SocSci Viewpoint – COVID-19 Talk Series

Behind the ‘Korean model’: How South Korea successfully contained the COVID-19 outbreak?”

Synopsis: The western world is now all learning from the ‘Korean Model’ in promptly containing the spread of virus in Korea within 3 to 4 weeks since the first major outbreak happened there in late February. The talk will review how South Korean government in handling the COVID-19 crisis, and how Korean can set up their virus testing scheme so fast and comprehensively.

Speaker: Mr CHUNG Lok Wai Steve (Assistant Lecturer, Global Studies Programme)
Language: Cantonese

The New Normal: Rethinking Everyday Life During a Pandemic

Synopsis: Amidst the panic and casualties, the suspension of the “normal” under the pandemic is exposing many of the foundations of our society, offering us a unique opportunity to rethink about everyday life – from personal priority, family relations to more general notions of work, study and gender, are we finding new ways of being together with each other and ourselves?

Speaker: Dr WONG Yuk-Ying Sonia (Lecturer, Gender Studies Programme)
Language: Cantonese

Going Viral: Misinformation and Disinformation in the Pandemic

Synopsis: News on virus is going viral. In the age of information abundance when misinformation and disinformation is infecting our mind, how should we make sense of statistics, and distinguish valuable information from fake news?

Speaker: Dr AU Ka Lun Allan (Professional Consultant, School of Journalism and Communication)
Language: Cantonese

The Pandemic and the September Legislative Council Election

5 June 2020 (Friday), 4:00pm-4:45pm

Synopsis: A government’s performance during a crisis usually affects its popularity and electoral fortunes. How would the COVID-19 pandemic affect the popularity of Hong Kong government, and how would that affect the Legislative Council elections in September? What are the calculations and strategies of different parties, and what are the most important factors affecting the election result?

Speaker: Prof MA Ngok (Associate Professor, Department of Government and Public Administration)
Language: Cantonese

2020: A Year without Public Space

9 June 2020 (Tuesday), 4:00pm-4:45pm

Synopsis: The social distance dictated by the COVID-19 public health emergency has created a range of impacts on different levels. While global lockdown is challenging world leaders with a destabilizing economy, at the human level the pandemic is affecting access to public space, generating isolation and loneliness, helplessness and fear. The talk is related to an initiative of the School of Architecture at CUHK in partnership with the Journal of Public Space and a number of international scholars, reflecting on COVID-19’s different impacts on public space as well as people’s health and wellbeing.

Speaker: Prof TIEBEN Hendrik (Associate Professor, School of Architecture)
Language: English

Working poor & poverty children: Why they become poorer in pandemic?

12 June 2020 (Friday), 4:00pm-4:45pm

Synopsis: This talk will introduce and discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on the livelihood and working life of the working poor and the learning of the poor students. It will show the interaction effects between social inequality and health inequality.

Speaker: Prof WONG Hung (Associate Professor, Department of Social Work)
Language: Cantonese

What is being ‘normal’ like in an abnormal circumstance?

16 June 2020 (Tuesday), 4:00pm-4:45pm

Synopsis: COVID-19 sweeps through the world and leaves with us a myriad of consequences, both physical and psychological. This talk will address the psychological impacts that we might be undergoing, and how we can bounce back and restore resilience.

Speaker: Prof SO Ho Wai Suzanne (Associate Professor, Department of Psychology)
Language: Cantonese

Seeing and Closing in on the Invisible Killer

19 June 2020 (Friday), 4:00pm-4:45pm

Synopsis: In the era of Big Data and AI, the capability of government in tracking and controlling pandemic has been significantly strengthened. This online talk identifies the data strategies for formulating effective policies to fight pandemic by comparing the successful and not successful countries and regions in this COVID-19 outbreak. It does not only introduce the most advanced data technologies but also emphasizes the importance of the fundamental concepts of data science to policy studies. The talk uses plain language and lively examples. All audience, including those without a technical background, are welcome.

Speaker: Prof WONG Wai Ho Wilson (Programme Director, Data Science and Policy Studies Programme)
Language: Cantonese

Visualizing the Pandemic

23 June 2020 (Tuesday), 4:00pm-4:45pm

Synopsis: Geographers use maps to learn about distribution and pattern of any kind of space-and-time phenomenon. The spread of COVID-19 showcases how maps are used to visualize the pandemic in different parts of the world. In everyday news, you might have seen some of them and what about those you don’t? Have you wondered where do they come from? How do we make use of them? What is the role of maps in this pandemic? The talk is going to tell the story about maps and the importance of maps to help us understand the pandemic.

Speaker: Dr WONG Kwan Kit Frankie (Senior Lecturer, Department of Geography and Resource Management)
Language: Cantonese

Sociological Imagination and Pandemics

26 June 2020 (Friday), 4:00pm-4:45pm

Synopsis: Sociologists study how pandemic affects individual, family, community and institutions. How they respond and why they respond differently. Who plays a critical role in the sourcing of protective gears in your family? What kinds of pandemic related information are you getting from your social media? Why are you staring at someone walking without a mask on the street? Who is more likely to get infected, identified and treated with the disease? Is community better organized also suffer less and recover sooner? Can universal health care and basic income welfare effectively address the pandemic and its negative consequences? The sociological imagination helps you to understand the pandemic from your daily life examples.

Speaker: Dr LEE King Wa Kent (Lecturer, Department of Sociology)
Language: English