Global China Studies Newsletter, Fall 2012

Abstract

SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Global China Studies NEWSLETTER, FALL, 2012 An Elite Undergraduate Program OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM Global Exposure China Focus Community Engagement Editor: Agnes Ku Editorial Assistant: Fei Huang Clear Water Bay, Kowloon Hong Kong http://wwwshss.usthk/ Seventeen GCS students setting off for a journey to Beijing on June 9, 2012 The launch of the BSc Global China Studies program in 2011 marked a milestone development in our School and in the University. Through this unique interdisciplinary program, we nurture our students to be holistic persons with vision, knowledge and empathy. In accordance with our motto, we seek to 'better society for a better humanity,'' Our School endeavors to help students develop a portfolio of knowledge about China with a global outlook We also enhance their understanding of their roles, rights and obligations as citizens of Hong Kong, China and the world. Outside the classroom, we offer a rich assortment of learning experiences to broaden students' horizons. This newsletter features a splendid spectrum of our GCS students' out-of-classroom experiences that they enjoyed within the past year, These include a three-week mainland study program, international exchange, community internships, cultural field trips, seminars, documentaries and meeting with distinguished world leaders. The students' reflections, which show the passion and aspirations of young hearts, form an integral part of engagement education. Our students inspire us every bit as much as we inspire them. -- Prof Agnes Ku, Associate Dean, SHSS 'China is increasingly global and the globe is increasingly Chinese. These trends, the opportunities thry create and the tensions thry engender, are important for our future. ' --Prof James Lee, Dean, SHSS Yonnie at Sciences Po, Spring Sciences Po Yonnie in Paris It's been the most fruitful and unforgettable school term ever! I went all my way to Sciences Po Paris in January 2012 where I made friends from every part of the world. The learning journey was sometimes tough but provided me chances to explore my potential and undertake challenges. I explored the European political field with the courses I took. One example was when I completed a 45 minute solo presentation of 'Political Economy' and got positive feedback from my classmates and one very strict tutor. The satisfaction upon completing this task was so joyous and encouraging! In Hong Kong, students are trained to learn unquestioningly by reciting and memorizing information. In Paris, students raise a lot more questions than we normally do in class and this was really inspiring for me. Hearing others opinions raised opened my mind to different perspectives and approaches for tackling an issue. One thing I now know is that: once I ask, I think more; as I think, I learn much more. Apart from my study, I also traveled around Europe; I've been to the U.K., Italy, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland and other parts of France, eight countries in total! It's really been an awesome experience to see all that beautiful scenery, experience other cultures and see how people live thousands of kilometers away. So all in all, this has been an amazing trip which really blew my mind! Sometimes I dream about Paris at night, seeing those amazingly beautiful streets and dazzling shop windows. I know I am going back sometime in the future, it is just stunning! --Yonnie Li Global Exposure LUNCHEON WITH PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER Jimmy Carter, Jr. was the President of the United States in 1977-81 and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. In December 2012, Brian Leung, one of our GCS students, had the honor to be invited to a luncheon with the former US President, with students from other universities in Hong Kong. GLOBAL CHINA DOCUMENTARY FILM SHOW Face to Face with Director Hu Jie In November, 2011, Hu Jie, an independent documentary maker, brought his films 'Beside The Sea' and 'In Search of The Soul of Lin Zhao' to our campus. The latter received the iSUNTV Gold Prize for Chinese Documentary in 2011. I had the very precious and pleasant opportunity of a private viewing of Director Hu Jie's two documentaries. 'Beside The Sea' showed us in detail the hard life of an ordinary family living near the sea in Shandong. It was so real and touching that I could almost feel the pain and happiness of the family. 