Politics Square and Fair

Established in 1970, the Department of Government and Public Administration (GPA) at CUHK launched a new website in 2015 with a new logo to represent the identity of GPA as an open, vibrant and professional academic department.

‘In GPA, we study a variety of political systems and phenomena. A political system is a framework, much like the rectangular frame of our Department’s logo,’ explains Prof. Chow Po-chung, chairman of GPA’s Admissions and PR Committee at that time.

But the logo does not represent an enclosed structure. Take a closer look and you’ll find several openings on its sides.

‘The design suggests that a social or political system should always remain open. It should be flexible and provide a platform for individuals with different opinions to interact.’

In addition to being an open and diverse learning community, GPA is also committed to excellence in teaching, learning and research. The outward pointing arrows in the logo signify an ambitious pursuit of knowledge. They are also symbols of the Department’s vibrant culture, as the GPA members are always ready to step out of their comfort zones, reach out to the community and communicate with people with different values and beliefs.

The diagonal lines in the logo form two Chinese characters ren (人, people), which suggest the close relationships between political decisions and people in the society. The left character, zheng (正, justice) reminds all GPA students of the importance of social justice and that the objective of studying or going into politics is to serve the people, instead of pursuing personal interests.

Against a white background, the logo evokes a sense of confidence, seriousness and professionalism. Black is also the summation of all colours, which is most suitable to represent GPA’s diverse culture and the broad spectrum of political views shared by its members.

With a minimalist design, the GPA logo successfully creates an impressive visual identity for a department that is determined to embrace openness and diversity. It also represents the professional ethics of its members, who are always prepared to accept more challenges and strive to achieve higher goals.

This article was originally published in No. 497, Newsletter in May 2017.

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Department of Government and Public Administration Faculty of Social Science brand Chow Po-chung