2017 - 2019 REPORT
Institutional Development
Institutional Enhancement Scheme
With a generous gift from the Lee Hysan Foundation, the Institute established the Institutional Enhancement Scheme in 2013 and the Lee Hysan–HKIHSS Fellowship in 2014. These have greatly boosted our teaching capacity with distinguished visiting scholars who came successively to teach and mentor students, each for a semester. They have also provided unique opportunities for some of the best graduate students of the University to study with overseas mentors in top European and American academic institutions, maximizing the intellectual exposure of our graduate students, creating a valuable international network that connects the Institute with the best universities in the world. The scheme has already played a key role in building the intellectual hub that is the Institute today, and enriching its graduate teaching. We also look forward to seeing its longer-term impacts and fruits in the years to come.
I. Visiting Professors
In the past few years, the Institute has hosted five distinguished scholars who are area experts in the fields of history, anthropology and urban studies. They are Prof. Benjamin A. Elman (Princeton University), Prof. Timothy Oakes (University of Colorado Boulder), Prof. Helen F. Siu (Yale University), Prof. Dagmar Schäfer (Max Planck Institute for the History of Science), and Prof. Ellen Hertz (Université de Neuchâtel).
These distinguished professors participated in mentoring younger colleagues and students by offering seminar courses, giving lectures, and organizing one-to-one private consultation while continuing their participation in the projects of the Institute’s clusters. Prof. Helen F. Siu and Prof. Timothy Oakes were also invited by the University’s Graduate School to participate in dialogue sessions with graduate students from different faculties.
In addition, the visiting professors gave public lectures, and attended open forums and events. Here are some highlights:
- “Sinophiles and Sinophobes: Medical Debates and Medical Philology in Tokugawa Japan” by Prof. Benjamin A. Elman, October 6, 2016.
- “Happy Town: Biopolitical Urbanism and Cultural Governance in China” by Prof. Timothy Oakes (picture on the right), March 29, 2017.
- Sharing sessions by Prof. Helen F. Siu, January 23 and March 13, 2018.
- “Politics and Scientific Change in Dynastic China” by Prof. Dagmar Schäfer, March 20, 2018.
- “Digging Deeper: Anthropological Encounters with the Zambian Copperbelt” by Prof. Ellen Hertz, April 17, 2018.
- “Project Citizens Forum: What Makes Hong Kong Special?” with Prof. Helen F. Siu as one of the panel speakers, June 9, 2018.
- Project Citizens Forum on “Voice of Hong Kong” with Prof. Siu introducing Prof. Maybo Ching, one of the panel speakers, May 18, 2019.
- “Sinophiles and Sinophobes: Medical Debates and Medical Philology in Tokugawa Japan” by Prof. Benjamin A. Elman, October 6, 2016.
- “Happy Town: Biopolitical Urbanism and Cultural Governance in China” by Prof. Timothy Oakes, March 29, 2017.
- Sharing sessions by Prof. Helen F. Siu, January 23 and March 13, 2018.
- “Politics and Scientific Change in Dynastic China” by Prof. Dagmar Schäfer, March 20, 2018.
- “Digging Deeper: Anthropological Encounters with the Zambian Copperbelt” by Prof. Ellen Hertz, April 17, 2018.
- “Project Citizens Forum: What Makes Hong Kong Special?” with Prof. Helen F. Siu as one of the panel speakers, June 9, 2018.
- Project Citizens Forum on “Voice of Hong Kong” with Prof. Siu introducing Prof. Maybo Ching, one of the panel speakers, May 18, 2019.
Collaborating with these distinguished professors, the Institute has cemented its role as an intellectual hub with a solid track record in international networking and cutting-edge research, establishing a platform for creating research synergy.
II. Lee Hysan-HKIHSS Fellowship
Five PhD students were able to broaden horizons overseas with support from the Lee Hysan–HKIHSS Fellowship Scheme during the past three years. They were: Mr. Jules Liu (Sociology), Mr. Xiaomeng Liu (HKIHSS, Science and Technology in Asian Society), Ms. Shuo Hua (HKIHSS, Asian Hubs), Mr. Longwen Fu (Sociology), and Ms. Anna Iskra (HKIHSS, Asian Religious Connections). Each of them spent at least a semester abroad under the mentorship of senior scholars and area experts, and returned to the University with fresh, illuminating ideas and perspectives. Click on one of their photos to find out more.
