MESSAGE FROM THE CONVENORS |
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Welcome to the sixth edition of Intersections, the annual newsletter of the UBC Hong Kong Studies Initiative.
It was five years ago, in April 2017, that colleagues at UBC and elsewhere came together to launch the Hong Kong Studies Initiative. We didn't really know what we were doing, but, instinctively, we thought it would be the right thing to do. We believe time has proven us correct.
Over the past year, despite the havoc caused by Covid, we have forged on with teaching, research, and community engagement—the three pillars of our work. We have offered a variety of Hong Kong-related courses, we have continued to provide a platform for scholars to share their research (e.g., The Battle of Hong Kong in 1941 project), and we have, especially through our “City Reassembled” series, engaged in a wide range of conversations featuring speakers both within and beyond the academia.
We are deeply grateful for the support we have received, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank our students (for taking our classes and for being interested in Hong Kong), our colleagues at UBC and elsewhere for contributing to—and sharing their excitement about—this enterprise, and all who have attended our events, made use of our library resources, or otherwise share our commitment to promoting and advancing the studies of Hong Kong. Thank you.
Finally, we—especially Leo—are excited to announce a transition of leadership. As Leo takes his study leave, Helena will step into the role of Convenor of the Hong Kong Studies Initiative for 2022–23. Much will be happening this coming academic year, so we sincerely hope (and trust) you will continue to support our work.
With very best wishes,
Leo K. Shin
Associate Professor, History and Asian Studies
Convenor (on leave), Hong Kong Studies Initiative 共研香江
The University of British Columbia
Helena Wu
Assistant Professor of Hong Kong Studies, Asian Studies
Convenor, Hong Kong Studies Initiative 共研香江
The University of British Columbia
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CELEBRATION |
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Class of 2022!
Hearty congratulations—especially to all who have been part of the Hong Kong and Cantonese studies family at the University of British Columbia (video)!
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60th Anniversary of the Department of Asian Studies
In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Department of Asian Studies, we took stock of the development of Hong Kong and Cantonese studies at UBC and looked forward to possibilities (video).
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Chair in Hong Kong Studies
It is with great pleasure that we welcome Dr. Helena Wu to the Department of Asian Studies as Assistant Professor of Hong Kong Studies. Check out her profile and interview to learn more about Dr. Wu’s research and teaching interests.
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Global Nexus for Hong Kong Studies
Along with our academic partners in Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the UBC Hong Kong Studies Initiative is honored and excited to be a founding member of the Global Nexus for Hong Kong Studies, an interdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and inter-continental network devoted to the promotion of Hong Kong-related scholarship.
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CITY REASSEMBLED 我載 • 我城 |
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In the City Reassembled series, we invited filmmakers, journalists, writers, as well as scholars from fields including anthropology, economics, history, literary and cultural studies, political science, social work, and sociology to explore the past, present, and future of the Hong Kong diaspora. Please visit our Video Library or YouTube channel for available recordings.
This series was made possible by the generous support of the Watt Family - Hong Kong Studies Initiative Fund as well as by: Department of Asian Studies, Department of History, Centre for Chinese Research, Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies, Centre for Migration Studies, Public Humanities Hub, and Interdisciplinary Histories Research Cluster.
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The Chinese and Hong Kong Diasporas in the U.S.-China Conflict
1 October 2021
In this inaugural webinar for the City Reassembled series, noted scholar and commentator Prof. Y. Joseph Lian shared his thoughts on the predicament of the Chinese and Hong Kong diasporas (details | webcast | photos).
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Late Colonialism: “Hong Kong People” and the Popular Re-imagining of an Instituting Imaginary
29 October 2021
Prof. Gregory Lee, of the University of St. Andrews, was joined by discussant Dr. Clement Tong for a wide-ranging discussion on the emergence of “Hong Kong People” as an identity (details | webcast | photos).
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Enrooting an Emerging Diasporic Identity: The Legacies of Hong Kong Immigrants in Canada’s Migration History
19 November 2021
Prof. Miu Chung Yan of the School of Social Work shared his thoughts on the legacies of Hong Kong immigrants to Canada as well as on the challenges ahead (details | webcast | photos).
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Voice After Exit: How Transnational Ties Shape Hong Kong Americans’ Political Engagement and Voting Behavior
10 December 2021
Dr. Maggie Shum and Prof. Victoria Hui, of the University of Notre Dame, was joined by Prof. Yves Tiberghien for a conversation on the transnational ties of Hong Kongers in the United States (details | webcast | photos).
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Reunification
家庭團聚
28 January 2022
Director Alvin Tsang joined host Dr. Helena Wu for a public yet intimate conversation on his journey of making his award-winning film Reunification, a documentary on migration and family reconciliation now available also through the UBC Library (details | webcast | photos).
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What is Diaspora? A Possible Dialogue with Hong Kong Studies
18 February 2022
Prof. Shelly Chan of the University of California, Santa Cruz, was joined by Prof. Diana Lary for a conversation on the idea of diaspora in the context of Hong Kong studies (details | webcast | photos).
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Fear(less) and Dear
誠惶 (不) 誠恐,親愛的
11 March 2022
Director Anson Mak joined host Dr. Helena Wu for the North American premier screening of Fear(less) and Dear, a documentary that centers on three Hong Kong-based artists who are also parents (details | photos).