'In Search of The Soul of Lin Zhao' elaborated on the story of Lin Zhao, how she changed her attitude to the Communist Party and how she preserved her belief even while enduring terrifying tortures. I was astounded by her determination and the power of the Communist Party in shaping people's life. Both documentaries expanded stories beyond my knowledge and profoundly piqued my interest in the art of documentary making. I also began to turn my attention to the lives of those people behind the scenes. More surprisingly, I had the incredible luck of having a dinner with Director Hu Jie and listening to his stories about the making of his documentaries. I was completely inspired by his courage and passion. He introduced to me a respectable way of taking civic responsibility. I am so grateful that I could meet him! -- Wang Yuqian GLOBAL CHINA SEMINAR 'Youth Online, Youth Reading: The Global Picture, the Local Practices', Prof. Wendy Griswold, Northwestern University, Feb. 6,2012. Professor Wendy Griswold's look at a new generation of South African youth reveals that young people are being attracted to the internet because of its glamorous attributes-it is new, youthful, exciting, collective and global-while they value reading because of its social honor. From this she proposes a multi-dimensional conception of media practices that incorporates space, time, social honor, and the imagined future. While we exploved the city aV\d eV\gaged iV\ this cultuvally viet-. expevieV\ce, I gaiV\ed IMove iV\sights iV\to ChiV\ese society, philosophy aV\d the way of life thaV\ aV\y textbook ov pvofessov could teach IMe. This coiMbiV\atioV\ of exceptioV\al oppovtuV\ities cveated a IMeiMovable expevieV\ce that will last a lifetiiMe. Brian Leung tveasuve all the expevieV\ces I had this tvip, especially those where got to iV\tevact with the people iV\ PekiV\g. EveV\ though we IMay V\Ot shave the saiMe political views, studeV\tS iV\ HoV\g KoV\g aV\d studeV\tS iV\ PekiV\g have OV\e thiV\g iV\ COIMIMOV\: passioV\. Both believe that we CaV\ build a bettev futuve V\O IMattev what difficulties aV\d pvobleiMS we ave fac iV\g. --Katy Wei The pvogvaiM coveved widevaV\ giV\g aV\d iV\tviguiV\g issues about coV\teiMpovavy ChiV\a. I eV\joyed the classes, the field tvips aV\d fvieV\dships with IMY (1CS claSSIMates vevy IMUCI-.. This uV\ique study pvogvaiM is iV\dispeV\sable fov aV\y C11obal ChiV\a Studies studeV\t! The 7q 8 avt distvict led IMe to thiV\k that the HoV\g KoV\g goveVV\IMeV\t should pvovide IMove space fov avt aV\d let cultuve gvow V\atuvally without iV\tevfeveV\ce. Skying wai --Lau Hei The pvogvaiM has beeV\ vevy IMeaV\iV\gful to IMe ... but the poov aiv quality iV\ BeljiV\g led IMe to thiV\k IMove deep ly about the eV\ViVOV\IMeV\tal pvobleiMS iV\ ChiV\a. --Lau Kai Yiu Had it V\Ot beeV\ fov joiV\iV\g th is pvogvaiM , I IMight V\Ot have veali:z.ed that HoV\g KoV\g diffevs that IMucl-1 fvoiM ChiV\a. The expevieV\ce was defiV\itely IMeaV\iV\gful to IMe. I talked to diffeveV\t people aV\d played basketball w ith the local studeV\tS. I was told that uV\ivevsity studeV\tS theve geV\evally puvsue siiMilav goals: good C1PAs, studyiV\g abvoad, aV\d wovkiV\g iV\ big coiMpaV\ies. This IMakes IMe woV\dev, what social values ave beiV\g pvoiMoted iV\ COV\te1Mpovavy ChiV\a aV\d with what iiMplicatioV\S fov the puvsuit of IMeaV\iV\g? Stephen Tsoi Winnie Fok Global China Studies provides me with the intellectual challenges of analysing the historical contexts and current events in Hong Kong, China and the world, juxtaposed with theoretical and philosophical discussions. Developing a global outlook towards China is of utmost importance in our discipline, which is what I am most driven to achieve in HKUST. The intellectual journry ... The Mainland Study Program further cultivated my desire to conduct rigorous research on critical is sues in contemporary China, particularly problems arising from urban villages and peasant workers as a result of rapid urbanisation and economic growth. For example, Kunming's large-scale plan that aims to redevelop urban villages into gated apartment complexes has uprooted local communities and drastically reduced the availability of lowcost rental housing. The latter raises another barrier on top of the hukou system to poor migrant workers. The poor and disadvantaged have not been blessed with the gains from rapid economic growth, and are further alienated from the cities. The journey towards the realisation of increasing prosperity in both urban and rural areas will be arduous. The Mainland Study Program aims to provide our GCS students with a unique opportunity to learn more about China today through actually experiencing China. In the summer of 2012, an intensive three-week program consisting of lectures, tutorials and field trips was organized at Peking University. The theme,'Critical Issues in Contemporary China,' covered a wide range of issues relating to the fast-changing society, economy, environment, culture and state society relations in the context of contemporary China. Experiential learning ... The Mainland Study Program also provided me invaluable opportunities to understand China's political and cultural landscape through my own personal observations in Beijing and by interacting with locals and experiencing the environment .The appreciation of a unique cultural identity, the exploration of a country's history and its interrelationship with today's development and the world, and communicating with the people is enriching my knowledge of China in relation to the world. It is also provoking me to think across boundaries and aiding me to delve into issues at a deeper level. As a Global China Studies major, I