigram is the “second daughter” (zhongnü\, same characters as “middle women” in Chinese). The category of zhongnü\, however\, has been widely interpreted as middle-aged women (zhongnian nüxing 中年女性) in their thirties\, who became increasingly visible in mediascape to advocate both spiritual and social empowerment. This proposed study engages in postcolonial feminist discussion by examining the social construct of “middle women” both on social media platforms and in offline spiritual/religious spaces. “Empowerment” in this case is not framed as a socio-political activism for gender equality but concrete ways in which female subjects make sense of their everyday experiences and life projects anchoring a cosmic pattern of rising femininity envisioned by the “nine purple li fire trend”. \n  \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKER \nWang Yang is a PhD student in Anthropology in the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IHSS) at The University of Hong Kong. His research interests encompass urban anthropology\, modern Buddhism\, gender studies\, and volunteerism. His previous works examine temple-centered urban redevelopments in mainland China. For his PhD project\, he studies with volunteer communities within Buddhist temples and tries to understand the intricate intersection between gendered experiences in a broader societal context and the religious practices of female volunteers at these temples. \n  \n\nABOUT THE SERIES \nThis series aims to introduce a wide range of cutting-edge research in various disciplines and areas. If you have any questions about the Interdisciplinary Research Seminar or would like to be removed from this mailing list\, please contact Professor Ghassan Moazzin (gmoazzin@hku.hk). \n\n  \nLight refreshments will be served for registered participants attending the seminar in person.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/middle-women-rising-zhongnu-jueqi-framing-gendered-spiritual-empowerment-in-contemporary-china/
LOCATION:201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Interdisciplinary Research Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-32.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251028T123000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251028T133000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260228T123747Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102955Z
UID:97981-1761654600-1761658200@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:The Curse of Lu Ban: Rumors of Carpenter Sorcery\, 1350–Present
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nIn 1375\, Emperor Hongwu\, sitting in a newly constructed hall\, reportedly heard strange noises on the roof. Believing them to be the result of carpenter sorcery\, he ordered the execution of all craftsmen involved. Since then\, rumors of magic have circulated among both the elite and ordinary villagers. \nThis talk examines two types of sources: anecdotal writings (biji 筆記) by literati before 1949\, and oral accounts collected by early ethnographers in the 1920s and by myself during fieldwork. Across these materials\, several recurring narrative patterns can be concluded\, such as carpenters hiding dice to lure homeowners into gambling. I argue that these rumors reflect popular anxieties and efforts at sense-making\, which gave rise to the “magic of Lu Ban (魯班\, patron deity of craftsmen)\,” featuring sorcery\, counter-sorcery\, and the curse upon magical practitioners themselves. \n  \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKER \nSun Jiayue is a PhD candidate at the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences. His research focuses on the anthropology of Chinese popular religion\, ritual\, and folk literature. His dissertation is titled “Apprentices of the Immortal Master: Ritual\, Magic\, and the Carpenters’ Cult of Lu Ban in South China.” \n  \n\nABOUT THE SERIES \nThis series aims to introduce a wide range of cutting-edge research in various disciplines and areas. If you have any questions about the Interdisciplinary Research Seminar or would like to be removed from this mailing list\, please contact Professor Ghassan Moazzin (gmoazzin@hku.hk). \n  \n\n  \nLight refreshments will be served for registered participants attending the seminar in person.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/the-curse-of-lu-ban-rumors-of-carpenter-sorcery-1350-present/
LOCATION:201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Interdisciplinary Research Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-34.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251023T173000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251023T190000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260228T130229Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102956Z
UID:97993-1761240600-1761246000@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Navigating Turbulence: Unlocking Value for Chinese Family Businesses Through Restructuring and Renewal
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nPeriods of financial distress and corporate restructuring present not only complex challenges but also exceptional opportunities for family businesses. This lecture explores both the theoretical foundations and practical applications of corporate restructuring and turnaround management\, including the interplay between market cycles\, inter-creditors dynamics\, and the corporate restructuring analytical framework\, with a special focus on the unique dynamics of Chinese family enterprises. \nTopics will include: conceptual underpinnings of corporate restructuring and its implications for family business\, characteristics and valuation methodologies for the distressed asset class\, strategic approaches to restructuring and corporate turnarounds\, and much more. \nBy blending financial theory\, market analysis\, and a case study\, this talk will give you a front-row seat to one of the most exciting — and misunderstood — corners of global finance. Whether you’re aiming for a career in family business\, consulting\, banking\, asset management\, or private equity\, you’ll leave with a sharper eye for spotting opportunity in the middle of market chaos. \n  \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKER \nJames Choa brings over 20 years of expertise in private equity\, hedge funds\, investment banking\, and operational turnaround management. He is the founder of Elfoso Holdings Limited\, a private investment firm specializing in special situations and deep-value investments across global markets. Before founding Elfoso\, James was a member of Goldman Sachs’ Asian Special Situations Group (ASSG) in Hong Kong\, where he led multi-strategy investments across Asia\, including pre-IPOs\, distressed debt\, buyouts\, and other strategic investments. Prior to Goldman Sachs\, James worked at a number of financial services firms\, across private equity and investment banking. Mr. Choa received his MBA from the Wharton School\, the University of Pennsylvania\, in 2006 with a degree in Corporate Restructuring & Turnaround Management. He also graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania’s Management & Technology Program (M&T) as an undergraduate with dual degrees in Systems Engineering and Finance in 1998. James also shares his expertise in turnaround strategies by teaching “Special Situations: Creating Value in Distress\, Restructuring\, and Turnaround” at NYU Shanghai’s Master of Science in Quantitative Finance program.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/navigating-turbulence-unlocking-value-for-chinese-family-businesses-through-restructuring-and-renewal/
LOCATION:G01\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:HKU Family Wealth Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-39.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251021T123000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20251021T133000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260228T130646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102956Z
UID:97999-1761049800-1761053400@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Writing Christianity into Chinese History: Archaeology\, Economic History\, and Political Ideology
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nIn recent years\, cultural archaeology has broadened its scope to include churches and seminaries\, leading to groundbreaking discoveries in North China that uncover evidence of missionary activities and Christian communities. Church records — comprising extensive land and property deeds\, along with economic and business documents — serve as invaluable primary sources\, challenging traditional narratives and offering new insights into China’s social and economic history. Additionally\, recent scholarship has increasingly focused on the Cold War era\, exploring the complex relationship between Christianity\, the state\, and political ideologies. The evolving dynamics between church and state during this period are central to understanding the role of religious institutions amid political upheaval in 20th-century China. This talk will discuss these recent developments\, which open new avenues for interdisciplinary research\, enabling scholars to craft a more nuanced history of Christianity — highlighting its enduring significance in shaping modern Chinese society and ideological trajectories. \n  \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKER \nJi Li is an Associate Professor of History at the Department of History and Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences\, University of Hong Kong. Her research areas center on the social and religious history of late imperial and modern China\, particularly the history of Christianity\, religion and local society\, women and gender\, and cross-cultural studies. She has published books and articles in both English and Chinese. She is the author of God’s Little Daughters: Catholic Women in Nineteenth-Century Manchuria (Washington 2015)\, Missions Étrangères de Paris (MEP) and Chinese Society from the Seventeenth Century to the Present (Brill 2021)\, and At the Frontier of God’s Empire: A Missionary Odyssey in Modern China (Oxford 2023). \n  \n\nABOUT THE SERIES \nThis series aims to introduce a wide range of cutting-edge research in various disciplines and areas. If you have any questions about the Interdisciplinary Research Seminar or would like to be removed from this mailing list\, please contact Professor Ghassan Moazzin (gmoazzin@hku.hk). \n\n  \nLight refreshments will be served for registered participants attending the seminar in person.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/writing-christianity-into-chinese-history-archaeology-economic-history-and-political-ideology/
