Professor Kiely will introduce his recent book, The Compelling Ideal: Thought Reform and the Prison in China, 1901-1956 (Yale University Press, 2014), which explores the pre-Communist origins of the process of systematic thought reform or reformation (ganhua 感化) that evolved into the Communists “thought reform” (思想改造) regime – a key component of Mao Zedong’s revolutionary restructuring of Chinese society. Focusing on ganhua as it originated in China’s early twentieth-century prison system, this study brings the history of this critical phenomenon to life through the stories of individuals who conceptualized, implemented, and experienced it, and details how these techniques were subsequently adapted for broader social and political uses.

Michael Sandel's recent talk at CUHK and his comments to local newspapers on the frustrations local communities feel in an age of heightened inequality raise important questions for educators and for universities. The humanities is often regarded as the group of disciplines that can speak most meaningfully for the values a community holds dear. This talk will begin by examining the humanities from an Irish perspective. After all, John Henry Newman's influential series of talks on the "Idea of a University" were delivered for the inauguration of an Irish university. The talk will explore how the early humanities in colonial Ireland lived up to Newman's ideals and how they evolved in the post-colonial era. I will then explore some possible comparisons with the humanities in post-colonial Hong Kong. The final part of the talk will examine how the humanities should respond to questions of educational inequality in Hong Kong and elsewhere.

The South Asian communities have since the mid-19th century contributed to the development of a multicultural environment in Hong Kong, but as ethnic minorities they have been socially marginalized and often discriminated against. Using a two-tier model I conducted knowledge transfer projects on the Indian, Nepali, and Pakistani migrant cultures, as part of a bigger initiative to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of South Asian cultures and in promoting positive ethnic relations in Hong Kong. In the process I experimented with the development of intercultural education pedagogy in schools, community programs, and various partner organizations. In this talk I share my research-in-action experience