Message from the Programme Director

Professor ZHAN Jing Vivian

No matter how we see it, drastic historical changes are descending. The sleeping lion of China has not only awaken but also started to spread its footprints around the world. Looking back at the thousands of years of world history, each time when a power rises, it generates shocks that impact on even the far corners of the world. For us who live in the 21st century, we are destined to witness the arrival of a new era. Then the question is: how do we position ourselves and prepare for the extraordinary uncertainties ahead?

For those who are curious about what a rising China means and how we can get ready for the upcoming challenges, it is crucial to unpack the gigantic entity that’s called Greater China, including its political institutions and thoughts, economic system and development, social structures and movements, internal relations between the Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao, and external relations with the outside world. Only when we understand where the China we see today comes from, can we make informed judgments about where its goes in the future.

Against this background, the MSSc Program in Government and Politics (Greater China) was launched in 2012 to provide a platform for students to learn about the aforementioned aspects of the Greater China, to engage in intellectual dialogue and exploration with established China scholars, and to develop the capabilities of independent and critical thinking based on facts and from multiple angels. Our graduates are now pursuing divergent and flourishing careers in public service, civil society, academia, media, business etc. In the years to come, the GPGC program aims to continue to train independent, forward-looking China analysts who can use their knowledge to turn the formidable challenges associated with China’s rise into precious opportunities for not only the advancement of their own careers but also the betterment of the whole society.