LOCATION:201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Interdisciplinary Research Seminar Series
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250930T123000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250930T133000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260228T134732Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102957Z
UID:98015-1759235400-1759239000@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Marketing Africa: Production of Knowledge about Africa by Businesspeople on Chinese Short-Video Platforms
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nIn recent years\, contents showing deep knowledge about African countries and people have been increasingly popular in Chinese social media\, especially on short video platforms. Such knowledge often contains insider business information and cultural understandings of Africa that are difficult to get without living in Africa for a long time. Drawing on a handcrafted dataset of streaming contents and short videos\, I analyze some of the Africa-related short videos posted since late 2023\, and address this question: how are Chinese content creators representing their deep knowledge of Africa in Chinese social media by short videos? I show that a key theme in the representations of China-Africa connections is marketing Africa to their Chinese audience by well-established Chinese entrepreneurs in Africa. These representations of Africa\, much more precise and nuanced than the more widely circulated stereotypical if not racist representations of Africa\, bring detailed and vivid information about Africa to many Chinese unfamiliar with the region. But at the same time\, capitalist values heavily shape these representations in such a way that\, in them\, Africa appears almost exclusively as a source of profit. Further\, I suggest that the capitalistic aspect in this knowledge comes from an increasingly popular imagination of Africa as a frontier of profits and the context of a fervor of “going overseas” of Chinese businesses. \n  \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKER \nRundong Ning is an RGC Post-doctoral Fellow at the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong. His research interests include work and labor\, entrepreneurship\, volunteerism\, and digital economy. His current research focuses on China-Kenya connections in the digital economy and entrepreneurship in Congo-Brazzaville. His publications appear in Current Anthropology\, Economic Anthropology\, American Journal of Cultural Sociology\, African Studies Review\, Africa\, and other outlets. \n  \n\nABOUT THE SERIES \nThis series aims to introduce a wide range of cutting-edge research in various disciplines and areas. If you have any questions about this seminar or would be interested in giving a talk\, please contact Professor Ghassan Moazzin (gmoazzin@hku.hk).  \n  \n\nLight refreshments will be served for registered participants attending the seminar in person.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/marketing-africa-production-of-knowledge-about-africa-by-businesspeople-on-chinese-short-video-platforms/
LOCATION:201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Interdisciplinary Research Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-44.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250909T113000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250909T123000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260228T142501Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102958Z
UID:98033-1757417400-1757421000@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:The Emergence of Logistics Networks and Financial Administration during the Qin Conquest (230–221 BCE)
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nThis talk explores the logistics networks of the Qin state during its war of unification between 230 and 221 BCE. First\, the article investigates the Qin’s “assigned transfer” logistics system\, which was comprised of two forms\, namely\, the transfer of resources among regional administrative units\, and that between the central and regional governments. Second\, it examines the infrastructures and institutions underpinning this logistics system during the Qin conquest\, exploring how the emergence of long-distance\, empire-wide military logistics networks might have contributed to economic development and driven reforms of the Qin financial administration. Overall\, this talk unfolds not only the institutional reforms stimulated by the Qin’s war of unification but also the impact of war on social development. \n  \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKER \nChun Fung Tong is an assistant professor at the School of Chinese and Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences\, The University of Hong Kong. He studied history at the Chinese University of Hong Kong for his BA and MPhil degrees and received a PhD in Sinology from Heidelberg University. His research primarily focuses on social\, political and institutional history in early China\, early Chinese historiography\, as well as writing culture in premodern China. \n  \n\nABOUT THE SERIES \nThis series aims to introduce a wide range of cutting-edge research in various disciplines and areas. If you have any questions about this seminar or would be interested in giving a talk\, please contact Professor Ghassan Moazzin (gmoazzin@hku.hk). 
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/the-emergence-of-logistics-networks-and-financial-administration-during-the-qin-conquest-230-221-bce/
LOCATION:201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Interdisciplinary Research Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-50.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250820T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250820T123000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260302T025735Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102958Z
UID:98062-1755687600-1755693000@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:A Tale of Two Currencies: Cash and Crypto
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\nWe discuss numerous justifications for why Blockchain technology would be highly conducive for the smooth functioning of today’s society. We provide several comparisons between cryptocurrencies issued by blockchain projects – crypto – and conventional government issued currencies – cash or fiat. We develop intuitive analogies – which are later supplemented with formal arguments – that helps us to understand the role of money in society and then to see how crypto can fulfil the functions of money\, as we know it\, in a better way.We look at the origins of crypto-currencies and the evolution of decentralized finance. We consider how money has moved from being centralized to decentralized and how there are attempts to make it centralized again using blockchain technology. We discuss how crypto can be a remedy to several monetary maladies and the promise it holds for creating equal wealth generation opportunities for everyone. We discuss the evolution of trading facilities from centralized cryptocurrency exchanges into decentralized exchanges and later towards the creation of venues that act as a one stop shop for all financial matters\, Super-Store Exchanges\, or Special-Service-Exchanges. \nWe summarize seven fundamental innovations that would be required to make blockchain wealth management accessible and safe for the masses. The conceptual ideas we discuss outline an approach to: 1) Strengthened Security Blueprint; 2) Rebalancing and Trade Execution Suited for Blockchain Nuances 3) \nVolatility and Variance Adjusted Weight Calculation 4) Accommodating Investor Preferences and Risk Parity Construction; 5) Profit Sharing and Investor Protection; 6) Concentration Risk Indicator and Performance Metrics; 7) Multi-chain expansion and Select Strategic Initiatives including the notion of a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO). \nIncorporating these concepts into several projects would also facilitate the growth of the overall blockchain eco-system so that this technology can – have wider mainstream adoption and – accomplish its potential in transforming all aspects of human interactions. \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKERRavi Kashyap is a Finance Professor at the Estonian Business School and University of Waikato Joint Institute at Hangzhou City University. He has taught finance\, economics and blockchain courses at many universities in South Korea\, Vietnam\, China and Singapore.Ravi has held senior (and pioneering) roles – as CEO\, Head of Quantitative Research\, Product Manager – at both traditional financial service firms and blockchain money management funds in New York\, Singapore and Hong Kong\, including Goldman Sachs\, Morgan Stanley\, Merrill Lynch\, IHS Markit and Citigroup. He has experience setting the strategy for multi-billion dollar financial service divisions and product managing multi-million dollar quantitative products. He has developed and applied numerous machine learning techniques and related models for risk mitigation and wealth appreciation. \nHe moved to academia to focus on research regarding uncertainty\, optimization and decision making. \nHe continues to be involved with the industry\, on a limited basis\, by advising efforts geared towards incubating artificial intelligence and working with several blockchain firms to develop innovative methodologies that can be applied to transform all aspects of human interactions. \nHis doctoral thesis from the City University of Hong Kong is about uncertainty and unintended consequences in life\, financial markets and everything else. