Asian Studies

This course examines the rich tradition of critical film theory and provides students with an understanding of its main concerns and debates, concerning “minority” identities and subalternity. Addressing key discussions about media representations of “minority”, the course looks at the politics of representation and its impacts, both on- and off-screen. It looks at how media works to construct “the Other” in different contexts and delve into important work which have inspired minority cinema, subaltern cinema, avant-garde cinema, local cinema, and independent cinema among other counter-movements, as well as recent re-conceptualizations and exploration of representations marginalized identities, positions, and experiences, local and abroad. Special focus is placed on important works in Hong Kong and Asia for critical examination and comparative studies. Through critical exercise and reflection on notions such as power, diversity, equality, and freedom, the course aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 by engaging directly with the SDGs 5 (Gender Equality) and 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Same course as UGEC3215.

The rise of China has significant impacts on the world economy. This course examines the major economic issues in the rise of China, the challenges of China to the global economic order, and the effects of Mainland-Hong Kong economic integration on both parties. Well-known research economists and experts from the finance sector and public organizations are invited to discuss and analyze major issues in the economic cooperation between Hong Kong and the Mainland, e.g. Hong Kong’s integration with the Pearl River Delta and the Mainland, the status of Hong Kong as China’s trading, financial, and services hub, and the impacts on the global economy of the Hong Kong-Mainland economic nexus. Students are advised to take ECON2011 and 2021 before taking this course.

Zen (禪) is a significant element in the cultural backbone of Japan. In this course, attention is focused upon the impact of Zen thought and practice on Japanese culture. The course begins with the introduction of proto-Zen from India to China, followed by the transmission and development of Zen in Japan. The aesthetic impacts of Zen practices are an important component of this course. Zen’s influence on the aesthetics of everyday objects, experience, and judgments are examined through examples in architecture, landscaping, arts, literature, spirituality, and lifestyle. From this course, students gain a basic understanding of Zen Buddhism and the impact it has had upon the everyday thought and culture of the Japanese people

This course covers sports and their impact on Chinese society with special focus on the role of sports in China's search for national identity and internationalization. It provides an in-depth understanding of Chinese society, popular culture, and politics. Students learn how the Chinese have interacted with different peoples from the rest of the world in international games such as the Olympics and the Football World Cup. The course helps examine how different peoples, nations, and governments have responded to sports, how the Chinese turned sports into vehicles for both nationalism and internationalism, how Chinese governments in different stages and periods have linked sports to their political legitimacy, and how sports serve as tools for nation building, expressions of national identity and national honor or personal freedom in China. By examining the role of sports in Chinese society, students gain valuable contextual understanding to better explain culture and politics and better understand China, its society, and its positions in the world.

This course examines the food experiences and practices and their ideological effects that shape diners and their city. It shows how in every gulp, we are allowing a bit of the external world, in the form of food, to gain access to our bodily, cultural and social existence and change us in ways we do not always know. The feelings, emotions and memory we involuntarily but actively produced are being inscribed, in return, onto the individual and collective foodscape of the city through our everyday food choices and continuous habits and practices. The course also traces the crystallization of a conscious distinction of Hong Kong food and their influences among the residents of the city and overseas. This course explores how the exercise of the right to the city follows not only our hearts’ but also our stomachs’ desire, and the food for the stomach is always and simultaneously the food for thought. 

The course examines selected topics in Chinese philosophy. The specific content of the course varies from semester to semester. Offerings with different subtitles can be taken for credit, up to a maximum of two times.

This course explores Japan’s evolving relationship with the world by examining its historical nation-building, post–World War II reconstruction, and contemporary foreign policy challenges. Through analyses of regional relations, national security issues, and Japan’s growing international role — especially in the context of China and the United States — students gain a deeper understanding of how Japan seeks to maintain autonomy and shape its place in global affairs.

This course examines representative works of Japanese cinema. It explores the wonders of cinematic form and how it can communicate fundamental aspects about Japanese culture and society as well as the human condition. The course introduces the basics of film analysis, giving students critical-thinking skills that enable them both to see how Japanese cinema engages with world cinema and to understand how Japan—especially after the post-war—becomes a hub for myriad cultural flows. Each lesson begins by referring to various academic readings and showing movie clips, if necessary, to serve as the basis for in-class discussions.

This course explores the historical development of Korean popular music and Hallyu culture, from the early formation of modern Korean popular music to the global rise of K-pop. It examines how Korean popular music, television dramas, and films have evolved in relation to social, cultural, and media changes in Korea, and how these cultural forms collectively contributed to the emergence of the Korean Wave Hallyu. Through case studies of major artists, cultural texts, and media platforms, students analyze the characteristics of K-pop as well as key Hallyu content such as K-dramas and Korean films, focusing on their production systems and global circulation.  The course provides international students with a comprehensive understanding of Korean popular culture as both a cultural expression and a global phenomenon. 

Evaluation: Attendance 20%, Assignments 15%, Midterms 30%, Final Exam 35%. 

This course introduces Hong Kong popular music and the basic operations of the music industry. It covers a wide range of practical operation of record companies, including Artist and Repertoire Management, production of music and lyrics, marketing and sales, promotion and distribution. Besides the practical and management aspects, it also covers history and issues of popular music in Hong Kong, music commentary and the board theoretical, legal and social implications of the industry.