School of Humanities and Social Science Undergraduate Newsletter, 2020-2021

Abstract

SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SICENCE UNDERGRADUATE NEWSLETTER 2020-2021

2020-2021 | 2 SHSS Undergraduate Newsletter WELCOME MESSAGE

On behalf of SHSS and Global China Studies, I want to welcome you all, our new and returning students. GCS is a unique program which provides a learning environment for students to explore issues pertinent to China across disciplines in humanities and social sciences and to deepen their inquiry through focused tracks of study. Students are trained to examine the issues critically in relation to the modern world. To enrich students’ learning experience and broaden their horizons, a variety of training programs are offered including overseas exchange and internship programs. The training in communication, critical and analytic thinking and moral reasoning students receive from the program helps them cope with the challenges in the fast-changing world and prepares them to be global citizens with knowledge, vision and empathy.

Despite that the 2019-2020 academic year has been more challenging than ever, we are proud to find that our students continue to excel in terms of their performances. You will find in this newsletter the achievements and learning experiences shared by your fellow classmates including the honors and awards they received, the internships they undertook and the stories they told about their unforgettable experience during this trying time.

I wish you a fruitful and exciting year ahead and look forward to meeting you face-to-face without wearing a mask. Please stay safe and healthy.

Prof. Carine YIU Associate Dean (UG) and GCS Program Director

Quantitative Social Analysis, offered by the Division of Social Science, will welcome its fourth cohort of students in fall 2020. I look forward to seeing all of our returning students. Our first cohort of students who entered in fall 2017 will be entering their final year, the highlight of which will be the capstone projects they will complete in spring term. Many of the rising final and third year students have already participated in internships in government, businesses, and non-profits where they apply what they learn in class in the real world. Others have joined faculty research projects. Some have gone on exchange to institutions such as the University of Tokyo, Sciences Po, and more. We have three students already graduated, one who finished early, and another two who double-majored in QSA. They are all preparing for postgraduate studies. In this newsletter, you will learn more about the activities of our students, with stories about many of their activities.

Prof. Cameron CAMPBELL QSA Program Director

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HONORS & AWARDS

TIN Man Sing (QSA)

HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund - Reaching Out Award

Mr. Tin is one of the SHSS Student Ambassadors and is interested in the influence of French culture and history on European countries. He went to Sciences Po for his exchange studies to further explore the impact of French culture on European wars. He is deeply impressed by the strong relationship between a place’s history and culture, which has motivated him to learn more about Hong Kong’s so as to compare with the western countries.

WU Kwan Yu (QSA)

Paul and May Chu Sportsman/Sportswoman of the Year Award 2018/19 – Student Sportswoman Award

Miss Wu is the team captain of the Hong Kong Potential Bowling Team. She represented Hong Kong in the 32nd Asian Intercity Bowling Championships and 20th Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships. She also participated in several local competitions and won the title of 1st runner-up at the 62nd Festival of Sport - 2019 Tenpin Bowling Championships [Single].

YIP Ching (GCS)

Stephen Cheong Kam-chuen Medal Award 2018-2019 Awardee

Miss Yip is the co-founder of Rainbow Bird, the very first LGBTQ+ support group ever established at HKUST to discuss LGBTQ-related issues and provide peer emotional and social support to HKUST community members who are concerned about their sexual and gender identity.

The presentation of the SKCC Medal to her acknowledges her leadership in and dedication to fostering an inclusive and learning-friendly environment. She is a deserved winner, and may this award encourage more students to serve the HKUST community.

2020-2021 | 4 SHSS Undergraduate Newsletter

2020-2021 | 5 SHSS Undergraduate Newsletter

DENG Weiye (GCS)

At Waseda, I received substantive training in fundamental and intermediate economic theories, econometrics, and data analysis skills with programming software such as R and Python, which complements my qualitative training in social sciences at SHSS. It was indeed a tough task to incorporate the newly acquired knowledge into my original intellectual framework all at once. After I was repeatedly confronted with such challenges, I came to realize how important it is to integrate everything that I have learnt to solve real life issues.

DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM @ Waseda University

JIANG Wenhao (GCS)

While the GCS program in SHSS offers me broad empirical knowledge in social sciences, the Economics program in Waseda University equips me with solid quantitative methods that I can apply to conduct empirical research. Indeed, the well-designed economics program in Waseda provides me with a systematic quant-method training, which includes multivariate calculus, linear algebra, statistics and probability, econometrics, game theory, and programming. These skills are important as they help sharpen my research skill and enable me to conduct data-driven empirical studies that are increasingly important in both industry and academia.

EXCHANGE CHAN Ho Ting (QSA) Univeristy of Tornoto

I believe exchange is a vital part of the university life and my exchange experience at the University of Toronto was very rewarding. The teaching quality there exceeded my expectation as well.

KAN Yue Ming (GCS) University of Glasgow

My exchange trip at the University of Glasgow was enjoyable and valuable. The study abroad program allowed me to explore a completely new environment and broaden my horizons. I have benefited a lot not only from the academic training but also from the various aspects of personal development.