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business\, New York University and an undergraduate degree from the National Institute of Technology Calicut\, India. He enjoys playing volleyball and skiing.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/a-tale-of-two-currencies-cash-and-crypto/
LOCATION:G01\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:IHSS
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250819T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250819T123000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260302T030314Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102958Z
UID:98070-1755601200-1755606600@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Approaches to Sustainability and Impact in Family Wealth
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\n“Sustainability” has become a trendy term within the business world over the last few years – a Morgan Stanley report estimated that sustainable investment funds add up to US$3.56 trillion in AuM as of Dec 31\, 2024[1]\, while a report by MSCI estimated that the size of the global carbon credit market was around USD 1.4 billion[2]. For a while\, investors flocked to such investments with promises that they could generate returns AND at the same time\, make impact to the environment and society. Corporate strategists touted terms such as CSR and ESG to their boards as part of a competitive advantage. Climate scientists drew up risk scenarios for insurers to valuate risks of their policies. \nAmongst all these varying concepts on sustainability\, how should a family wealth manager separate the wheat from the chaff? What actually matters for a family – carbon emissions\, ESG ratings or social impact? In this presentation\, Ms. Bonnie Leung proposes a simple framework for family wealth managers to consider sustainability in respect of business families. A family may have multiple interests and objectives\, and it is imperative that the family wealth manager matches the initiatives appropriately to different objectives. Ms. Leung will raise examples of how families apply corporate sustainability\, sustainable investing\, impact and philanthropy based on their needs and personal beliefs. The framework also clarifies when one may expect investment returns vs generation of positive external impact. \nUltimately\, this lecture explores sustainability through different perspectives of families and family wealth\, and contributes to the dialogue from a specific lens. \n  \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKER \nMs. Bonnie Leung is currently Programme Director for Master of Family Wealth Management\, offered by The University of Hong Kong. As the Founding Programme Director\, she oversaw the launch and execution of the programme. Her teaching commitments include current trends in family office management\, and sustainable investing and philanthropy in the context of family wealth.  \nMs. Leung brings decades of industry experience to the FWM programme. She previously held various COO positions at BlackRock\, one of the world’s largest asset management firms\, including serving as their COO for APAC Client Business. As COO\, Ms. Leung sat on BlackRock’s Global Financial Crime Country Risk Committee\, Global Funds Distributor Oversight Committee\, APAC Investment Oversight Committee\, and APAC Risks & Controls Committee. Subsequently\, Ms. Leung became a founding member of their Asia Pacific sustainable investing team\, leading the Asia ex Japan Sustainable & Transition Solutions business. In this role\, she frequently spoke at large-scale webinars and events in Chinese and English\, representing BlackRock’s views on sustainable investing\, and thus furthering investors’ understanding of sustainable investments \nPrior to BlackRock\, Ms. Leung was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company\, serving financial institution clients\, both MNC and Asian-based companies. She also led professional development for the Hong Kong office.  Ms. Leung started her professional career as an architect and practised in the New York-based firm\, Kohn Pedersen Fox.  \nMs. Leung is a graduate of the Wharton School\, University of Pennsylvania\, where she received an MBA. For her undergraduate studies\, Ms. Leung obtained a B.Arch and a B.Sc.(Arch) from McGill University. 
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/approaches-to-sustainability-and-impact-in-family-wealth/
LOCATION:G01\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:IHSS
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250630T163000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250630T180000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260302T041006Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102958Z
UID:98087-1751301000-1751306400@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Women As Vernacular Knowers In China’s Long Republic (1894-1954): What We Can Learn From Cheap Print
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\nMany of the knowledges we can classify as vernacular were enacted by women in spheres that were largely governed by women: whether household maintenance\, family emergencies\, or basic healthcare. Accessing this level of knowledge and penetrating women’s experience\, however\, poses significant methodological challenges. Where can we look to find vernacular knowers who left few physical traces of what they thought or what they did? How can we begin to reconstitute what they knew\, how they knew it\, and how they applied it? \nI will explore ways of overcoming these methodological difficulties in this presentation. I will first define vernacular knowledge and introduce the genres of cheap print with which I am working. I will then introduce the notion of vernacular literacy which serves to expand our understanding of which women read\, how they read\, and where they read. Finally\, I will use an assemblage of methods to create composites of individuals and attempt to reconstruct how particular historical women might have engaged in household science—to label clothing\, preserve eggs\, and treat a cholera infection. Ultimately the presentation interrogates the largely unacknowledged intersections between vernacular knowledge and science\, and broadens our understanding of as yet little explored gendered modes of knowing. \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKERJoan Judge is a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow\, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada\, and a Professor in the Department of History at York University in Toronto. A cultural historian of print and knowledge in modern China\, her most recent publication is The Politics of Common Reading: Vernacular Knowledge and Everyday Technics in China\, 1894-1954 which is forthcoming from the University of Chicago Press in the fall of 2025. She is also the author of Republican Lens: Gender\, Visuality\, and Experience in the Early Chinese Periodical Press(University of California Press\, 2015)\, The Precious Raft of History: The Past\, the West\, and the Woman Question in China (Stanford University Press\, 2008)\, and Print and Politics: ‘Shibao’ and the Culture of Reform in Late Qing China (Stanford University Press\, 1996). She is co-editor of The Sinosphere and Beyond: Essays in Honor of Joshua Fogel (DeGruyter Oldenbourg\, 2024)\, “Publishing for Daily Life in Early Modern East Asia\,” (special issue of Lingua Franca: The History of the Book in Translation 6 [2020])\, Women Warriors and National Heroes: Global Histories (Bloomsbury Academic\, 2020)\, Women and the Periodical Press in China’s Global Twentieth Century: A Space of Their Own? (Cambridge University Press\, 2018)\, and Beyond Exemplar Tales: Women’s Biography in Chinese History (University of California Press\, 2011). \n\nABOUT THE SERIESThis series aims to introduce a wide range of cutting-edge research in various disciplines and areas. If you have any questions about this webinar\, would be interested in giving a talk\, or would like to be removed from this mailing list\, please contact Professor Ghassan Moazzin (gmoazzin@hku.hk).
