BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//IHSS - ECPv6.17.0//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://ihss.hku.hk X-WR-CALDESC:Events for IHSS REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Asia/Hong_Kong BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0800 TZOFFSETTO:+0800 TZNAME:HKT DTSTART:20260101T000000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20260313T090000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20260313T100000 DTSTAMP:20261028T170453 CREATED:20260224T164300Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T102823Z UID:97378-1773392400-1773396000@ihss.hku.hk SUMMARY:American Dreams of Chinese Businessmen: U.S. Capital and China’s post-war Economic Reconstruction (1944-1949) DESCRIPTION:Table of Contents \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Abstract \n \n \n \n \n God and government are fundamental sources of order in human societies\, yet people differ across societies in where they place their faith between the two. We argue that these enduring differences can be partly traced to the types of climate risk faced by ancestral communities. When people confronted incompensable risk such as temperature fluctuations\, they turned to religion for psychological solace. In contrast\, compensable risk like rainfall instability could be managed through irrigation and other collective endeavors and fostered lasting confidence in public institutions. We test this hypothesis using multiple sources of data and find robust patterns both across countries and across ethnic groups within countries. We also place our hypothesis in dialogue with existing research by examining how it relates to alternative accounts of the historical origins of culture and institutions. \n \n \n \n About the Speaker \n \n \n \n Professor Bai is the Sein and Isaac Souede Professor in Economic History and a Professor in the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Hong Kong. Before joining HKU\, he taught at the Chinese University of Hong Kong\, where he served as a Professor of Economics and Co-Director of the CUHK-UCSD Joint Laboratory on Chinese Economy. He earned his Ph.D. from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His research interests include development economics\, economic history\, and the political economy of China. He employs cutting-edge statistical techniques and novel datasets to address historically significant issues in China’s development\, such as the causes and consequences of conflict\, the impact of the West (particularly Protestantism) on modern economic growth\, and the political and economic implications of China’s key institutions—the imperial civil examination system and the hierarchical administrative system. Much of his research has been published in prestigious journals\, including The Quarterly Journal of Economics\, Econometrica\, The Review of Economics and Statistics\, The Economic Journal\, International Economic Review\, and the Journal of the European Economic Association. His work has been recognized with the 2018 Distinguished CESifo Research Affiliate Award and the 2021 Masahiko Aoki Award. Additionally\, in 2018\, he received the CUHK Young Researcher Award. \n \n \n \n About the Interdisciplinary Research Seminar \n \n \n \n This 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 Chun Fung Tong (tong.chunfung@hku.hk). URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/american-dreams-of-chinese-businessmen-u-s-capital-and-chinas-post-war-economic-reconstruction-1944-1949/ LOCATION:Via Zoom CATEGORIES:Chinese Business History,Chinese Business History Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20260319T160000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20260319T173000 DTSTAMP:20261028T170453 CREATED:20260320T015105Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T064522Z UID:104540-1773936000-1773941400@ihss.hku.hk SUMMARY:​Assortative Mating and the Industrial Revolution: England\, 1754-2021 DESCRIPTION:Table of Contents \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Abstract \n \n \n \n God and government are fundamental sources of order in human societies\, yet people differ across societies in where they place their faith between the two. We argue that these enduring differences can be partly traced to the types of climate risk faced by ancestral communities. When people confronted incompensable risk such as temperature fluctuations\, they turned to religion for psychological solace. In contrast\, compensable risk like rainfall instability could be managed through irrigation and other collective endeavors and fostered lasting confidence in public institutions. We test this hypothesis using multiple sources of data and find robust patterns both across countries and across ethnic groups within countries. We also place our hypothesis in dialogue with existing research by examining how it relates to alternative accounts of the historical origins of culture and institutions. \n \n \n \n About the Speaker \n \n \n \n Professor Bai is the Sein and Isaac Souede Professor in Economic History and a Professor in the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Hong Kong. Before joining HKU\, he taught at the Chinese University of Hong Kong\, where he served as a Professor of Economics and Co-Director of the CUHK-UCSD Joint Laboratory on Chinese Economy. He earned his Ph.D. from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His research interests include development economics\, economic history\, and the political economy of China. He employs cutting-edge statistical techniques and novel datasets to address historically significant issues in China’s development\, such as the causes and consequences of conflict\, the impact of the West (particularly Protestantism) on modern economic growth\, and