CHAN Yuen Kee (GCS) Erasmus University Rotterdam

There were lots of challenges during the exchange. It is important but not easy to leave our comfort zone to discover who we are and what we want to be. But it is well worth it.

KIM Da Hye (QSA) University of Notre Dame

My experience at University of Notre Dame as an exchange student is one of the most wonderful, incredible, and unforgettable experiences in my life! It was a great chance to get education at Notre Dame with different teaching approaches.

2020-2021 | 7 SHSS Undergraduate Newsletter

CHOI Wing Ki (GCS) Utrecht University

There was a long winter holiday from December to January when I was studying at Utrecht University. The long winter holiday here allowed me to travel to the UK, in which I got to visit many historic sites.

TIN Man Sing (QSA) Sciences Po

Exchange is an eye-opening experience and a great opportunity to understand other parts of the world. It may come with some challenges but you can truly see the world from a different angle.

GAO Xiaohan (QSA) University of Tokyo

I am interested in the Japanese culture, and would like to experience a different learning atmosphere and lifestyle, which was made possible by my exchange at University of Tokyo. The courses there allowed me to learn more about the historical events in Japan from various aspects, which enrich my knowledge gained at SHSS.

TONG Tsz Him (GCS) University of Copenhagen

Before going to an exchange, I was worried about cultural shock and isolation as I would live in a completely different place. Fortunately, things turned out to be fine and I made a lot of new friends at Denmark.

INTERNSHIP

CHAN Sze Yuen (GCS) Enlighten HK Ltd.

My internship at Enlighten HK Ltd, not only enabled me to learn more about epilepsy and the operation of an NGO. It also enlightened me on the importance to serve the disadvantaged groups in our society.

LAM Ka Yan (GCS) Walk in Hong Kong

I have acquired a few hard and soft skills from the internship in the aspects of communication and researching. I also made friends with students from other universities, which allows me to work with different people with different perspectives.

HO Po Yin (QSA) Sprout Production Ltd.

The internship equipped me with the necessary skills for my future career, including data analysis, decision-making, etc.

NG Man Yan (GCS) Hulu Culture Ltd.

SHSS Internship Program allows students to intern at different fields to plan their career paths and get ready for the workplace environment before graduation. By participating in this program, I was able to apply the knowledge gained from courses taken at SHSS to solve real life problems and obtained skills to enhance my research.

2020-2021 | 9 SHSS Undergraduate Newsletter

IP Sze Man (GCS) Inter Cultural Education Ltd.

It was a very precious opportunity for me to explore more about the social enterprise in Hong Kong and reflect on my own cultural experiences. The internship experience enables me to develop skills for my future career.

YEUNG Ki Lam (GCS) ELCHK, Social Service Head Office

The internship experience at ELCHK was extraordinary. I was delighted that my work would mean so much to those in need. It was a great opportunity for me to learn more about the structure and running of an NGO.

KO Fan Ching (QSA) Randstad Hong Kong

My internship at Randstad was fruitful and inspiring. It is hard to say whether I will pursue a career in the recruitment industry, but I am ready to accept challenges as a data scientist.

YIU Ching Tung (QSA) TWGHs Maisy Ho Archives and Relics Centre

I was able to perform various tasks, like digitalizing 19th century’s TWGHs archives, analyzing historical data, and sorting out the relics. I could also apply my knowledge of quantitative analysis to solve real life problems. SUMMER STUDY SCHEME

The Scheme allowed me to gain hands-on practice to be a researcher by participating in the political science research project under the supervision of Professor James Wong. I had a chance to examine the relationship between framing democracy and social movements, review the relevant literature and conduct discourse analysis on the data from newspaper and media.

AU YEUNG Kit Yee (GCS)

Allowing students to apply their knowledge and skills to conduct academic research, the Summer Study Scheme has provided me with a precious opportunity to engage in academic research under the guidance of Professor Kevin Tam. Throughout the whole project, I could apply theories and knowledge I have learnt in lectures to an actual research settings. It also inspired me with a new outlook in the field of psychology and social science research. For instance, before my participation in this project, I thought climate change was all about environmental and social impacts. But after I joined Professor Tam's project, I came to realize that the relationship between climate change and cultural impacts is also significant. It’s my pleasure to participate in a faculty’s research project and learn about the process and difficulties that a research may encounter during the whole research.

CHUNG Lok Lam Emily (GCS)

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Despite the difficult times of the pandemic, I was lucky to have a chance to take part in Professor Kevin Tam’s research project about human responses to climate change. The project concerns individuals’ awareness of climate change and its associated events, as well as how individuals value the risk and anticipate the potential cultural change caused by the changing climate, such as the cultural extinction of tribal communities. As one of the project assistants, my job was to analyze the survey data collected beforehand and develop a coding scheme to quantify the responses from the participants. Considering the large number of responses we had to examine, it was important for us to remain objective and avoid over-interpretation of the data. It was an invaluable experience that I was able to gain hands-on research experience and skills under the guidance and supervision of a professor.

HO Ching Ching (GCS)

Undergraduate Programs

Global China Studies (JS5411) gcspgm@ust.hk www.shss.ust.hk

Quantitative Social Analysis (JS5412) qsapgm@ust.hk Designed by Tina YIK

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