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/women-as-vernacular-knowers-in-chinas-long-republic-1894-1954-what-we-can-learn-from-cheap-print/
LOCATION:Room 201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:Interdisciplinary Research Seminar Series
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250623T160000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250623T173000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260302T054157Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102959Z
UID:98095-1750694400-1750699800@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:From Yellow River to Yellow Sea: The Spatial Construction of the Qi State\, c. 700–300 BCE
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\nQi 齊 emerged as a powerful territorial state in Shandong\, eastern China between the seventh and fourth centuries BCE. Over this period\, a notable transformation occurred in the political and spatial organization of the Qi state whereby traditional lineage and kin-based power structures were replaced by centralized institutions predicated on certain principles of territorial rule\, including direct infrastructural and administrative control over lands\, populations\, and resources. To understand this shift and its broader implications for the spatial dynamics of state-building in early China\, I synthesize a wide range of paleographic\, archaeological\, received textual\, and numismatic evidence for Qi\, focusing especially on three areas: (1) the urban development of the Qi capital at Linzi into an administrative-economic hub; (2) the construction of the southern frontier and the Long Wall of Qi; and (3) the introduction of Qi coinage and monetary zones. Through these analyses\, I demonstrate that the territorial imprint of the Qi state was made strategically upon both the physical environment and imagined landscapes of Shandong in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKERChris Kim is Visiting Assistant Professor at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World. His research examines statecraft\, political economy\, and the spatial dynamics of state power in Zhou China (1045–221 BCE) through paleographic\, archaeological\, and textual analysis. His current book project\, Building the Qi State: Lineage\, Economy\, and Territorial Organization in Early China\, investigates the development of territorial administration\, bureaucratic officialdom\, urban networks\, and monetary zones in the state of Qi in Shandong during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. In addition\, his research interests include the origins of coinage in China\, Eastern Zhou kingship\, and discovering innovative applications of GIS and other spatial analysis approaches to map the early Chinese world. He has previously published studies on salt in the Western Zhou state and on Bronze Age Chinese political economies. Chris received his PhD from Columbia University\, MA from Harvard University\, and BA from Brown University.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/from-yellow-river-to-yellow-sea-the-spatial-construction-of-the-qi-state-c-700-300-bce/
LOCATION:G01\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:IHSS
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250616T103000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250616T120000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260302T055007Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102959Z
UID:98102-1750069800-1750075200@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Power Cast in Bronze: A Social Network Analysis of Noble Families in Early China\, 1600–256 BCE
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\nDue to the relative scarcity of transmitted texts\, bronze inscriptions have become one of the principal sources for investigating key issues in early Chinese history—particularly during the Shang and Zhou periods—such as the formation of clan system and kin-based political communities. A wide variety of records were cast onto bronzes\, ranging from clan emblems to political appointments and rewards\, as well as intermarriages among noble families. While historians and archaeologists have long engaged in detailed philological and case-based studies\, large-scale systematic analyses remain limited. \nThis study constructs a comprehensive and structured database containing nearly 20\,000 inscribed bronze artifacts from the Shang and Zhou dynasties\, enabling the integration of diverse data types and embedding the analysis within spatiotemporal and relational contexts. \nThe method of social network analysis (SNA) is employed to explore various types of networks—including clan emblem networks\, co-occurrence networks\, political networks\, and marriage networks—across three levels: the micro level (individuals and families)\, the meso level (clusters and groups)\, and the macro level (topological structure). Temporal changes in these networks reveal striking shifts in power dynamics among noble families\, mapping the evolving sociopolitical landscape of Early China. \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKERYuqi Chen is a PhD graduate of Peking University\, where she also received her Bachelor’s degree. She is actively engaged in the fields of Digital Humanities and Quantitative History. Her research focuses on integrating AI and computational methods with humanities research\, especially Early China history and archaeology\, aiming to uncover new insights through innovative interdisciplinary approaches. She serves as a reviewer for prestigious journals such as Nature Human Behaviour\, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications\, and Digital Scholarship in the Humanities\, among others. She has also published her work in journals including International Journal of Geographical Information Science\, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications\, and Digital Scholarship in the Humanities\, as well as at conferences such as the Digital Humanities (DH) Conference and the Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing (EMNLP).
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/power-cast-in-bronze-a-social-network-analysis-of-noble-families-in-early-china-1600-256-bce/
LOCATION:G01\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:IHSS
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/image-13.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250604T163000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250604T180000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260302T060010Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102959Z
UID:98114-1749054600-1749060000@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Ethics and Leadership in the Finance Profession: A Fireside Chat
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nEthics and guiding principles enable us to make “right” choices\, even when facing conflicting interests. In the money-centric financial industry\, practitioners are often faced with such challenges. In a constantly evolving financial landscape\, how do ethics play a role in guiding decision-making processes? Can finance professionals truly prioritize ethical behaviour in a competitive and fast-paced industry? Join us for a thought-provoking fireside chat where Bonnie Leung\, Programme Director for HKU’s Master of Family Wealth Management\, will discuss with Kenny Lam\, CEO of Two Sigma Asia-Pacific\, his views on this topic. Kenny shall share his real life experiences dealing with ethical dilemmas throughout his various positions in management consulting\, wealth management\, investment management\, and corporate governance. This fireside chat promises to inspire reflection and dialogue on the importance of ethics and leadership in shaping a responsible financial industry.  \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKER \nKenny is the CEO of Two Sigma Asia-Pacific\, managing and overseeing the region for Two Sigma\, one of the world’s largest hedge funds with almost USD 70 billion in assets. Two Sigma is known for its expertise in quantitative investment management. \nBefore Two Sigma\, Kenny was a global Partner at McKinsey & Company and co-leader of McKinsey’s Financial Services Practice in Asia. He was the lead Partner for the creation of the Private Management Wealth Association in Hong Kong with the Hong Kong Banking Association. After McKinsey\, he served as the Group President of Noah Holdings Limited\, China’s first NYSE-listed and largest independent wealth and asset management with over 90 billion in assets under advisory. \nKenny holds several prominent public roles in the business community. He is the Chairman of the Executive Board of the Wharton School in Asia and Co-Chairman of the Asia Pacific Leadership Council of The Nature Conservancy. He also serves on the University of Waterloo President’s Global Advisory Board and is a Special Advisor to Our Hong Kong Foundation\, a leading think-tank. \nKenny is an elected board member of two major companies in Asia: The Bank of East Asia (China)\, one of the largest foreign banks in China\, serving as its risk committee chairman\, and Smartone Telecommunications in Hong Kong (HKSE: 315). \nKenny graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania\, where he was a Joseph Wharton Scholar and Benjamin Franklin Scholar. He also read Law at the University of Oxford. \nKenny is a best-selling author in China. His book “Choices 選擇” published by CITIC Publishing\, one of China’s largest publishers\, reached No. 4 in e-book sales in China in 2023
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/ethics-and-leadership-in-the-finance-profession-a-fireside-chat/
LOCATION:Lecture Hall\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:HKU Family Wealth Series
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250529T103000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250529T120000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260302T061414Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102825Z
UID:98126-1748514600-1748520000@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Transborder Fugitives\, Extradition\, and Political Crimes in Modern China
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\nWhy were there no extradition treaties between China and most Western countries historically? Jenny Huangfu Day traces how the fugitive rendition clauses in the Opium War treaties evolved into informal extradition practices and argues that China’s inability to secure reciprocal extradition treaties was rooted in the legacy of extraterritoriality and semi-colonialism. Through an examination of a series of landmark but often overlooked extradition cases between China and foreign powers — especially between Canton and the colonial government of Hong Kong — she challenges the notion that “political crimes” in modern China emerged solely as a domestic legal construct\, instead situating them in transborder legal and diplomatic processes open to interpretation and maneuvering by both state authorities and the broader transborder population. \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKERJenny Huangfu Day is an associate professor of history and the Francis Tang ‘61 Chair of China Studies at Skidmore College\, NY. She is the author of Qing Travelers to the Far West: Diplomacy and the Information Order in Late Imperial China and a forthcoming book\, Transborder Fugitives\, Extradition\, and Political Crimes in Modern China.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/transborder-fugitives-extradition-and-political-crimes-in-modern-china/
LOCATION:G01\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:Others
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250522T190000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250522T203000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20260302T064045Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102829Z
UID:98133-1747940400-1747945800@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Re-imaging the University: Can Higher Education Foster a New Renaissance?