envisage becoming a motivated individual who always stays abreast of current issues in China and the world and is capable of addressing various problems flexibly with a critical mind. -- Lee Chi Ching Flora China Focus INTERNSHIPS 'I have mentally prepared myself for the working conditions and I am also physically starting to adapt to the environment. It would be nonsense for me to complain about an environment where most of the clients have lived for years. ' Angela had her summer internship at the Society for Community Organization, an NGO serving the poorest of the poor. She participated in a qualitative private housing survey project that includes visiting old buildings and cage houses in Shum Simi Po. There is much for us to learn from her perseverance and empathy. Stark contrasts ... Oudets of the most well known designer labels are lined up in great numbers along Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. While the Cultural District is on its way to becoming a world-class art and cultural hub, the West Kowloon district of Hong Kong symbolizes a ray of hope for some and a new source of business opportunities. Yet, all these positive associations might vanish if we take a closer look at the reality hidden behind the shiny surfaces of the commercial skyscrapers. Also situated in West Kowloon, Sham Shui Po is the area hardest hit by poverty. Street sleepers and vagrants were frequendy my 'clients' in my new workplace. Though the help I could offer was fairly limited, all they really needed was an educated person to draft a referral letter to the Housing Department or the Street Sleepers' Shelter Society. Life can be a burden if food and accommodation are the only things left to pursue in life. Blooqy companions ... Bed bugs are frequent unwanted guests in cage-homes and cubicle apartments. They live in clothing and bedding, hide within the cracks of wooden planks and feed on human blood. Dead bugs leave blood stains on the wall and when oxidized, the stains colour the wall a shade of iron rust. It never occurred to me that a bugless bed was everything a lonely old man could ever want. Learning to be gratiful . . . Sham Shui Po in Hong Kong is the Dharavi in Mumbai; the rich live a lavish lifestyle unaware of the hardship suffered by people from the other side of their society. The more you see, d1e more you compare. Upon comparison, my fate is a blissful one. -- Ng Siu I<.i Angela I had a six-week summer internship at Oriental Morning Post, one of the best selling Chinese newspapers in Shanghai. Through this, I have learnt about the current situation of newspapers in China, how to be a responsible reporter, how to deal with different interviewees and the credibility of various recourses. It is most important that we judge right from wrong by ourselves instead of following others' ideas. --Liu Zhujun Leona This summer, I worked as an intern in the MTR Corporation. The eight week experience broadened my horizons and I gained knowledge about the business environment of an enterprise that touches our daily lives. I learnt that it is important to take the initiative at work and be willing to try new things and accomplish different tasks. All in all, an internship is a great opportunity to explore your strengths and career interests. --Chiu FIELD TRIP TO TAIO Photo by Agnes Ku For several centuries, Tai 0 was made one of the major coastal towns at me mouth of the Pearl River with its fishing and trading activities. Although the vibrant economic and social activities are gone, they have left Tai 0 a rich inventory of cultural heritage. We visited temples and historical buildings, and met local residents. Students had the opportunity to learn about the history and culture of the region, the impact of globalization on marginal communities, and to reconsider d1e value and meaning of economic development. --Prof. Liu Tik Sang FIELD TRIP TO SAl KUNG The GCS initiates descended upon the burgeoning cosmopolis of Sai Kung. As a reflection of a microcosm of Hong Kong, the students toured the streets taking in the revival of local tradition and architecture counterbalanced with an increasing international presence. They experienced the contradictions of globalization and growth--escalating tourism and the entry and generation of multinational companies, but increasing congestion and gentrification of the old town. --Prof. Gerald Patchell SETTING UP THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE STUDENTS' UNION With support from the School, the students have set up a society of their own called Humanities and Social Science Students ' Union. As the founding class of GCS, they are doing this with courage, conviction and passion. 'We aim to enhance students' awareness of cultural, social and global issues and to promote humanities and social science perspectives within HKUST. As the inaugural cabinet of HSSU, we will devote ourselves wholeheartedly to create a rewarding campus experience for all.' (Crystal Lam, President of HSSU) Time is working wonders that our GCS students are growing more mature and shining more brighdy day by day.