Hong Kong

Since World War I, millions of soldiers, civilians, and suspected terrorists have died as a result of aerial bombing. Conventional and atomic bombings, moreover, have resulted in the destruction of countless military targets and the incineration of vast square kilometres of urban landscapes. What factors have made this possible, accepted, and “legal”? Throughout this course, students will explore the technological and military developments that have made such killing and wanton destruction possible. Moreover, students will examine the ideological, political, and doctrinal thought from Douhet to Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) that has not only attempted to legitimate, but advocate, the targeting of civilians from above. Students will also be asked to investigate why legal proscriptions or conventions against aerial bombing never materialized in the pre-World War II era and examine why many nations have still refused to adhere to any restrictions on aerial warfare. 

This course examines the Sino-American relations in the last several hundred years with special focus on their shared values and experiences and emphasize both diplomatic and people-people relations from cultural and international history perspectives.

This course aims to engage students in understanding and analyzing complex housing issues and to prepare them in identifying and formulating integrated policy options for the recognized problems. Students will explore issues and policy realms related to different forms and categories of housing provided by the public and private sectors in specific socio-economic contexts. They will be encouraged to explore sustainable policy options and design to meet the housing needs of different socio-economic groups.

This course examines the central concerns of Plato’s philosophy. It focuses on Plato’s early and middle dialogues in which the enigmatic character of Socrates is central. It addresses Plato’s teachings on the role of philosophy in the life of the individual, the relation between knowledge and virtue, and his contribution to questions about the nature of love and desire. 

This course examines how the Silk Roads linked and transformed regions and societies through trade, diplomacy, religion, and conquest. It explores how societies interacted across vast distances; the emergence and interaction of the religious traditions of Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Islam, and Christianity; the journeys of people, objects, and ideas; and the roles of nomadic conquest and imperialist competition. 

This course examines traditional Chinese history. It will give a brief account of the rise and fall of Chinese dynasties and the political crises that are cataclysmic to the empires. It covers the period from ancient to late Imperial China. The main theme will focus on the characteristic portrayals of Chinese emperors as well as the political influences of eunuchs, empresses, and their family members, etc.

This course examines health psychology and the role of health psychologists in clinical and research settings. It examines biological, psychological, and social factors in the conceptions of health and health related attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. Topics include health promotion, behavioral health and illness prevention, substance abuse, stress and coping, management of chronic and terminal illness, pain management, and health services. 

This course examines health psychology. Topics covered include health behaviors, coping with health-related stress, social support and health, psychoimmunology, management of chronic illnesses, and patient-practitioner interaction. 

This course examines the role of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies in the environmental decision-making process and as a means for better environmental management. The major components, processes and attributes to EIA systems will be discussed. It will also introduce different methodologies in planning and managing of an EIA study. Applications of EIA system in the local context will be discussed in detail and illustrated by real-life examples mainly from Hong Kong. 

This course examines sociological concepts and debates related to these family/marriage issues, focusing on the patterns, causes, and potential consequences of the changing family behaviors and values. While this scholarly exploration will take a global perspective, a particular attention will be given to (1) East Asian societies and (2) cross-cultural differences between East Asian societies and Western postindustrial societies.