the political and economic implications of China’s key institutions—the imperial civil examination system and the hierarchical administrative system. Much of his research has been published in prestigious journals\, including The Quarterly Journal of Economics\, Econometrica\, The Review of Economics and Statistics\, The Economic Journal\, International Economic Review\, and the Journal of the European Economic Association. His work has been recognized with the 2018 Distinguished CESifo Research Affiliate Award and the 2021 Masahiko Aoki Award. Additionally\, in 2018\, he received the CUHK Young Researcher Award. \n \n \n \n About the Interdisciplinary Research Seminar \n \n \n \n This 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 Chun Fung Tong (tong.chunfung@hku.hk). URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/assortative-mating-and-the-industrial-revolution-england-1754-2021/ LOCATION:Via Zoom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/slide-01.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20260323T160000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20260323T173000 DTSTAMP:20261028T170453 CREATED:20260320T014337Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T064609Z UID:104537-1774281600-1774287000@ihss.hku.hk SUMMARY:晚清商會與中國早期市民社會的形成──比較歷史視角 Chambers of Commerce in Late Qing China and the Formation of Early Chinese Civil Society: A Comparative Historical Perspective DESCRIPTION:Table of Contents \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Abstract \n \n \n \n God and government are fundamental sources of order in human societies\, yet people differ across societies in where they place their faith between the two. We argue that these enduring differences can be partly traced to the types of climate risk faced by ancestral communities. When people confronted incompensable risk such as temperature fluctuations\, they turned to religion for psychological solace. In contrast\, compensable risk like rainfall instability could be managed through irrigation and other collective endeavors and fostered lasting confidence in public institutions. We test this hypothesis using multiple sources of data and find robust patterns both across countries and across ethnic groups within countries. We also place our hypothesis in dialogue with existing research by examining how it relates to alternative accounts of the historical origins of culture and institutions. \n \n \n \n About the Speaker \n \n \n \n Professor Bai is the Sein and Isaac Souede Professor in Economic History and a Professor in the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Hong Kong. Before joining HKU\, he taught at the Chinese University of Hong Kong\, where he served as a Professor of Economics and Co-Director of the CUHK-UCSD Joint Laboratory on Chinese Economy. He earned his Ph.D. from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His research interests include development economics\, economic history\, and the political economy of China. He employs cutting-edge statistical techniques and novel datasets to address historically significant issues in China’s development\, such as the causes and consequences of conflict\, the impact of the West (particularly Protestantism) on modern economic growth\, and the political and economic implications of China’s key institutions—the imperial civil examination system and the hierarchical administrative system. Much of his research has been published in prestigious journals\, including The Quarterly Journal of Economics\, Econometrica\, The Review of Economics and Statistics\, The Economic Journal\, International Economic Review\, and the Journal of the European Economic Association. His work has been recognized with the 2018 Distinguished CESifo Research Affiliate Award and the 2021 Masahiko Aoki Award. Additionally\, in 2018\, he received the CUHK Young Researcher Award. \n \n \n \n About the Interdisciplinary Research Seminar \n \n \n \n This 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 Chun Fung Tong (tong.chunfung@hku.hk). URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/%e6%99%9a%e6%b8%85%e5%95%86%e6%9c%83%e8%88%87%e4%b8%ad%e5%9c%8b%e6%97%a9%e6%9c%9f%e5%b8%82%e6%b0%91%e7%a4%be%e6%9c%83%e7%9a%84%e5%bd%a2%e6%88%90%e2%94%80%e2%94%80%e6%af%94%e8%bc%83%e6%ad%b7%e5%8f%b2/ LOCATION:G01\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3.-202603-Prof-Ma-Min_2_IHSS-Banner_1920x1080_page-0001-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20260324T123000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20260324T133000 DTSTAMP:20261028T170453 CREATED:20260304T014319Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T102635Z UID:98641-1774355400-1774359000@ihss.hku.hk SUMMARY:When AI Reads Emotions: Affective Computing Approaches to Historical Psychology DESCRIPTION:Table of Contents \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Abstract \n \n \n \n God and government are fundamental sources of order in human societies\, yet people differ across societies in where they place their faith between the two. We argue that these enduring differences can be partly traced to the types of climate risk faced by ancestral communities. When people confronted incompensable risk such as temperature fluctuations\, they turned to religion for psychological solace. In contrast\, compensable risk like rainfall instability could be managed through irrigation and other collective endeavors and fostered lasting confidence in public institutions. We test this hypothesis using multiple sources of data and find robust patterns both across countries and across ethnic groups within countries. We also place our hypothesis in dialogue with existing research by examining how it relates to alternative accounts of the historical origins of culture and institutions. \n \n \n \n About