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nUniversities are the Hadron Colliders of ideas – places where ideas are distilled\, expressed\, critiqued and reformulated. That commitment to critical but attentive listening to other viewpoints has a major contribution to make to a society that is becoming increasingly fragmented along ideological grounds. \nTo further counteract such fragmentation\, Dr. Lloyd will argue that beauty and goodness are necessary concomitants to the pursuit of truth\, and that\, as well as being colliders of ideas\, universities can also be crucibles of art that captures the imagination and minds of our contemporaries. He will outline his vision for fostering a new Renaissance and the role of Christian Scholarship in leading the process. \n  \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKER \nDr. Lloyd has taught theology and doctrine at the University of Oxford\, Cambridge University and St Paul’s Theological Centre\, London. He has published on a wide range of topics\, from Handel’s music to animal spirituality\, and is helping spearhead the Renaissance Project at Wycliffe Hall\, within Oxford University. \n 
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/re-imaging-the-university-can-higher-education-foster-a-new-renaissance/
LOCATION:Digital Interactive Lab\, 2/F\, Main Libruary\, HKU
CATEGORIES:Others
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250325T090000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250325T100000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20250103T002524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102948Z
UID:91040-1742893200-1742896800@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Interdisciplinary Research Seminar Series Spring Semester 2025
DESCRIPTION:Language: English\n201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom\n2025 Spring\nihss@hku.hk\n\n/*! elementor – v3.21.0 – 18-04-2024 */.elementor-widget-divider{–divider-border-style:none;–divider-border-width:1px;–divider-color:#0c0d0e;–divider-icon-size:20px;–divider-element-spacing:10px;–divider-pattern-height:24px;–divider-pattern-size:20px;–divider-pattern-url:none;–divider-pattern-repeat:repeat-x}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider{display:flex}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__text{font-size:15px;line-height:1;max-width:95%}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__element{margin:0 var(–divider-element-spacing);flex-shrink:0}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-icon{font-size:var(–divider-icon-size)}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider-separator{display:flex;margin:0;direction:ltr}.elementor-widget-divider–view-line_icon .elementor-divider-separator\,.elementor-widget-divider–view-line_text .elementor-divider-separator{align-items:center}.elementor-widget-divider–view-line_icon .elementor-divider-separator:after\,.elementor-widget-divider–view-line_icon .elementor-divider-separator:before\,.elementor-widget-divider–view-line_text .elementor-divider-separator:after\,.elementor-widget-divider–view-line_text .elementor-divider-separator:before{display:block;content:””;border-block-end:0;flex-grow:1;border-block-start:var(–divider-border-width) var(–divider-border-style) var(–divider-color)}.elementor-widget-divider–element-align-left .elementor-divider .elementor-divider-separator>.elementor-divider__svg:first-of-type{flex-grow:0;flex-shrink:100}.elementor-widget-divider–element-align-left .elementor-divider-separator:before{content:none}.elementor-widget-divider–element-align-left .elementor-divider__element{margin-left:0}.elementor-widget-divider–element-align-right .elementor-divider .elementor-divider-separator>.elementor-divider__svg:last-of-type{flex-grow:0;flex-shrink:100}.elementor-widget-divider–element-align-right .elementor-divider-separator:after{content:none}.elementor-widget-divider–element-align-right .elementor-divider__element{margin-right:0}.elementor-widget-divider–element-align-start .elementor-divider .elementor-divider-separator>.elementor-divider__svg:first-of-type{flex-grow:0;flex-shrink:100}.elementor-widget-divider–element-align-start .elementor-divider-separator:before{content:none}.elementor-widget-divider–element-align-start .elementor-divider__element{margin-inline-start:0}.elementor-widget-divider–element-align-end .elementor-divider .elementor-divider-separator>.elementor-divider__svg:last-of-type{flex-grow:0;flex-shrink:100}.elementor-widget-divider–element-align-end .elementor-divider-separator:after{content:none}.elementor-widget-divider–element-align-end .elementor-divider__element{margin-inline-end:0}.elementor-widget-divider:not(.elementor-widget-divider–view-line_text):not(.elementor-widget-divider–view-line_icon) .elementor-divider-separator{border-block-start:var(–divider-border-width) var(–divider-border-style) var(–divider-color)}.elementor-widget-divider–separator-type-pattern{–divider-border-style:none}.elementor-widget-divider–separator-type-pattern.elementor-widget-divider–view-line .elementor-divider-separator\,.elementor-widget-divider–separator-type-pattern:not(.elementor-widget-divider–view-line) .elementor-divider-separator:after\,.elementor-widget-divider–separator-type-pattern:not(.elementor-widget-divider–view-line) .elementor-divider-separator:before\,.elementor-widget-divider–separator-type-pattern:not([class*=elementor-widget-divider–view]) .elementor-divider-separator{width:100%;min-height:var(–divider-pattern-height);-webkit-mask-size:var(–divider-pattern-size) 100%;mask-size:var(–divider-pattern-size) 100%;-webkit-mask-repeat:var(–divider-pattern-repeat);mask-repeat:var(–divider-pattern-repeat);background-color:var(–divider-color);-webkit-mask-image:var(–divider-pattern-url);mask-image:var(–divider-pattern-url)}.elementor-widget-divider–no-spacing{–divider-pattern-size:auto}.elementor-widget-divider–bg-round{–divider-pattern-repeat:round}.rtl .elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__text{direction:rtl}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-divider\,.e-con>.elementor-widget-divider{width:var(–container-widget-width\,100%);–flex-grow:var(–container-widget-flex-grow)} /*! elementor – v3.21.0 – 18-04-2024 */.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=”.svg”]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/interdisciplinary-research-seminar-series-spring-semester-2025/
LOCATION:May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:Interdisciplinary Research Seminar Series
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250320T143000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250320T153000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20250319T180620Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102827Z
UID:91253-1742481000-1742484600@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:The Archaeology Talks Series
DESCRIPTION:Language: English\nMH 201 or Via Zoom\nihss@hku.hk\nRegistration
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/the-archaeology-talks-series/
LOCATION:Room 201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Others
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250314T120000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250503T120000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20250122T234038Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260423T055343Z
UID:91285-1741953600-1746273600@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Master of Family Wealth Management: Applications Now Open
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/master-of-family-wealth-management-applications-now-open/
LOCATION:N/A
CATEGORIES:HKU Family Wealth Series
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250311T123000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250311T133000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20250209T185616Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102949Z
UID:91405-1741696200-1741699800@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Rediscovering Ni Kwei Tseng and the Rise of the 'Soong Dynasty' in the Republican Era
