Welcome Back!

Hope you all had a wonderful summer and wish you a successful academic year ahead!

Our warmest welcome to all new students of the Department of History!

Congratulations to Prof. Stuart MCMANUS on Receiving the CUHK Research Excellence Awards 2022-23

Prof. Stuart MCMANUS received the CUHK Research Excellence Awards 2022-23 in recognition of his remarkable accomplishments in research. His selected research outputs are given below.

• McManus, S. M. (2021). Empire of Eloquence: The Classical Rhetorical Tradition in Colonial Latin America and the Iberian World. Cambridge University Press.
• McManus, S. M. (2022). Decolonizing Renaissance Humanism. The American Historical Review, 127(3), 1131-1161.
• McManus, S. M. (2021). The Commensurability of Slavery in Macau and South China. Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, 81(1-2), 179-201.

Congratulations to Prof. James MORTON on Receiving the CUHK Young Researcher Award 2022

Prof. James MORTON received the CUHK Young Researcher Award 2022. This award recognises the incredible research contributions of young faculty members. Prof. MORTON is a historian of medieval Europe with a focus on the Byzantine Empire and its place in the Mediterranean world. His dedication and continuous pursuit of knowledge embody the spirit of this award.

Congratulations to our Teaching Staff Awarded Research Funds

Our Department continued to succeed in the recent research funding exercises. We would like to extend our congratulations to our distinguished teaching staff members who were successful in securing the grants.

 
RGC General Research Fund 2023-24

CUHK Strategic Seed Funding for Collaborative Research Scheme 2022-23

Direct Grant for Research 2022-23

Digital History Project: “SARS in Asia” Wins the 1st Runner Up Prize at the Digital Humanities Awards 2022

We would like to extend our congratulations to Prof. Stuart MCMANUS and the students of HIST4702 Introduction to Digital History (2022-23). Their Digital History Project: “SARS in Asia” has won the 1st Runner Up Prize of Best DH Short Publication at the Digital Humanities Awards 2022. [Details …]

Course Enrolments

Students who wish to change their 2023-24 First Term course enrolments are reminded to do so via the CUSIS during the following specified add/drop periods:

Undergraduate programme: Between 8:30pm on 11 September 2023 and 8:30pm on 17 September 2023
Postgraduate programmes: Between 10am on 4 September 2023 and 5:30pm on 18 September 2023

Reappointment

Prof. POON Shuk Wah has been reappointed as Professor with effect from 1 August 2023.

Recapping the World History Seminar “Classicising Learning and Empire: Byzantine Contexts, Chinese Comparisons” Conducted by Prof. Niels GAUL on 13 April 2023

Prof. Niels GAUL from the School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, was invited by the Centre for Comparative and Public History to deliver a lecture entitled “Classicising Learning and Empire: Byzantine Contexts, Chinese Comparisons” on 13 April 2023. During the talk, the speaker provided a concise overview of how classical learning served as a fundamental conduit for connecting local provincial and suburban metropolitan elites with the imperial center at the turn of the eleventh century. Through a nuanced analysis of the examination systems in the courts of Kaifeng and Constantinople, the speaker demonstrated how the adoption of a dynamic and increasingly intricate examination process served to raise the bar even higher, thus cementing the importance of classical learning. He then further postulated that classical learning could be conceptualized as a dynamic triangle, wherein the ancient legacy (comprising both objects and texts), the literati, and the empire interacted with one another in a complex and mutually-reinforcing fashion. The talk concluded with a focused inquiry into Byzantium, supplemented with comparative glances at China, offering insightful reflections on the reasons why classical learning failed to gain the same degree of prominence in Byzantium as it did in Song and later imperial China.

Recapping the “Workshops for the First-Year RPg Students 2022-23” held on 14 April 2023

The “Workshops for the First Year RPg Students 2022-23” were satisfactorily concluded on 14 April 2023. The Workshops offered an interactive platform for the Department’s research postgraduate students to exchange and discuss their research findings.

Recapping the 60th Anniversary Lecture “Seeking Truth and Seeking Solutions: A Talk on Historical Research by Prof. WANG Qisheng”; “Aspiration and Legacy: A Talk on Historical Research by Prof. HUANG Ko-wu” held on 20 April 2023

On 20 April 2023, Prof. WANG Qisheng from the Department of History, Peking University, and Prof. HUANG Ko-wu from the Institute of Modern History, Academia Sinica, were invited by the Department to deliver talks entitled “Seeking Truth and Seeking Solutions” and “Aspiration and Legacy” respectively, sharing their learning journeys and historical insights over the years.

Prof. WANG Qisheng shared his early academic experience and focused on the influence of his teachers, readings, and historical background on his research. He then discussed how reading the works of Taiwanese scholars during his Master’s study at Wuhan University greatly affected his writing style and academic path. After graduation from his Master’s degree, he worked at the Second Historical Archives of China in Nanjing province during which he wrote his first monograph “The Historical Trajectory of Chinese Overseas Students (1872-1949)”. He thanked to the open archival access policy at that time. He has a chance to read large number of books about Chinese overseas students which he has strong interest in. During his doctoral and postdoctoral stages, Prof. WANG focused on the study of ethnic history and achieved fruitful results under the guidance of Mr. ZHANG Kaiyuan and Mr. YANG Tianshi. After joining the Peking University in 2008, his academic interests turned towards the history of the Communist Party of China and has since provided supervision to numerous students.