the Speaker \n \n \n \n Professor Bai is the Sein and Isaac Souede Professor in Economic History and a Professor in the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Hong Kong. Before joining HKU\, he taught at the Chinese University of Hong Kong\, where he served as a Professor of Economics and Co-Director of the CUHK-UCSD Joint Laboratory on Chinese Economy. He earned his Ph.D. from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His research interests include development economics\, economic history\, and the political economy of China. He employs cutting-edge statistical techniques and novel datasets to address historically significant issues in China’s development\, such as the causes and consequences of conflict\, the impact of the West (particularly Protestantism) on modern economic growth\, and the political and economic implications of China’s key institutions—the imperial civil examination system and the hierarchical administrative system. Much of his research has been published in prestigious journals\, including The Quarterly Journal of Economics\, Econometrica\, The Review of Economics and Statistics\, The Economic Journal\, International Economic Review\, and the Journal of the European Economic Association. His work has been recognized with the 2018 Distinguished CESifo Research Affiliate Award and the 2021 Masahiko Aoki Award. Additionally\, in 2018\, he received the CUHK Young Researcher Award. \n \n \n \n About the Interdisciplinary Research Seminar \n \n \n \n This 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 Chun Fung Tong (tong.chunfung@hku.hk). URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/when-ai-reads-emotions-affective-computing-approaches-to-historical-psychology/ LOCATION:201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/image-26.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20260326T173000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20260326T190000 DTSTAMP:20261028T170453 CREATED:20260304T013640Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T013328Z UID:98635-1774546200-1774551600@ihss.hku.hk SUMMARY:A Question of Legacy: Are Asian and European Family Offices Fundamentally Different? DESCRIPTION:Table of Contents \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Abstract \n \n \n \n God and government are fundamental sources of order in human societies\, yet people differ across societies in where they place their faith between the two. We argue that these enduring differences can be partly traced to the types of climate risk faced by ancestral communities. When people confronted incompensable risk such as temperature fluctuations\, they turned to religion for psychological solace. In contrast\, compensable risk like rainfall instability could be managed through irrigation and other collective endeavors and fostered lasting confidence in public institutions. We test this hypothesis using multiple sources of data and find robust patterns both across countries and across ethnic groups within countries. We also place our hypothesis in dialogue with existing research by examining how it relates to alternative accounts of the historical origins of culture and institutions. \n \n \n \n About the Speaker \n \n \n \n Professor Bai is the Sein and Isaac Souede Professor in Economic History and a Professor in the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Hong Kong. Before joining HKU\, he taught at the Chinese University of Hong Kong\, where he served as a Professor of Economics and Co-Director of the CUHK-UCSD Joint Laboratory on Chinese Economy. He earned his Ph.D. from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His research interests include development economics\, economic history\, and the political economy of China. He employs cutting-edge statistical techniques and novel datasets to address historically significant issues in China’s development\, such as the causes and consequences of conflict\, the impact of the West (particularly Protestantism) on modern economic growth\, and the political and economic implications of China’s key institutions—the imperial civil examination system and the hierarchical administrative system. Much of his research has been published in prestigious journals\, including The Quarterly Journal of Economics\, Econometrica\, The Review of Economics and Statistics\, The Economic Journal\, International Economic Review\, and the Journal of the European Economic Association. His work has been recognized with the 2018 Distinguished CESifo Research Affiliate Award and the 2021 Masahiko Aoki Award. Additionally\, in 2018\, he received the CUHK Young Researcher Award. \n \n \n \n About the Interdisciplinary Research Seminar \n \n \n \n This 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 Chun Fung Tong (tong.chunfung@hku.hk). URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/a-question-of-legacy-are-asian-and-european-family-offices-fundamentally-different/ 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/2026/03/image-24.