DESCRIPTION:Title: Rediscovering Ni Kwei Tseng and the Rise of the ‘Soong Dynasty’ in the Republican Era \nSpeaker: Dr. Annie Hongping Nie (Faith and Global Engagement Research Fellow) \nDate/Time: March 11\, 2025 (Tue) 12:30 – 13:30 HKT (Mar 10 | 21:30 – 22:30 PDT) \nVenue: Lecture Hall\, G/F\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong & Via ZOOM \nLanguage: English \nEnquiry:ihss@hku.hk \nRegister Now: https://hku.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RoUcDL7wTXyO3TUJPk01TQ#/registration \nAbstract \nEven though her husband\, son\, and daughters as well as their husbands were significant personalities in Chinese modern history and heroines of many academic and popular books\, she hardly received any attention. The wife of Charlie Soong\, mother of T.V. Soong\, the ‘Soong Sisters’\, and mother-in-law of Sun Yat-sen\, Chiang Kai-shek and H.H. Kung\, Ni Kweu Tseng deserves a close examination. Based on archival materials including family diaries\, letters\, eulogies and interviews\, this study attempts to uncover the life story of Ni Kwei Tseng as a woman living in late nineteenth and early twentieth century China\, highlighting the radical social and cultural changes and its impact on the transformation of women’s roles and identity at the time.  Moreover\, born to a local pastor father and a mother who was a ninth-generation granddaughter of Xu Guangqi\, a Ming court official and disciple of Jesuit Matteo Ricci\, Ni’s story sheds light on the understanding of Chinese Christian heritage and how it helped shape marriage/family structure and social networks in the process of the making of modern China. \n  \nAbout the Speaker \nBefore becoming Faith and Global Engagement Research Fellow\, Dr. Annie Hongping Nie was Teaching Associate at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies\, Research Associate at the University of Oxford China Centre\, and China Head at Oxford Analytica\, an Oxford-based consulting firm. She also served as Chair of Examiners at the Joint Programme of the MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies and the MPhil in Modern China Studies operated by the Oxford School of Global and Areas Studies and the Faculty of Africa and Middle Eastern Studies\, University of Oxford. She has been a core member of the Leverhulme programme of the Persistence of Conflict: China’s War with Japan and Its Impact\, Memory\, and Legacy: 1931 to the Present\, Faculty of History\, University of Oxford. She is the author of the award-winning book The Selden Map of China: A New Understanding of the Ming Dynasty (Bodleian Library\, 2019). Dr Nie’s current research focuses on the history of Christianity in China\, especially the role of Christian women and their contribution to modern Chinese society. \nAbout the Series \nThis series aims to introduce a wide range of cutting-edge research in various disciplines and areas. If you have any questions about this seminar or would be interested in giving a talk\, please contact Professor Ghassan Moazzin (gmoazzin@hku.hk).  \nLight refreshments will be served for registered participants attending the seminar in person.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/interdisciplinary-research-20250311/
LOCATION:Lecture Hall\, G/F\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom\, Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:Interdisciplinary Research Seminar Series
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250305T190000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250305T203000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20250220T184817Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102829Z
UID:91511-1741201200-1741206600@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:NATURE MATTERS: WHY BELIEF COUNTS FOR TREE FROGS
DESCRIPTION:Title: NATURE MATTERS: WHY BELIEF COUNTS FOR TREE FROGS \nSpeaker: Peter Harris (Co-Founder\, A Rocha) \nDate/Time: 5 March 2025 (Wed) \,   7:00pm – 8:30pm \nVenue: Rayson Huang Theatre\, HKU \nLanguage: English \nEnquiry: (Email) faithful@hku.hk \nRegister Now: https://hku.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3Cz4HKEqkpP8SMK \nAbstract\n\nThe question of why nature matters is now critical. Over recent decades\, we have witnessed the thinning of life on earth and the collapse of eco-systems and habitats. At its heart\, this crisis comes down to human decisions about what matters. It would appear from the actions and choices of most societies that people don’t believe nature matters. So why does nature matter? We will explore various explanations coming from different points of view\, and suggest that Christian thinking may have a considerable contribution to make to this critical debate. \n  \n\nAbout The Speaker \nPeter Harris co-founded the Christian conservation organisation A Rocha in 1983.  For the last forty years\, he has worked to mobilise financial investment and  practical responses to the challenges of biodiversity decline and climate change. A Rocha organisations are now found in more than 20 countries on five continents each one committed to community based conservation.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/nature-matters-why-belief-counts-for-tree-frogs/
LOCATION:Rayson Huang Theatre\, HKU
CATEGORIES:Others
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250305T090000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250305T103000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20250225T175424Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102828Z
UID:91552-1741165200-1741170600@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Cultivating diversity at the onset of agriculture: insights from the Yangtze valley in the 10th millennium BP
DESCRIPTION:Title: Cultivating diversity at the onset of agriculture: insights from the Yangtze valley in the 10th millennium BP \nSpeaker: Dr. Ting An (Associate Professor\, Department of Art and Archaeology\, Zhejiang University) \nDate/Time: March 5 2025 (Wed)  09:00-10:30 HKT \nLanguage: English \nVenue: Via Zoom \nEnquiry: (Email) ihss@hku.hk \nRegister Now: https://hku.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_x8alkmyiRyu4IBiwg4I3XA \nAbstract\n\nThe Middle and Lower Yangtze valley is recognized as the earliest centre of rice agriculture. Rice cultivation\, alongside the utilization of various starchy plants\, has persisted over millennia since the early Neolithic. While previous discussions have extensively explored the use of nuts\, tubers\, and large-grain grasses\, small-grain grasses have received relatively little attention. This study examines plant impressions found in pottery sherds dating to the early Shangshan period (ca. 12\,711–8\,538 cal bp) to shed light on the significance of barnyard grass (Echinochloa sp.) during this era. Using microCT technology\, we obtained clear and detailed visualizations of plant remains from pottery sherds\, enhancing the archaeobotanical assemblage in a context where macro plant remains were scarce. Our study provides compelling evidence of diversified cultivation practices in the Lower Yangtze valley during the early Neolithic period. Furthermore\, it situates the origins of rice agriculture within the broader framework of wetland plant management. \n  \n\nAbout the Series \nThe Archaeology Webinar Series aims to provide a platform for scholars\, students\, and enthusiasts to discuss and share knowledge about archaeology\, its importance\, recent discoveries\, research methods\, and its significance in understanding the past. The series aims to promote awareness\, education\, and appreciation for archaeology among academia and the general public and foster a sense of curiosity and interest in exploring our shared human history.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/cultivating-diversity-at-the-onset-of-agriculture-insights-from-the-yangtze-valley-in-the-10th-millennium-bp/
LOCATION:Via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Others
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250228T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250228T120000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20250220T183950Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102828Z
UID:91501-1740740400-1740744000@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:納稅人” 研究：中國天主教史一個被忽視的維度   The Taxpayer: A Neglected Dimension of Chinese Catholic History
