GHKS E-newsletter

Issue 1, 2020-21 Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Global and Hong Kong Studies (GHKS) GHKS Students, Alumni and Friends E-newsletter REFLECTION ON STUDY TOUR: EXPLORING THE GREATER VANCOUVER UNDERSTANDING HONG KONG'S CONNECTION WITH THE WORLD

Messages from Programme Leaders Welcome to the GHKS e-Newsletter. We are pleased to launch this e- Newsletter as a platform for sharing experiences and achievement of our GHKS students and alumni. The e-Newsletter reflects on the ongoing development of the GHKS community, and promote care and communications among our students, alumni and friends. This opening issue highlights students’ experiences obtained from a study tour to the University of British Columbia (UBC) in the summer of 2019. The study tour aimed to broaden our students’ international horizon through academic visit to UBC and community engagement in Vancouver, Canada, which provides scholarly inspirations and territorial and scapes for understanding Hong Kong in the world. The visit is a part of the Strategic Partnership between UBC-Based Hong Kong Studies Initiative & EdUHK-Based Global Hong Kong Studies Programmes (UG&PG). Thank you for your support! Very best regards, Programme Leader, BSocSc (GHKS) Suyan Pan Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences GHKS is a young and small programme. There is still a long way to go before strong tradition is built, good practices are nurtured, and social network is constructed. This newsletter, as a platform for current students and graduates to share their views and experiences, may serve to facilitate the cultivation of tradition, values, and solidarity. Francis Mok Associate Programme Leader, BSocSc (GHKS) Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences 01

Background In June 2019, 13 students took part in a two-week intensive overseas study tour to Vancouver. The tour was co-organized by the GHKS Programme of the Department of Social Sciences of EdUHK and the Department of Asian Studies of UBC. The aim of the tour was to enhance international academic exchange and cooperation between the two Departments. During our stay in UBC campus, various learning activities were held at the diverse locations such as the Museum of Anthropology, the Chung Collection, Irving King Barber Learning Centre, and St. John’s College. Students participated in film screening workshop, international research roundtable, and lectures conducted by Professor Miu Chung Yan and Professor Christopher Rea of UBC. Students enjoyed very much the sharing and gatherings with UBC professors and students. Community engagement allowed students to immerse in a foreign-local environment and gained first-hand experiences rediscovering the interaction between Hong Kong and the world. Our heartfelt gratitude to Prof. Stephen Chiu for his kind liaison and coordination with Prof. Leo Shin, Convenor of the Hong Kong Studies Initiative at the University of British Columbia, without which the tour would not have been possible. Besides, we would like to extend our great thanks to Dr. Zoe Lam of UBC for accompanying and guiding our students during their stay in UBC. ACTIVITIES I. Rediscover Hong Kong through oversea lens II. Explore the city of Vancouver and its tie with Hong Kong III. Enjoy lectures by Hong Kong Studies Initiative scholars IV. Exchange with the students from the University of British Columbia V. Be a global Hong Konger 02

Study Visit to The University of British Columbia A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE The campus of UBC is huge. They even UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH have its own transportation system. I COLUMBIA cannot imagine a large museum was built inside the UBC campus. The tour Sharing by Hui Chung Yin guide of UBC was well-prepared that provided much useful knowledge and I joined the study trip organized by the history about UBC and Canada in the EdUHK in 2019 summer. This trip mainly campus tour. included lectures and visits in UBC and some sightseeing activities. Moreover, the students of UBC were so enthusiastic and sweet. They The visit to UBC impressed me a lot. The provided an international exchange excellent lectures delivered by Dr. Mui Chung meeting to us, so that we can Yan and Dr. Christopher Rea in UBC were understand the living environment in interesting and insightful. The lectures were Vancouver and exchange student’s about the evolution of the immigration policy study life in UBC. of Canada, the difficulties experienced by Hong Kong immigrants in Canada, and the All in all, the visit to UBC was importance of research study and Chinese memorable and impressive. I would comedy culture. choose UBC for my further study for sure if I could. 03

