New Plaques Unveiling Ceremony for the Department of History

To welcome the 60th anniversary of the Department of History, the new plaques unveiling ceremony of the Department was held on 14 November 2022 and officiated by Prof. CHEUNG Sui Wai, Department Chairman, Prof. LAI Ming Chiu, Former Department Chairman, and student representatives. The Department name carved on the plaques are written by Prof. LEE Yun Woon and Prof. LAI Ming Chiu respectively. All teaching members were delighted to witness the official unveiling of the new plaques. The ceremony marked the beginning of a new chapter of the Department.

New Book Released by Prof. LAM Weng Cheong

Recapping the World History Seminar “Medical Lives in the Age of Surgical Revolution: An Example of Medical History and World History” conducted by Prof. Marguerite DUPREE on 10 November 2022

Prof. Marguerite DUPREE from the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, was invited by the Centre for Comparative and Public History to deliver a lecture entitled “Medical Lives in the Age of Surgical Revolution: An Example of Medical History and World History” on 10 November 2022. At the beginning, she retrieved how medical history evolved into social history with new directions emerging. For all the wide-ranging and diverse dimensions in studying the history of medicine, the “great men” tradition in which the scholarship peeked into medicine’s intellectual history and significant men cannot be neglected. Moreover, the challenges encountered and niche to be found in society could be well grappled with an examination of history from below. Medical education at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in the late nineteenth century exemplified this history. At that time, even the male medical students tended to confront both physical and professional challenges, leading to many dropouts. Joseph Lister served as the key figure who had developed new ideas of methods of antiseptic surgery, yet he opposed the first cohorts of female doctors to access his classes. Nonetheless, Sophia Jex-Blake, a member of the Edinburgh Seven, managed to be the first female doctor in Scotland. Though the female practitioners’ network could hardly rival that of the male, it still provided strong personal and professional support for them. To conclude, Professor Dupree’s seminar entails a study of the complex networks including colleges and teachers to better understand the history of medicine in late-nineteenth-century Britain.

Recapping the “Workshops for the Final-Year RPg Students 2022-23” held on 11 November 2022

The Division of History organised the “Workshops for the Final Year RPg Students 2022-23”, which offered an interactive sharing platform for the Department’s research postgraduate students to exchange and discuss their research findings. The first session of workshop was held on 11 November 2022. With the encouragement of Prof. PUK Wing Kin, Division Head, students were eager to interact with each other in lively discussions.

Recapping the “Online Information Seminar for the M.A. Programme in Comparative and Public History” on 12 November 2022

The Online Information Seminar for the M.A. Programme in Comparative and Public History was held on 12 November 2022. Prof. HE Xi, the Programme Director, introduced our M.A. programme features, study schemes and course offering list with nearly 80 prospective students.

Recapping the Public Lecture “古代的國、家、人：馬丁蓋爾回歸與婦人黃氏回歸” conducted by Prof. PUK Wing Kin on 12 November 2022

Prof. PUK Wing Kin delivered a lecture entitled “古代的國、家、人：馬丁蓋爾回歸與婦人黃氏回歸” on 12 November 2022. This lecture discussed two cases of imposture, Martin Guerre in 16-Century France and Mrs. Huang in Ming Dynasty, and compared the relationship of nation, family and individual between Western and Chinese ancient times.

Recapping Academic Seminar “以言入罪：港英時期的言論自由與政治審查” held on 12 November 2022

An online Academic Seminar “以言入罪：港英時期的言論自由與政治審查” was held on 12 November 2022. Dr. Michael NG of Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong discussed the political censorship in colonial Hong Kong with his recent publication Political Censorship in British Hong Kong: Freedom of Expression and the Law (1842-1997) with participants.

World History Seminar (2022-23)

Organisers: Centre for Comparative and Public History, Department of History, CUHK
Enquiry: 3943 8541

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 Monday.