DESCRIPTION:Title: 納稅人” 研究：中國天主教史一個被忽視的維度 \n         The Taxpayer: A Neglected Dimension of Chinese Catholic History \nSpeaker: 康志杰教授 \n                Prof. KANG Zhijie \nDate/Time: February 28\, 2025 (Fri) 11:00 – 12:00 HKT \nVenue: Room 201\, 2/F\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong \nLanguage: Mandarin Chinese \nEnquiry: (Email) faithful@hku.hk \nRegister Now: https://hku.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_07XPvwvJv1XDM8K \nAbstract天主教是制度型宗教中最為嚴格的一個類型，過往的相關研究多偏重宗教傳播，經濟活動則被忽略。將天主教的身份定位于“納稅人”並進行分析討論，對於廓清宗教與國家，宗教與族群之間的複雜關係，理解傳統的中國財政體制變化，解析棘手的政教關係，具有重要的價值與意義。\n\nCatholicism is the strictest type of institutional religion. Previous studies have mostly focused on religious transmission\, while economic activities have been ignored. Positioning the Catholic identity as a “taxpayer” and conducting analysis and discussion are of great value and significance for clarifying the complex relationships between religion and the state\, religion and ethnic groups\, understanding changes in the traditional Chinese fiscal system\, and analysing the thorny relationship between politics and religion.  \n  \n\nAbout the Speaker \n康志杰，香港漢語基督教文化研究所訪問學者，暨南大學澳門研究院特聘研究員，湖北大學歷史文化學院教授。主要從事基督宗教來華史研究，已出版學術專著多部，發表論文百餘篇。代表作有：《鄂西北磨盤山天主教社區研究》（意大利馬切拉塔利瑪竇研究中心、中國香港原道交流中心聯合出版2013年）；《基督的新娘：中國天主教貞女研究》（中國社科出版社，2013年）；《中國天主教財務經濟研究（1582-1949）》（人民出版社，2019年）等。 \nKang Zhijie is Visiting Scholar at the Institute of Sino-Christian Studies in Hong Kong; Distinguished Researcher at the Macao Research Institute of Jinan University; and Professor of History at the School of History and Culture\, Hubei University. She has published eight academic monographs and more than 90 academic papers\, including Research on the Catholic Community in Mopanshan\, Northwest Hubei (2013); The Bride of Christ: Research on Chinese Catholic Virgins (2013); and Research on Chinese Catholic Finance and Economics (1582–1949) (2019). 
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/%e7%b4%8d%e7%a8%85%e4%ba%ba-%e7%a0%94%e7%a9%b6%ef%bc%9a%e4%b8%ad%e5%9c%8b%e5%a4%a9%e4%b8%bb%e6%95%99%e5%8f%b2%e4%b8%80%e5%80%8b%e8%a2%ab%e5%bf%bd%e8%a6%96%e7%9a%84%e7%b6%ad%e5%ba%a6-the-tax/
LOCATION:Rm 201​\, May Hall\, Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:Others
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250221T143000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250221T143000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20250220T175326Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102827Z
UID:91486-1740148200-1740148200@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Adventurers or Scientists? Historical Episodes from the Archaeological Exploration of the Middle East
DESCRIPTION:Title: Adventurers or Scientists? Historical Episodes from the Archaeological Exploration of the Middle East \nSpeaker: Dr. Elvan Cobb (Assistant Professor\, Department of History\, Hong Kong Baptist University) \nDate/Time: February 21\, 2025 (Friday) 14:30-15:30 (HKT) \nLanguage: English \nVenue: Room 201\, May Hall\, HKU & Zoom \nEnquiry: (Email) ihss@hku.hk \nRegister Now: https://hku.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_A3a8uo4fSKa0rOnpzYm7OQ#/registration \nAbstract \nThe railway engineer who convinced a pair of empires to let him lead the first archaeological excavations of Ephesus in the 1860s. The photographer driven mad by unsupported demands for spectacular discoveries at Mesopotamian Nippur in the 1890s. The trail-blazing female architect-archaeologist who\, despite her hearing impairment\, introduced the monumental Hellenistic burial at Mount Nemrut to the globe after World War II. For each of these early explorers\, doing archaeology in the ancient Near East was undoubtedly always very difficult\, but perhaps never boring. However\, these three and others had something else important in common\, they each strived to introduce careful scientific practice to a discipline all too often entrenched in amateur treasure-hunting. Investigating their stories\, both personal and professional\, provides us with an opportunity to better understand the crucial interplay between scientific thought and early archaeological practice\, against a backdrop of often unintended adventures. \n  \nAbout the Speaker \nElvan is an assistant professor of history at the Hong Kong Baptist University.  She is currently working on a book manuscript that investigates how the advent of railways in the Ottoman Empire altered spatial practices in western Anatolia and facilitated the rise of emergent practices ranging from tourism to archaeology.  She is also the assistant director of a field project in Armenia\, the Ararat Plain Southeast Archaeological Project\, where she is currently researching human and nonhuman mobilities of the South Caucasus during the early modern and modern eras.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/adventurers-or-scientists-historical-episodes-from-the-archaeological-exploration-of-the-middle-east/
LOCATION:201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Others
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250212T190000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250212T203000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20250203T001101Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102828Z
UID:91370-1739386800-1739392200@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:GOD and AI: WHO’s in CONTROL
DESCRIPTION:GOD and AI: WHO’s in CONTROL  \n  \nProfessor Ruth Okediji \nJeremiah Smith Jr. Professor \nHarvard Law School \nDate:      12 February 2025 (Wed) \nTime:        7:00pm – 8:30pm \nVenue:      Rayson Huang Theatre\, HKU \nRegister:  https://hku.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2mMDG3fxDaFH1pI \nDetails:     https://faith.hku.hk/event/god-and-ai \nAbstract \nArtificial Intelligence (AI) will increasingly outperform human beings in a growing number and variety of routine and complex tasks. And yet\, intelligence alone may not be adequate for a just society\, with laws and policies that promote a flourishing humanity. If AI can offer solutions to our most pressing global challenges\, will humanity or AI reign and can AI become more human than us? \nAbout the Speaker Ruth L. Okediji is the Jeremiah Smith\, Jr.\, Professor of Law at Harvard Law School\, Co-Director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard\, and Faculty Director of the Harvard Program on Biblical Law and Christian Legal Studies. Her scholarship examines innovation policy\, the digital economy\, and global knowledge governance and has authored an array of publications on the relationship between IP protection and human flourishing. Prof. Okediji has served as a policy advisor to inter-governmental organizations\, regional economic communities\, and national governments including the UN High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines. She was named one of the 50 most influential figures in IP by Managing IP and received the 2019 Public Knowledge IP3 Award. In 2023\, she was awarded the Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement from the American Academy of Sciences and Letters.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/faith-and-global-engagement-20250212/
LOCATION:Rayson Huang Theatre\, HKU
CATEGORIES:Others
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250122T163000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250122T180000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20250109T181845Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102833Z
UID:91123-1737563400-1737568800@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Literature in Turbulent Times: The Poetics of the Lyrical Tradition in the Fractures of History