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20260330T143000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20260330T163000 DTSTAMP:20261028T170453 CREATED:20260317T080709Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260423T055603Z UID:103052-1774881000-1774888200@ihss.hku.hk SUMMARY:The Idea of China: A Contested History DESCRIPTION:Table of Contents \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Abstract \n \n \n \n God and government are fundamental sources of order in human societies\, yet people differ across societies in where they place their faith between the two. We argue that these enduring differences can be partly traced to the types of climate risk faced by ancestral communities. When people confronted incompensable risk such as temperature fluctuations\, they turned to religion for psychological solace. In contrast\, compensable risk like rainfall instability could be managed through irrigation and other collective endeavors and fostered lasting confidence in public institutions. We test this hypothesis using multiple sources of data and find robust patterns both across countries and across ethnic groups within countries. We also place our hypothesis in dialogue with existing research by examining how it relates to alternative accounts of the historical origins of culture and institutions. \n \n \n \n About the Speaker \n \n \n \n Professor Bai is the Sein and Isaac Souede Professor in Economic History and a Professor in the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Hong Kong. Before joining HKU\, he taught at the Chinese University of Hong Kong\, where he served as a Professor of Economics and Co-Director of the CUHK-UCSD Joint Laboratory on Chinese Economy. He earned his Ph.D. from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His research interests include development economics\, economic history\, and the political economy of China. He employs cutting-edge statistical techniques and novel datasets to address historically significant issues in China’s development\, such as the causes and consequences of conflict\, the impact of the West (particularly Protestantism) on modern economic growth\, and the political and economic implications of China’s key institutions—the imperial civil examination system and the hierarchical administrative system. Much of his research has been published in prestigious journals\, including The Quarterly Journal of Economics\, Econometrica\, The Review of Economics and Statistics\, The Economic Journal\, International Economic Review\, and the Journal of the European Economic Association. His work has been recognized with the 2018 Distinguished CESifo Research Affiliate Award and the 2021 Masahiko Aoki Award. Additionally\, in 2018\, he received the CUHK Young Researcher Award. \n \n \n \n About the Interdisciplinary Research Seminar \n \n \n \n This 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 Chun Fung Tong (tong.chunfung@hku.hk). URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/the-idea-of-china-a-contested-history/ LOCATION:Room 4.36\, Run Run Shaw Tower\, Centennial Campus ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3.-202603-Book-Launch_IHSS-Banner_1920x1080_page-0001-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20260331T120000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20260331T140000 DTSTAMP:20261028T170453 CREATED:20260318T015635Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T102712Z UID:103176-1774958400-1774965600@ihss.hku.hk SUMMARY:Stone Grinding as New Military Technology: How Early Complex Societies Rose in Neolithic China DESCRIPTION:Table of Contents \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Abstract \n \n \n \n God and government are fundamental sources of order in human societies\, yet people differ across societies in where they place their faith between the two. We argue that these enduring differences can be partly traced to the types of climate risk faced by ancestral communities. When people confronted incompensable risk such as temperature fluctuations\, they turned to religion for psychological solace. In contrast\, compensable risk like rainfall instability could be managed through irrigation and other collective endeavors and fostered lasting confidence in public institutions. We test this hypothesis using multiple sources of data and find robust patterns both across countries and across ethnic groups within countries. We also place our hypothesis in dialogue with existing research by examining how it relates to alternative accounts of the historical origins of culture and institutions. \n \n \n \n About the Speaker \n \n \n \n Professor Bai is the Sein and Isaac Souede Professor in Economic History and a Professor in the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Hong Kong. Before joining HKU\, he taught at the Chinese University of Hong Kong\, where he served as a Professor of Economics and Co-Director of the CUHK-UCSD Joint Laboratory on Chinese Economy. He earned his Ph.D. from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His research interests include development economics\, economic history\, and the political economy of China. He employs cutting-edge statistical techniques and novel datasets to address historically significant issues in China’s development\, such as the causes and consequences of conflict\, the impact of the West (particularly Protestantism) on modern economic growth\, and the political and economic implications of China’s key institutions—the imperial civil examination system and the hierarchical administrative system. Much of his research has been published in prestigious journals\, including The Quarterly Journal of Economics\, Econometrica\, The Review of Economics and Statistics\, The Economic Journal\, International Economic Review\, and the Journal of the European Economic Association. His work has been recognized with the 2018 Distinguished CESifo Research Affiliate Award and the 2021 Masahiko Aoki Award. Additionally\, in 2018\, he received the CUHK Young Researcher Award. \n \n \n \n About the Interdisciplinary Research Seminar \n \n \n \n This 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 Chun Fung Tong (tong.chunfung@hku.hk). URL:https://ihss.hku.hk/events/stone-grinding-as-new-military-technology-how-early-complex-societies-rose-in-neolithic-china/ LOCATION:201\, May Hall\, The University of Hong Kong\, or Via Zoom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ihss.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260331_IRS_Zhiwu-Chen_banner-1080.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR