Message from Department Chairman

Welcome all the freshmen to the Department of History. I am sure you feel the excitement to face a new chapter of your life, particularly a new mode of learning environment. After the Academic Counselling, hopefully you are getting acquainted with each other, understanding university’s tradition and the curriculum structure of the History courses. If you still have uncertainties in your study plan, you can consult your academic advisor for the challenges ahead.

Why do you choose history as your major? Many people in Hong Kong society think that History is not a practical major. Practical majors lead to so called “successful jobs” while impractical majors don’t. Who cares about Stone Age, who cares how Ancient China transformed to Medieval China? Even not many people know Sima Qian and Ban Gu, not to mention Herodotus and Thucycdides. Also many people think history is worthless, not relevant to them. But as a history student, you will witness that the study and training of history “make us wiser in our public choices and more richly human in our private lives.” (William H. McNeill, “Why Study History?” quoted from the website of American Historical Association, https://www.historians.org). Peter N. Stearns advocates that history serves our laboratory, no matter how imperfect evidence is, it helps us understand people and societies. “The past causes the present, and so the future.” “Only through studying history can we grasp how things change; only through history can we begin to comprehend the factors that cause change; and only through history can we understand what elements of an institution or a society persist despite change.” (Peter N. Stearns, “Why Study History?” quoted from https://www.historians.org) I hope the above quotations will give confidence to your study of history major.

Professor LAI Ming Chiu
Chairman, Department of History

Welcome back!

Hope you all had a wonderful summer and wish you a successful academic year ahead!

Our warmest welcome to all new students of the Department of History!

Congratulations to Prof. CHEUNG Hiu Yu for securing a grant from the Early Career Scheme 2017-18 for his research on Empowered by Imperial Ancestors: Ritual Politics and Ritualists in Northern Song Reforms.

Congratulations to Prof. CHEUNG Sui Wai for securing a grant from the RGC General Research Fund 2017-18 for his research on Juggling Money: Tribute-grain Riots in the Qing Dynasty.

Congratulations to Prof. CHIU Peng-sheng for securing a grant from the RGC General Research Fund 2017-18 for his research on Commerce and Politics from the Mid-Eighteenth to the Mid-Nineteenth Century in an Upper Yangtze City—Chongqing.

Congratulations to Prof. HSIUNG Ping-chen for securing a grant from the RGC General Research Fund 2017-18 for her research on Male Medicine and Reproduction in Late Imperial China.

Congratulations to Prof. POO Mu-chou for securing a grant from the RGC General Research Fund 2017-18 for his research on The Use of Witchcraft in Court Politics in Early and Medieval China.

Congratulations to Prof. PUK Wing Kin for securing a grant from the RGC General Research Fund 2017-18 for his research on Chinese Cultural Unity as Seen from the Wuyuan Code of Sacrifice.

Congratulations to Prof. Noah SHUSTERMAN for securing a grant from the RGC General Research Fund 2017-18 for his research on Militias and Citizen-Soldiers in Early Modern France (1550-1800).

Congratulations to Prof. Ian MORELY for being awarded the History Department Teaching Award 2016.

Students who wish to change their 2017–18 First Term course enrolments are reminded to do so via the CUSIS during the following specified add/drop periods:

Undergraduate programme: Between 8:30pm on 11 September 2017 and 8:30pm on 17 September 2017.
Postgraduate programmes: Between 10am on 4 September 2017 and 5:30pm on 18 September 2017.

New Book Release by Prof. CHEUNG Sui Wai

Prof. CHEUNG Sui Wai has been reappointed as Professor with effect from 1 August 2017.

Prof. Ian MORLEY has been reappointed as Associate Professor with effect from 1 August 2017.

Prof. POO Mu-chou has been reappointed as Research Professor with effect from 1 August 2017.

Dr. LUI Wing Sing left the Department on 31 August 2017. The Department would like to extend its appreciation to Dr. LUI for his contributions to the Department.

Recapping the “Lecture on Hong Kong Historical Documentary — Recreating Hong Kong Historical Memory: The Making of the Documentary Ballad on the Shore and the History of Hong Kong Fishermen Villages” at the Hong Kong Museum of History on 10 June 2017

Mr. MA Chi-hang, director of the documentary Ballad on the Shore gave a public talk and shared with an audience of nearly 180. Mr. MA shared images from his documentary that captured daily life in fishing villages. Through the images, he wished to draw the attention of the younger generation to the disappearing fishing villages of Hong Kong.