International Exchange with students from Department of Asian Studies, UBC GHKS provided us an opportunity to Sharing by Cheung Hau Yu visit Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada in June 2019. The study tour It was great to hear more about this was co-organized with the University part of history. The lessons were of British Columbia (UBC). It was informative and definitely had exciting because it was the first time I deepened our knowledge about the stepped on the continent with my relationship between the two places. teachers and schoolmates. We spent We got to hang around the campus, two days in the UBC campus. We too. It was absolutely a rare chance to attended lessons and lectures do the visit. Never have I ever thought delivered by UBC professors. Through we would get to learn about the the lectures, we knew more about the indigenous people in Canada while relationships between Hong Kong, touring the museum inside the Canada, and the world. There has campus as well as to chat with the been a special linkage between Hong students studying in UBC during Kong and Canada starting from the lunchtime. It would be hard to forget last century. the wonderful time we had there. Last but not least, we enjoyed the wonderful moment with our friends and teachers to strengthen our relationships and know each other better during the trip. After all, the place felt familiar but different. We had a very nice time there. 04

\"Immigrants in Canada\", Lecture by Professor Miu Chung Yan Sharing by Chan San Fung Sharing by Tsui Hiu Lam The Vancouver Study Tour was one of the The most impressive part of the trip was the unforgettable memories in my university life. visit to UBC. The two lectures were In this momentary trip to Vancouver, we informative, and I especially remembered visited the University of British Columbia and the lecture talking about the new immigrant had an interesting experience of the city. We in Canada. The professor also came from had a chance to communicate with UBC Hong Kong. He mentioned that it took students who came from different nations and immigrants about 20 years to achieve social knew more about this multicultural country. mobility in Canada. They generally did not We attended a lecture on the immigration change their status, but they felt their lives policy of Canada at UBC. From this lecture, after immigration were better. It shows that we knew more about the immigration system immigration is not as ideal as we imagined. of Canada and the trend of the number of new immigrants to Canada. The international Sharing by Lee Ka Man migrant stock 20% of the total population of Canada. Apart from the three founding For me, \"astronaut family\" is an interesting peoples of Canada (Indigenous peoples, phenomenon because it rarely appears in English and French), the ethnocultural Hong Kong. However, many Chinese tend to diversity of Canada has increased greatly in work in other places or countries apart from recent decades as a result of open they originally lived to earn higher incomes immigration policy. There have more than 200 due to Canada’ s high degree of freedom and ethnic groups and Chinese is the largest immigrant attachment. Besides, the second ethnic group in Vancouver which is much generation of Chinese immigrants usually larger than European Canadian group. stay and grow in Canada, because of the good education system. The immigration The current immigration policy of Canada class gave me a great reflection. For relies on a Comprehensive Ranking System example, how Canada' s immigration policy (CRS) to calculate the score of candidates in relieves the ageing population, the terms of their educational backgrounds, immigration requirements, etc. Those are financial situations and professions. It can very worthy references for us, especially ensure that the ability of immigrants can when the housing is in short supply in Hong contribute to their country and integrate into Kong. the society. Language ability and age carry more weight in the calculation of which are the major determinants for new immigrants to adapt to the society easily. The HKSAR government may make reference to the success of immigrant policy of Canada to build up her own policy. 05

\"Cultures of comedy and laughter\", Lecture by Professor Christopher Rea Sharing by Lee Ka Man We took another course on Asian studies about manga research. The professor has visited Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and other places for investigation and data collection. He compiled the history and characteristics of Asian comics, including the Old Master Q we are most familiar with. This kind of popular culture research provided a piece of local history, because the content is often related to current events, and it also makes it easier for us to look back to the past. 06

understandings of Hong Kong, Global Studies and the interface via oversea lens Sharing by Tsui Hiu Lam From 1980 to 90s, Hong Kong experienced an immigration wave and many Hong The 9 days Trip to Vancouver was one Kong people immigrated and settled of my memorable university lives down in Vancouver. Therefore, we saw experience. It was a valuable many Chinese faces there and Cantonese opportunity to learn outside of Hong is the language commonly used especially Kong. I am grateful to EdUHK for in Richmond. Unexpectedly, there is also providing this study tour to Global a shopping mall called Landmark in and Hong Kong Studies Programme Vancouver. When we entered the mall, I students. As Vancouver has a close found that it looked like the mall shown relationship with Hong Kong, it is a in the old Hong Kong movie. The tour good place for us to explore. guide said that these Hong Kong people missed Hong Kong so much. They named The most interesting thing is that the this mall by using one of the famous mall Hong Kong community in Vancouver in Hong Kong at that time. It appears that is like a small Hong Kong. Hong Kong people in Canada used this way to cherish Hong Kong. 07