Academic Activities
Recapping the World History Seminar “Non-European Perspectives on the Global Renaissance” on 25 February 2025
Prof. Joan-Pau Rubiés from the Pompeu Fabra University was invited to give an online talk entitled “Non-European Perspectives on Global Renaissance” by the Department of History on 25 February 2025. He reviewed and challenged the conventional Eurocentric understanding of the Renaissance (1500-1800), proposing instead the concept of a global renaissance. After examining prevailing narratives of modernity that emphasized solely on material or ideational grounds, Prof. Rubiés argued that the periodization of the global renaissance must be taken into consideration multiple factors, reflecting the interconnected histories of Europe and other regions.
Prof. Rubiés’ analysis incorporated three dimensions. First, he proposed a non-Eurocentric definition of the Renaissance as a revival of learning and the arts in prosperous urban environments worldwide. This perspective points out that societies with literacy have their own written traditions, which may face decline but can recover and flourish during the Renaissance. Second, he pointed out that the export of the European Renaissance to other parts of the world created hybrid cultural forms with inherent hierarchies. The third dimension involved what Europeans, within their own context of intellectual transformation, did with their knowledge of human cultures, such as making the management of the global culture of the world a part of their culture by the creation of colonies and science. In this perspective the scientific revolution is inseparable from the Renaissance.
Upcoming Events
World History Seminar (2024-25)
| Date: | 18 March 2025 (Tuesday) |
| Time: | 5:00pm-6:30pm |
| Venue: | Conducted online via ZOOM (Webinar ID: 982 9976 4121) |
| Speaker: | Prof. Filippo DE VIVO St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford |
| Language: | English |
| Date: | 20 March 2025 (Thursday) |
| Time: | 4:30pm-6:00pm |
| Venue: | Room 918, Esther Lee Building, CUHK (ELB 918) |
| Speaker: | Prof. Jacob SOLL USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California |
| Language: | English |
Organizer: Centre for Comparative and Public History, Department of History, CUHK
Enquiry: 3943 8541
Public Lectures on History and Business in China 2024-25
Public Lectures on History and Business in China 2024-25 will be held in March 2025. Professor Elisabeth KÖLL, William Payden Collegiate Chair; Department Chair and Professor of Department of History, University of Notre Dame, has been invited as the guest speaker to deliver two public lectures.
| Date: | 20 March 2025 (Thursday) |
| Time: | 5:00pm-6:30pm |
| Venue: | Cho Yiu Conference Hall G/F, University Administrative Building, CUHK |
| Moderator: | Prof. PUK Wing Kin Vice Chairman and Associate Professor Department of History, CUHK |
| Date: | 21 March 2025 (Friday) |
| Time: | 7:00pm-8:30pm |
| Venue: | Lecture Theatre G/F, Hong Kong Central Library 66 Causeway Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong |
| Moderator: | Prof. CHEUNG Sui Wai Chairman and Professor Department of History, CUHK |
Lectures will be conducted in English.
Admission is free; reservation is required. To reserve a seat, please
– Register online at www.history.cuhk.edu.hk/2025_HBC
– Call at 3943 8541
For more information, please visit www.history.cuhk.edu.hk/2025_HBC/ or www.hkpl.gov.hk
Organisers: Department of History, CUHK; Centre for Comparative and Public History, Department of History, CUHK; M.A. Programme in Comparative and Public History, Department of History, CUHK; Hong Kong Public Libraries, Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Sponsor: Eminence History Department Fund, CUHK
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.