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Hong Kong Identity: Past, Present, and Future
17 March 2022
Prof. Gordon Mathews of the Chinese University of Hong Kong reflected on the past, present, and future of the Hong Kong identity (details | webcast | photos).
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Hongkongers’ International Front: The Global Politics of Diaspora during and after the 2019 Anti-Extradition Protest
28 April 2022
Prof. Ming-sho Ho of National Taiwan University shared his research findings on the pro-democracy campaigns of Hong Kong’s diasporic communities (details | webcast | photos).
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The Hong Kong and Taiwanese Diaspora in the Literary Imagination
19 May 2022
Writers Sam Cheuk and Julia Lin were joined by moderator Allan Cho, Executive Director of the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop, for a thoughtful conversation on their diasporic and creative experiences (details | webcast | photos).
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Journalism in the Age of Fakes
16 June 2022
Journalists Chris Yeung and Louisa Lim were joined by HKSI Convenor Leo K. Shin for a conversation on Hong Kong’s fast-changing media landscape as well as the challenges faced by journalists and journalism around the world (details | webcast | photos).
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IN THE MEDIA |
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Over the past year, HKSI faculty associates have shared their insights on, among other topics, Canada–China relations, the Cantonese language, Chinese/Hong Kong Canadians, Hong Kong culture, Hong Kong diasporic communities, the changing political ecology in Hong Kong, and the 25th anniversary of the Handover.
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STUDENT ENGAGEMENT |
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Check out these recent student projects from ASIA 324 (Literature of Hong Kong), ASIA 325 (Hong Kong Cinema), and the Cantonese language courses.
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Pursuing Graduate Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences
想讀就去讀
21 October 2021
Moderated by Dr. Benjamin Cheung, a panel of current and recently-survived graduate students (Dr. Meingold Chan, Ryan Iu, Dr. Zoe Lam, and Karen Wong) shared their experiences in pursuing graduate studies in the humanities and social sciences (details).
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Hong Kong/Cantonese Studies: A Student Showcase
8 April 2022
In this annual celebration hosted by the Hong Kong Studies Initiative and the Cantonese Language Program, undergraduate and graduate students came together to showcase their Hong Kong/Cantonese-related projects to fellow students as well as interested faculty members. (details | photos).
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CANTONESE LANGUAGE PROGRAM |
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Cantonese Popular Culture Master Class Series
January–June 2022
Over the course of the academic year, a variety of guest speakers were invited to share their insights with students in the Cantonese Language Program on topics including cinema, fashion, literature, music, and theater (details).
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Vancouver Hong Kong Fair
14 May 2022
As part of its ongoing outreach effort, the Cantonese Language Program hosted a booth with games and prizes at the Vancouver Hong Kong Fair to showcase the learning and teaching of the Cantonese language (details).
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DOTS 想 · 點
18, 20 May 2022
Annie Cheung of the Hong Kong Baptist University brought her self-revelatory performance to UBC and generously shared her insights with both English- and Cantonese-speaking audiences (details).
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UPCOMING COURSES |
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We are very pleased to announce that the following Hong Kong-related courses will be offered in the Winter Session of 2022–23. . . .
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ASIA 323/HIST 377: History of Cantonese Worlds
The history, culture, languages, and identities of the multi-faceted Cantonese worlds, in the context of Chinese history and the Cantonese diaspora (details).
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ASIA 325: Hong Kong Cinema
A survey of the cinema of Hong Kong from the post-war period to the present and an exploration of the influence of Hong Kong on global cinema (details).
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ASIA/HIST 373: History of Hong Kong
An exploration of the history, culture, and identities of Hong Kong from its pre-colonial roots in the early 19th century to its post-colonial contexts (details).
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ASIA 324: Literature of Hong Kong
Introduces the literature of Hong Kong from the late-19th century to the 21st century. Through the lens of different literary forms and genres not limited to poetry and fiction, this course will address topics such as the negotiation of identities, the politics of representation, transmedial adaptation, urban (re-)imagination, socio-political and cultural transformation in colonial and post-handover Hong Kong (details).
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Cantonese Language Courses
The UBC Cantonese Language Program offers courses ranging from the basic to the advanced level and is the only comprehensive, for-credit program of its kind in a Canadian university (details).
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HIST 485: Asian Migrant Communities in Vancouver
An examination of the history of Asian migration to Vancouver and British Columbia, with a focus on the development of local communities (details).
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LIBRARY RESOURCES |
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Recently-acquired Database
“China and the Modern World: Hong Kong, Britain, and China 1841–1951” is a collection of documents drawn from CO 129 (War and Colonial Department and Colonial Office: Hong Kong) that are held at the National Archives of the United Kingdom (details).
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Hong Kong Film Collection
The UBC Library is home to a variety of Hong Kong-related films and documentaries. Some latest acquisitions include Denise Ho: Becoming the Song, Inside the Red Brick Wall, Reunification, Rhymes of Shui Hau, and Taking Back the Legislature (details).
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ALUMNUS SUPPORT |
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Legacy Gift
Our heartfelt gratitude to UBC alumni Marian Leung and Tommy Tao for their life-long contributions to the community and for their generous support for the UBC Hong Kong Studies Initiative (details).
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