DESCRIPTION:講者: 陳國球教授(國⽴清華⼤學)\n\n主持：朱耀偉教授（香港⼤學中⽂學院）\n\nLanguage: Cantonese\n\nCRT4.36\, HKU Centennial Campus\, The University of Hong Kong\n\nJan 22\, 2025 (Wednesday)\n\nihss@hku.hk\n\n\n\n亂世⽂章逐⽔流 時代裂縫中的抒情傳統詩學Literature in Turbulent Times: The Poetics of the Lyrical Tradition in the Fractures of History \nThe discourse on the “lyrical tradition” in Chinese literature owes much to the pioneering efforts of Chinese-American scholars Shih-Hsiang Chen (1910–1971) and Yu-kung Kao (1929–2016). Chen\, a graduate of Peking University’s Department of Foreign Languages\, experienced displacement during the Second Sino-Japanese War\, eventually relocating to the United States\, where he embarked on the most significant chapter of his academic career\, while also enduring profound personal losses. His studies on Wen Fu (An Essay on Literature)\, Qu Yuan’s poetics\, and the origins of Chinese poetics\, reflect not only his scholarly innovation but also the turmoil of his times. Similarly\, Kao’s theory of the “lyric aesthetics\,” rigorous and solemn in its articulation\, may also bear traces of the chaotic mid-century era\, marked by upheaval and familial separations. These intersections between literary sensibilities and the fractured historical context form a poignant chapter in. the modern study of Chinese literature\, meriting renewed reflection and reexamination.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/literature-in-turbulent-times-the-poetics-of-the-lyrical-tradition-in-the-fractures-of-history/
LOCATION:CRT 4.36\, 4/F\, Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:IHSS,IHSS Public Lecture
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20241218T160000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20241218T160000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20241129T210522Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102825Z
UID:90943-1734537600-1734537600@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Special Zone Currency: Shenzhen’s Monetary Experiment and China’s Foreign Exchange Reform
DESCRIPTION:Language: English\n201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom\nDecember 18\, 2024 (Wednesday)/4:00 pm HKT or 9:00 am CET\nihss@hku.hk\nWatch Now\n\n\n\nABSTRACT\nBetween 1981 and 1985\, policymakers in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) initiated discussions and preparations for the issuance of a “special zone currency\,” a proposed legal tender designed exclusively for use in Shenzhen\, the country’s first Special Economic Zone (SEZ). During this early reform era\, as Shenzhen opened to international trade and foreign investments\, three currencies simultaneously circulated in the SEZ: the PRC’s official currency\, the Renminbi (CNY); the Foreign Exchange Certificate\, designated for tourists\, members of the Chinese diaspora\, and entities eligible for foreign trade; and the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD). Despite its official prohibition in mainland China\, the HKD was widely accepted and even preferred by local restaurant owners\, shopkeepers\, and taxi drivers. Interestingly\, Chinese authorities themselves showed a preference for HKD. To bolster the state’s foreign currency reserves\, the Shenzhen Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Governments mandated that Sino-foreign joint ventures pay their electricity bills in HKD. The proposed special zone currency aimed to resolve the confusion caused by the coexistence of these three currencies and\, more importantly\, to “expel the Hong Kong Dollar\,” which had become the de facto dominant currency in Shenzhen\, overshadowing the CNY. Despite these plans\, the proposal for a special zone currency was permanently shelved in 1985\, even after the Shenzhen Municipal Government had gone so far as to stockpile special paper for printing the currency. This presentation examines the debates among Chinese economists\, policymakers\, and foreign advisors from Japan and Singapore regarding the special zone currency\, highlighting how Shenzhen’s aborted monetary experiment became a pivotal chapter in the history of China’s foreign exchange reform. It also underscores the experiment’s implications for the Chinese government’s ongoing efforts to internationalize the CNY. \nABOUT THE SPEAKER\nTaomo Zhou is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chinese Studies and Dean’s Chair in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences\, National University of Singapore. Her first book\, Migration in the Time of Revolution: China\, Indonesia and the Cold War (Cornell University Press\, 2019)\, won a Foreign Affairs “Best Books of 2020” award and an Honorable Mention for the 2021 Harry J. Benda Prize from the Association for Asian Studies. Taomo is currently working on her second book project entitled “Made in Shenzhen: A Global History of China’s First Special Economic Zone\,” which is under advance contract with Stanford University Press.
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/special-zone-currency-shenzhens-monetary-experiment-and-chinas-foreign-exchange-reform/
LOCATION:201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Others
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20241210T123000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20241210T133000
DTSTAMP:20261031T102602
CREATED:20241129T194354Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102947Z
UID:90907-1733833800-1733837400@ihss.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Negotiating Legal Belonging on the Edges of Empire: Experiences of British Nationality Law in Twentieth-Century China
DESCRIPTION:Language: English\nVia Zoom\nDecember 10\, 2024 (Tue) 12:30-13:30 HKT (Dec 9\, 2024 | 20:30-21:30 PST)\nihss@hku.hk\n\nRegister Now\n\n\n\n\nABSTRACT\nThe codification of British nationality in the early-to-mid twentieth century\, beginning with the 1914 British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act\, had a profound impact upon putative Britons living on the peripheries of empire\, where the loss or acquisition of British status mattered a great deal. Consular discussions of petitions for British nationality and protection in the Chinese treaty ports suggest that the parameters of British legal belonging\, which required more careful definition against the backdrop of extraterritorial rights and protections\, were worked out in detail in jurisdictional borderlands on the edges of empire. As correspondence between individual constituents and consuls grappling with an evolving legislative landscape demonstrates\, nationality became increasingly meaningful in concrete ways in the lives of ordinary settlers and sojourners in the twentieth century. The formal exclusion from this legal category of specific groups of people living beyond the boundaries of British territory\, particularly ‘illegitimate’ children\, married women\, and children born to British mothers\, and Straits Chinese individuals\, had sharply felt effects upon the mobility\, personal freedoms\, and family cohesion of scores of settlers. The consequences of deprivation of the opportunities and protections of British status in China sharpened as the twentieth century progressed\, bringing with it war\, displacement\, and regime changes. \nABOUT THE SPEAKER\nCatherine Ladds is a social historian at Hong Kong Baptist University working on the history of colonialism and imperialism in Asia\, with an emphasis on the history of colonial communities in East Asia. She has published on a variety of topics\, including the histories of childhood and education\, ‘white’ criminality in the British empire\, the history of British nationality law\, and “mixed-race” communities in China. Her new project examines how children’s transoceanic transits shaped the socialities of steamship travel and interacted with the state management of mobilities. She is the author of Empire Careers: Working for the Chinese Customs Service\, published by Manchester University Press. \nABOUT THE SERIES\nThis series aims to introduce a wide range of cutting-edge research in various disciplines and areas. If you have any questions about this webinar\, would be interested in giving a talk\, or would like to be removed from this mailing list\, please contact Professor Ghassan Moazzin (gmoazzin@hku.hk).
URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/making-maos-steelworks-industrial-manchuria-and-the-transnational-origins-of-chinese-socialism-2/
LOCATION:Zoom\, Hong Kong
CATEGORIES:Interdisciplinary Research Seminar Series
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END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR