University of Hong Kong

This course examines the current major environmental issues related to the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere as well as looking at major threats posed by the environment itself in the form of natural hazards. In addition, the issue of a potential nuclear threat and the ever-increasing demand for energy are explored. Finally, the matter of sustainable development and intelligent management of the planet for present and future generations is addressed. 

This course examines the trends, issues and opportunities of both local and international curricula in Social Science and Humanities Education. Contemporary learning models are introduced to pave the way for developing in-depth understanding of effective
pedagogies used inside and outside classroom. Attention will also be paid upon the discussion of using social resources to facilitate authentic and experiential learning. Key principles and measures in handling social controversial issues will be examined and elaborated. The ethics and responsibilities that Social Science and Humanities Education should shoulder will be discussed.

This course examines ethics to help future lawyers cope with pressure brought about by globalized legal practice. It shares insights on how legal mindfulness can help them reduce stress and develop ethical decision-making strategies. In particular, it teaches them how to practice mindful communications, mindful actions and mindful livelihood in their daily lives to develop themselves into innovative, creative and ethical lawyers. 

In an age where cross cultural interactions and global traffics are frequent, Hong Kong cinema cannot be regarded merely as local cinema. It is an interesting site where complex global processes can be traced. Flows of capital, film personnel, technologies, ideas and creativity are vibrantly circulating inside and outside the cultural industry of film making, resulting in phenomena such as transnational co-productions and cross-cultural co-operations. These dynamic processes are inflected in characterization, plot development and space time configurations on Hong Kong screens. This course explores the local-global interactions from a variety of approaches. With a selection of Hong Kong films, the course provides understanding of the two way relationship between the local, popular entertainment and global film scene by investigating the major questions regarding globalizations. Film critics, scholars and filmmakers conduct workshops and give guest lectures. Assessment: video test, group presentation with report, participation.

This course examines stochastic processes. It will cover the basic concepts of the theory of stochastic processes and explore different types of stochastic processes including Markov chains, Poisson processes and Brownian motions.

This course examines the social scientific study of gender, sexuality, and family in Japan from the postwar to the contemporary period from a comparative perspective. 

This course examines the theoretical and practical foundations of games and gamification and the game phenomenon from neural and cognitive perspectives. It covers the history and latest development of game studies; neural and cognitive theories of the game phenomenon; the concept of game; the psychological, social, economic, and educational benefits of game application; the potential harms and risks of gaming activities; the basic principles of game studies. 

This course examines Hong Kong’s history through the narratives of women, a group often made invisible in history writing, as social actors in the fabric of (post-)colonial Hong Kong. From elites’ households to squatter huts, from brothels, textile factories to convents and schools, from public housing estates, government offices to LegCo Chamber, women of different generations and ethnicities have been caregivers, breadwinners, and pioneers, contesting the prescribed gender role and identity in a patriarchal society. By examining their private lives and public voices informed by their (marginalized) positions interweaved in different social and historical contexts, this course seeks to not only explore how they lived, or how their lives are shaped and reshaped by their own unyielding efforts, but also how their stories can make their ways into narratives and representations in the history of Hong Kong. 

This course examines the history of technology since the late 18th century. It covers both the major tenets of the development of technology during the past two centuries and major debates among historians of technology. It also covers major technologies that have influenced and changed modern society, such as the steam engine, railways or the computer, and also explores how new technologies and modern society influenced each other. The scope of the course is global, but it will particularly focus on developments in Europe, North America and East Asia.