Recapping the International Conference of “Recapture “Endangering” Social Life: Source Materials and Ways of Living of the East Asian Overseas Chinese during the Pacific War Period” held on 12–14 June 2017

More than 20 scholars from the UK, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Mainland China and Hong Kong were invited to present papers or act as moderators in the three-day conference. Prof. HAMASHITA Takeshi of Sun Yat-sen University delivered the keynote speech.

The objective of the three-day conference was to understand the Pacific War period from the commoners’ perspective through an analysis of source materials, comparing ways of living in various Chinese communities under Japanese governance. The conference was satisfactorily concluded.

Recapping the "History Department Retreat 2017" held on 13 June 2017

The History Department Retreat 2017 was held at CUHK on 13 June 2017. The Department’s teaching staff discussed and shared their views on the Department’s development strategies.

Recapping the Conference of "Southeast Asia in Evolution Trans-Pacific Agency and the City, c. 1850–1941” held on 24 June 2017

With the theme of Southeast Asian-US connectivity between the mid-1800s and 1941, scholars from the Philippines and Hong Kong were invited to present papers and share their insights on the topic at the conference. The conference was officiated by Prof. LAI Ming Chiu, Department Chairman and Prof. Ian MORLEY, Organiser of the Conference. Prof. Judy Celine ICK of the Department of English and Comparative Literature, University of the Philippines delivered the keynote speech.

Recapping the Orientation Workshop for Research Postgraduate Students 2017–18 conducted on 1 August 2017

The Orientation Workshop for Research Postgraduate Students was conducted on 1 August 2017. The workshop was hosted by Prof. LAI Ming Chiu, Department Chairman, and Prof. HO Pui Yin, Department Vice-chair. It aimed at giving an overview of the Department and programme features to postgraduate students. Miss Emily CHEUNG, Assistant Lecturer, then provided a briefing on the role of teaching assistants in the Department. Current students shared their experience on studies at the Department and the University and life in Hong Kong with the new students towards the end of the workshop.

Recapping the Academic Counselling for New Students of the Undergraduate Programme conducted on 11 August 2017

To enable new students to gain a better understanding of the Undergraduate Programme offered by the Department of History, the Department organised an academic counselling session on 11 August 2017, which was attended by 60 new students.

Teaching members of the Department provided information on programme features, study schemes and course selection requirements. The Department’s senior undergraduate students were also invited to share their fruitful university life. Participants were keen to take the opportunity to meet and exchange views with the Department’s teaching staff.

Recapping the “Kyoto University-CUHK History Student Cultural Exchange Seminar” held on 11 August 2017

With the welcome speech delivered by Prof. LAI Ming Chiu, Department Chairman, the “Kyoto University-CUHK History Student Cultural Exchange Seminar” was held at G24 of Fung King Hey Building. Seven undergraduate students from Kyoto University visited the Department and participated in the seminar. They gave presentations on the following three topics: “Landscape Preservation in Kyoto,” “Food Self-Sufficiency Rates of Hong Kong and Japan” and “University Life in Kyoto University.” Presentations were also made by 17 undergraduate students from the Department on the following four topics: “Hong Kong’s Story: From Villages to Cosmopolis,” “Food in Hong Kong: The Story behind Our Food,” “Hongkongers and their Natural Treasures” and “Hungry Ghost Festival in Hong Kong and Japan — the Different Ways and Meaning of Celebration.” Students from both universities greatly enjoyed the presentations and discussions at the seminar and the fellowship dinner afterwards.

Report by Dr. SIU Kam Wah

Academic Exchange with Department of History, National Taipei University

Students and teachers from the Department of History of National Taipei University will visit the Department for academic exchange in September 2017. During their visit, they will hold two sharing sessions and two academic seminars. Details are as follows:

Sharing Sessions by Students of the Department of History, National Taipei University

First Session

Second Session

Academic Seminars

Date :        15 September 2017 (Friday)
Time :        2:30pm–5:30pm
Venue :      Room 220, 2/F, Fung King Hey Building, CUHK

First Session

Second Session

The sharing sessions and academic seminars will be conducted in Putonghua. For enquiry, please call 3943 8659.

Organiser:     Department of History, CUHK
Co-organiser: Department of History, National Taipei University

Academic Seminar

Academic Seminar

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 Tuesday.