2019/12/02 | Department of History, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Department News

We deeply regret that students are inevitably affected by recent incidents on campus. The University has decided to cancel the centralized examinations for 1st term of 2019-20 scheduled from 4 to 20 December 2019. Alternative forms of assessment are being considered by our teachers. Details will be announced to students concerned by Department via appropriate channels such as email or Department website as early as possible.

Students are advised to contact their academic advisors, supervisors, Chairman or respective Programme Office if you need helps on learning or mental health issues. We will walk with students during this difficult time and render appropriate supports. We sincerely care about you!

Congratulations to the graduates of the 2018-19 MA Programme in Comparative and Public History! Recapping the group photo-taking session held at the Lady Shaw Building Rooftop Garden on 8 November 2019. Prof. LAI Ming Chiu, Chairman of the Department, was invited to present the Scholarship for Outstanding History MA Students awards to Miss CHAN Wan Sze and Mr. WONG Chu Shing as encouragement for their pursuit of academic excellence.

Academic Activities

Recapping the Academic Seminar “Keeping the Memory Alive: Oral History as a Narrative Quest” conducted by Prof. Rowena HE on 1 November 2019

Prof. HE Rowena started the seminar by introducing how oral history was used as a methodology in modern Chinese history studies, and pointed out its unique research value as a personal and contextual history memory. During the process of collecting oral history materials, researchers’ interactions with interviewees and long-term follow up and revisits and the establishment of good interpersonal networks were important for conducting in-depth interviews. Researchers should be honest to interviewees, readers and themselves. They should adhere to academic ethics and moral, combine their thoughts with the contents of the interviews, and produce interactive readings and thoughts from interactive materials. Public opinion could easily be manipulated in the real world. Mastering the power to narrate history was equivalent to mastering the power to interpret the present and the future. As such, intellectuals should always keep their conscience clear at all times.

Recapping the “Workshops for the Final-Year RPg Students 2019-20” held on 8 November 2019

The Division of History organised the “Workshops for the Final-Year RPg Students 2019-20”, which offered an interactive sharing platform for the Department’s research postgraduate students to exchange and discuss their research findings. Prof. HO Pui Yin, Division Head, delivered opening remarks to the research postgraduate students and encouraged them to take advantage of their presentations and discussions to expand their knowledge and experience.

Recapping the “Further Study Sharing Session 2019-20” held on 8 November 2019

Further Study Sharing Session of the MA Programme in Comparative and Public History was successfully held on 8 November 2019. Prof. CHEUNG Sui Wai, the Programme Director illustrated the key points on applying MPhil Programme in History to around 30 current MA Programme participants. Three MPhil and PhD in History students were also invited to share their application experiences in the sharing session.

Recapping the Academic Seminar “中西古代文明死後世界之比較：文獻與解讀” conducted by Prof. POO Mu-chou on 8 November 2019

Prof. POO Mu-chou addressed the meaning of doing ancient historical cross-cultural research, he used the imagination of the world after dead as a case study to compare this view among ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece and China in details. By comparing literature and history texts, archaeology materials and images, Prof. POO made a thorough comparison on the construction of the netherworld in form of burial styles, ritual context, ghosts and deities, and hierarchies in different civilizations. Then, Prof. POO further listed the afterlife world of the four civilizations from religious perspectives, which enable us to understand the knowledge dissemination and epistemology. Finally, he reasserted the significance of cross-cultural study and paying attention to the selection and interpretation of historical materials.

Best wishes from the Department.
Merry Christmas and a Prosperous 2020!

The newsletter will resume on 6 January 2020.

For teachers and students who have information to share with the Department,
please email your articles in both Chinese and English to chanfiona@cuhk.edu.hk by 4:00pm every Tuesday.