Hong Kong

This course examines systems of meanings and practices that evolved around notions of love, body, and emotions across time and place, and their political significance. In particular, the cross-cultural perspective will demonstrate the intimate associations of these ‘private emotions and desires’ with social structures such as gender, class, ethnicity, and religion. It examines both the reproductive role of ideologies about love and intimacy in different societies, as well as their transformative potential. The questions that will be raised in class include: Do bodily and emotional experiences of intimacy differ across cultures? What shape the economic and social formations of intimate relationships such as love and friendship? What does it mean to say that romantic love is an ideology? What have our desires got to do with social order? Why are some emotions and desires taboo? And is our body a product of nature or culture?

This course introduces the subject of artificial intelligence covering the basic principles and technologies of intelligent computer systems and the algorithms to achieve AI and how to develop some AI programs. Topics include: intelligent agents; search techniques for problem solving (uninformed, informed, local, adversarial); knowledge representation; logical inference; propositional logic; reasoning under uncertainty; statistical models and machine learning; probability; Bayes’ nets; and decision theory.

This course examines cultural psychology and focuses on how it is relevant in an increasingly globalized world. It covers colonialism and how it shaped our psychological understanding of ourselves and others; how racism and stereotyping are psychological phenomena that interfere with successful globalization today; and how cultures’ different set of moral values often conflict with one another.

This course examines language and culture in Taiwan and Southern Fujian. Course content includes sounds and tones, simple daily conversation, traditional and popular songs, as well as ancient and modern poetry.

This beginning Cantonese course familiarizes students with the use of basic vocabulary and grammar points. Vocabulary is introduced based on everyday conversations and daily usage. The course focuses on appropriateness and application. Text: CANTONESE I: A SHORT COURSE by the Chinese Language Center at CUHK. Assessment: assignments (40%), quizzes (20%), tests (40%).