Recapping the “CUHK History Day 2022” held on 12 November 2022

The Department held the “CUHK History Day 2022” through a mixed mode of face-to-face and online platform on 12 November 2022. This annual event serves as a platform for the Department to share the teaching and learning of history with the secondary school teachers and students.

Participants enjoyed informative and interesting public lectures that were delivered by Dr. WOO Tsz Yan Jessie and Dr. CHEN Wenyan on the theme “Historical Experience of Epidemics”. These lectures explored the fun and life experience of studying history. In addition, two of our undergraduate students shared their wonderful campus life and experiences, and the pleasure of participating in summer internship and exchange programme.

The event was well received and drew around 110 participants.

Recapping the World History Seminar “Muslim-Christian Relations: Religious Exchange and the Formation of the Early Islamic World” Conducted by Dr. John ZALESKI on 17 November 2022

Dr. John ZALESKI from the Department of Theology, Loyala University Maryland, was invited by the Centre for Comparative and Public History to deliver a lecture entitled “Muslim-Christian Relations: Religious Exchange and the Formation of the Early Islamic World” on 17 November 2022. He started the talk by showing the territorial vicissitude of the early Islamic world, in which some of the contemporary Christians were multilingual and diversified in professions. In this sense, Christians and Muslims tended to cooperate in the fields of government, science, warfare, and religion. Specifically, with monastery functioning as the local communal center, the Syriac Christian took the form of three different Christian communities: Church of the East (“East Syrian”), Miaphysite (“Syriac Orthodox”), and Chalcedonian (“Melkite”). To better practice monasticism, the Muslims learned from the Christian monks regarding dress, prayer, and fasting. The Muslims, nonetheless, adopted both appreciation and criticism towards this monastic way of life. Moreover, the prayer was conducted beyond individual behavior but as a part of family life. Overall, central Christian and Islamic practices gradually took shape via the cooperation and conflict between each other.

Recapping the “Workshops for the Final-Year RPg Students 2022-23” held on 18 November 2022

The two-session “Workshops for the Final Year RPg Students 2022-23” were satisfactorily concluded on 18 November 2022. The Workshops offered an interactive platform for the Department’s research postgraduate students to exchange and discuss their research findings.

Recapping the “Further Study Sharing Session 2022-23” held on 18 November 2022

Further Study Sharing Session of the M.A. Programme in Comparative and Public History was successfully held on 18 November 2022. Prof. HE Xi, the Programme Director, illustrated the key points on applying the M.Phil. Programme of the Department of History to around 20 current M.A. Programme students. Two M.Phil. and Ph.D. students of our Department were also invited to share their application experiences in the sharing session.

Recapping the Academic Seminar “A New View of Ruan Dacheng” held on 19 November 2022

An online academic seminar “A New View of Ruan Dacheng” was held online on 19 November 2022. Dr. Alison HARDIE shared her recent publication The Many Faces of Ruan Dacheng: Poet, Playwright, Politician in Seventeenth-Century China with nearly 70 participants. She examined Ruan Dacheng’s attitudes to identity and authenticity, the dilemma of social and political engagement versus reclusion, and the marginal and the exotic by examining examples of Ruan’s poetry and plays.

Recapping the Guided Tours for the “Heritage Vogue·Hollywood Road 2022” on 20 November 2022

Prof. CHEUNG Sui Wai, Prof. Ian MORLEY, Prof. LUK Chi Hung Gary and Miss FUNG Cho Yiu Yobi, our undergraduate student, were invited by the Commissioner for Heritage’s Office of the Development Bureau to host three guided tours of historical and cultural spots in the Central and Western District for the “Heritage Vogue·Hollywood Road 2022” on 20 November 2022.

Prof. CHEUNG guided the public to investigate the history and architecture of St. John’s Cathedral. Prof. Morley provided an in-depth journey to explore the mishmash of old and new Central. Prof. LUK and Yobi led the participants to walk from the Central Market to the Western Market. The tours provided a unique opportunity for the public to experience the rich history and culture of the Central and Western District.

World History Seminar (2022-23)

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

Best wishes from the Department.
Merry Christmas and a Prosperous 2023!

The newsletter will resume on 9 January 2023.

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.