Fellowship at Stanford: An opportunity to rejuvenate and renew

CASBS hosts some 40 fellows from diverse academic disciplines this year.
(Photo courtesy of CASBS)

Prof. Laikwan Pang from the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies was awarded the CUHK-Stanford University Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) Partner Fellowship in 2021–22. She engaged in an intellectual exchange at CASBS during September 2021–April 2022 with a cohort of distinguished thinkers and researchers from diverse academic disciplines including anthropology, communication, computer sciences and engineering, economics, education, law, political science, among others.

Like many of her CASBS fellows, Prof. Pang found her experience at CASBS very enriching. ‘I am very fortunate to join the CASBS class with some 40 outstanding scholars from major institutions worldwide to discuss cutting-edge scholarship and pressing social issues, ranging from innovative approaches to tackle entangled racial and class problems in the United States to the state-church tensions in medieval Europe; and from the recent waves of social movement in Latin America to the use of artificial intelligence in basic education. We also engaged in informed discussions about the Russo-Ukrainian War and the unfolding of the global pandemic. I am honoured to be a part of these vibrant discussions, and I am sure some of which would morph into important scholarship.’

Apart from the weekly seminars, Prof. Pang also joined two reading groups on ‘Democracy’ and ‘Commons’. ‘I discussed the past, the present and the future of humanity with leading scholars in different fields. I have humbly gained new insights for some of my own intellectual struggles. This fellowship has also provided me with a precious respite from my heavy duties at CUHK. I have come to treasure my university and my city even more after this very fruitful sabbatical year.’

The application call of the programme opens annually in September. Please stay tuned for the next call.

Prof. Laikwan Pang (front) has had an intellectually rewarding fellowship at CASBS.