New Book Release by Prof. HO Pui Yin

 

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Recapping the International Conference of “Navigation Technology and Changes of Trading Networks in the Seas of Asia from Sixteenth to Nineteenth Century” held on 27-28 September 2018

The conference was jointly organised by the Department of History, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Fondation Maison des sciences de l’homme. Prof. CHEUNG Sui Wai (CUHK) and Prof. François GIPOULOUX (CNRS, France) delivered the welcome speeches. Twelve scholars from France and Hong Kong were invited to present papers or act as moderators at the two-day conference. The conference focused on navigation technology and changes of trading networks in the seas of East Asia and Southeast Asia from the sixteenth century to the nineteenth century. After the presentations, participants visited the Hong Kong Maritime Museum and the Hong Kong Cemetery. The two-day conference was satisfactorily concluded.

 

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Recapping the Public Lectures on History 2018–19 delivered by Prof. HUANG Tzu-chin of Academia Sinica on 4 October 2018

Prof. HUANG Tzu-chin, Research Fellow of Institute of Modern History, Academia Sinica, was invited by the Department as the guest speaker of the first lecture of “Public Lectures on History 2018–19”. The first lecture, entitled “Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek’s “Experiences in Japan” was held on 4 October 2018 at the Cho Yiu Conference Hall of CUHK. Prof. POO Mu-chou, Division Head of History Department, served as the moderator.

Comparing the different understanding on Japanese modernisation, evaluations on the philosophy of Wang Yangming as well as personal experiences in Japan between Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek, Prof. HUANG pointed out that the “Experiences in Japan” have various impacts on these two historical figures and interacted with the nation-building of modern China. The activities of Sun and Chiang in Japan were analysed in two tables, which supported the different influences on their idea contents caused by their different goals of staying in Japan. Prof. HUANG highlighted that Chiang Kai-shek shaped his personality during his stay at a military school in Japan when he was young. Therefore, the theory of “harmony of knowledge and practice” advocated by Chiang was inspired from the Meiji Reform. When he launched the New Life Movement during the 1930s, the philosophy of Wang Yangming and Bushidō introduced from Japan were also infused into it. Chiang even established an institution to re-educate his fellows and employed a Japanese advisory group in Taiwan in 1949. He advocated “Experiences in Japan” again. Some people argued that his theory contradicted Sun Yat-sen’s statement of “Acting is Easy, Knowing is Difficult”, but Chiang tried to unify their theories.

Prof. HUANG concluded that Sun and Chiang had different perspectives of Japanese history, which originated from their differing evaluations of the philosophy of Wang Yangming. Hence, they held divergent views on the historical position of Japan in China’s road to modernisation. Prof. HUANG responded to questions raised by the audience on Chiang’s governance in Taiwan during the 1950–60s, Chiang’s foreign policy and his own research project.

 

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Recapping the Academic Seminar “香港華資企業史研究的困境：以珠寶零售業為例” conducted by Dr. MA Muk Chi on 5 October 2018

Dr. MA Muk Chi examined the historical development of Hong Kong’s diamond industry and the management reforms of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Co Ltd from the 1960s to the 1990s. Prof. Alfred CHANDLER believed that professional managers were one of the most important inventions of modern business enterprises. The internal reform of Chow Tai Fook appeared to aim at development towards a modern enterprise. However, Dr. MA argued that the Chow Tai Fook’s professional management reform was not influenced by Chandler’s theory but was closely related to the continuous business expansion of that enterprise group.

 

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Public Lecture by CUHK-CCK Foundation Asia-Pacific Centre for Chinese Studies Visiting Scholar 2018

Professor CHOW Kai-wing, Department of History, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has been invited as the guest speaker to deliver two public lectures.

Lectures will be conducted in English.

Reservation is required. To reserve a seat, please register online at
https://goo.gl/forms/eke2fyTWrJf0LlJp2

For enquiry, please call at 3943 6548 / email to apc.cckf@cuhk.edu.hk

Organisers: Institute of Chinese Studies, CUHK; Centre for Chinese History, Department of History, CUHK; CUHK–Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation Asia-Pacific Centre for Chinese Studies

 

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Academic Seminar

 

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比較及公眾史學文學碩士課程升學分享會

 

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Academic Seminar

 

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Public Lectures on History 2018-19

The second lecture of Public Lectures on History 2018-19 will be held in November 2018. Professor YIP Hon Ming, Adjunct Professor of History Department, CUHK, has been invited as the guest speaker to deliver a public lecture.

Admission is free; reservation is required.
– For online registration and more information, please visit www.history.cuhk.edu.hk/Event/2018_PLH
– Call at 3943 8541

Organisers:Department of History, CUHK; Centre for Comparative and Public History, Department of History, CUHK; MA Programme in Comparative and Public History, Department of History, CUHK; Hong Kong Public Libraries, Leisure and Cultural Services Department

 

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please email your articles in both Chinese and English to chanfiona@cuhk.edu.hk by 4:00pm every Tuesday.