Prof. HUANG Ko-wu reviewed and discussed the perspective of Taiwan’s China studies. He emphasised that the perspectives of modern Chinese history established and inherited by three generations of Taiwan’s Historians has its unique value due to the historical and geographical distinctiveness of Taiwan. It differs from the “Marxist view of history” in mainland China and the “Rising China” perspective in the American Sinology circle. Under the influences of the “May Fourth” spirit, the modern Chinese History in Taiwan combined the critique and reflection of liberalism on Chinese tradition with the sense of mission towards Chinese culture held by “New Confucianism”. Prof. HUANG believed that the cooperation and complementarity in historical and cultural research between the academic communities of Taiwan and mainland China could contribute to a political reconciliation.

During the Q&A session, audiences raised questions about the difference between the “center perspective” and the “marginal perspective.”

Recapping the World History Seminar “Vibrant Banners: The Material Culture of Flags and Battle Standards in Renaissance Europe” conducted by Prof. John GAGNÉ on 20 April 2023

Prof. John GAGNÉ from the Department of History, University of Sydney was invited by the Centre for Comparative and Public History to deliver a lecture entitled “Vibrant Banners: The Material Culture of Flags and Battle Standards in Renaissance Europe” on 20 April 2023. The speaker embarked on a comprehensive examination of the function and meaning of flags over centuries and across different cultures. In doing so, he then explored the cultural, ideological, material, and artistic aspects of these complex and ubiquitous objects. The contention was that flags should not be considered simply as heraldic cloth, but rather as numinous textiles that were akin to sacred relics. Their significance was anchored to individual bodies, communities, and cosmic notions of faith, loyalty, and belonging. By going beyond previous studies on Renaissance festive banners, the speaker revealed how armies, castles, and ships deployed flags in multifarious ways in war tactics, conquest, and spoliation. This provided an insightful understanding of the significance of flags in shaping social relations, ideologies, and beliefs. In essence, the talk posited that flags served as tools of social exchange, representing fragments of individuals or communities that could be gifted, stolen, or displayed, extending far beyond mere symbolic representation.

Recapping the “Discussion Forum on Prof. HUANG Kwan-chung’s New Book” held on 27 April 2023

The Department successfully hosted the “Discussion Forum on Prof. HUANG Kwan-chung’s New Book” on 27 April 2023. Prof. HUANG Kwan-chung, the world-renowned scholar specializing in the history of Song Dynasty, was invited as a keynote speaker to share his insights on the Song history and his new book. The event brought together historians and graduate students to share their perspectives and research experiences on the Song history.

Recapping the 60th Anniversary Lecture “I Annotate Classics and Classics Serve as My Notation: A Talk on Historical Research by Prof. Q. Edward WANG” conducted on 8 May 2023

On 8 May 2023, Prof. Q. Edward WANG from the Department of History, Rowan University was invited by the Department to deliver a talk entitled “I Annotate Classics and Classics Serve as My Notation,” sharing his learning journeys and historical insights over the years.

Prof. WANG shared how his family, teachers and era background affected his research, experience and academic careers. Growing up during the Cultural Revolution, Prof. WANG’s learning interests in literature and history were mainly influenced by his family’s book collection. In 1977, he participated the “Gaokao” (National College Education Exam) resumed and was admitted to the History Department of East China Normal University. Influencing by the trends of “Western Studies” and “Cultural Fever” in the 1980s, he became interested in the Western history and then studied the history of Western historiography under the guidance of Prof. GUO Shengming during his Master’s study. In 1987, Prof. WANG went to the United States to pursue his Ph.D., focusing on the relationship between Modern Chinese intellectuals and the development of Chinese historiography.

Subsequently, Prof. WANG elaborated on the relationship between “Zhu Jing” (注經) and “Zhu Wo” (注我) in the study of history. “Zhu Jing” refers to the practice of annotating Classics, emphasizing the accumulation of knowledge, while “Zhu Wo” is to use materials to form one’s own learning system on the basis of knowledge. He further discussed the application of “Zhu Jing” and “Zhu Wo” in academic writing and reminded our classmates to train up questioning skills, present the arguments in priority, and adopt the methodology of “Zhu Jing” and “Zhu Wo” in writing. In summary, it was “discovering a question, answering it by elaborating your viewpoints and supported by evidence.”

During the Q&A session following the talk, audiences asked questions regarding establishing academic style, the relationship between historical expression and social environment, and other related topics.

Recapping the “International Conference on Hong Kong Studies from Cross-disciplinary Perspective” on 23-24 June 2023

The Leung Po Cheun Research Centre for Hong Kong History and Humanities, Department of History, CUHK and the Business, Economics and Public Policy Research Center of Hong Kong Shue Yan University joined hands to organise the “International Conference on Hong Kong Studies from Cross-disciplinary Perspective” on 23-24 June 2023 in Hong Kong Shue Yan University and CUHK. The conference brought together experts and scholars to share and discuss their views enthusiastically on themes of “Hong Kong History”, “Culture”, “Economy”, and “Public Policy”.

Recapping the Orientation Workshop for Research Postgraduate Students 2023-24 conducted on 9 August 2023

The Orientation Workshop for Research Postgraduate Students was conducted on 9 August 2023. The workshop was hosted by Prof. POON Shuk Wah, Secretary of Graduate Division, with the welcome notes delivered by Prof. CHEUNG Sui Wai, Department Chairman. It provided an overview of the Department and programme features to postgraduate students. Miss Emily CHEUNG, Assistant Lecturer, then gave a briefing on the duty of teaching assistants in the Department.

World History Seminar (2023-24)

Organisers: Centre for Comparative and Public History, Department of History, CUHK
Enquiry: 3943 8541

For teachers and students who have information to share with the Department, please email your articles in both Chinese and English to chanfiona@cuhk.edu.hk by 4:00pm every Monday.