September 1, 2023

At the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year, I am glad to report that the Department of History has made significant progress as we step into the post-COVID period.

In the past academic year, the Department successfully delivered three multi-speaker events, including a conference and 2 fora, that altogether hosted 44 international and local scholars. We also managed to deliver 22 face-to-face/hybrid/online public lectures and 2 book launches, and organized 2 on-campus and online exhibitions. Our members have also engaged in numerous individual research activities, including publishing books, journal articles and book chapters, giving physical or online presentations, and serving as chairs or discussants. At the moment, faculty members are conducting nearly 30 externally sponsored projects. Members were successful in securing GRF and RMGS funding from RGC, and also different funding schemes from the EDB, among other funding bodies. In terms of staff promotion, we were glad to witness one Executive Assistant promoted to Assistant Officer in July. Thanks to the Job Creation Scheme of the Anti-epidemic Fund 3.0, a third cohort of 5 staff members are serving the department in different capacities. 

For teachers, nothing is happier than to witness the success of our students.  More and more of our graduates have received exciting offers from international prestigious institutions. Many of them excel in the job market, both locally and overseas.  In AY 2022-23, our students won 75 scholarships and prizes. In the second half of the 2022-23 academic year, one new endowment scholarship was created and one existing endowment scholarship received an additional donation to support an extra awardee. As a result, the Department is now blessed with 29 endowment scholarships/prizes that give 35 annual awards. Our students also did well in receiving faculty-wide, university-wide, and external recognition.  Furthermore, in the past year, 17 of our students managed to complete in-person exchange programs in various countries in Asia, America, Europe and Oceania, while others participated in virtual exchanges via online course enrolment. A total of 29 students completed internships off-campus, and 7 students were sponsored by the University’s Undergraduate Research Program (UGRP) to work as student research assistants for individual research projects during the summer. 

While we witness the happy graduation of 60 majors in different programs, one MPhil student, and 37 history minors (subject to final update in September), we also welcome 74 undergraduates (including 35 sophomores, 38 senior-year entrants [to be finalized in early September], one transfer student) and 4 PhD students, who have just joined the History family.  While we said goodbye to four academic staff who chose to continue their careers overseas and bid farewell to a long-serving secretary who has just retired, we also welcomed three new Assistant Professors to our big family.

2023 marks the 45^th anniversary of the Department.  We have delivered a soft celebration in the late summer, featuring the launch of our new picture book, Forty-five Years in Retrospect: A Collection of Pictures in Commemoration of the Sapphire Anniversary of the Department of History, Hong Kong Baptist University.  Since 1978, the Department has grown significantly with tremendous achievements. The picture book is a token to recognize the efforts and contributions of several generations of stakeholders who have, in one way or another, helped to shape the Department. Working together, we shall continue striving for excellence and we look forward to a grand celebration of our golden jubilee in 2028.

Wishing everyone excellent health and a very successful year ahead.

Clara Wing-chung HO
Head and Professor
Department of History

August 29, 2022

Another academic year has passed and it’s time for us to celebrate what we have done in a period still severely affected by COVID.

In the past academic year, the Department successfully delivered 6 multi-speaker events (1 symposium, 2 fora, and 5 workshops) that altogether hosted 40 international scholars.  We also managed to deliver 15 face-to-face/hybrid/online public lectures, seminars, and book launches, and organized one on-campus and online exhibition.  As many international conferences were cancelled, our faculty members’ attendance at scholarly events outside Hong Kong unavoidably dropped.  However, members have engaged in numerous individual research activities, including publishing journal articles and books, giving physical or online presentations, and serving as chairs or discussants.  At the moment, faculty members are conducting a total of 35 projects, mainly externally sponsored.  The Department is proud that 5 members were successful in securing GRF projects this year.  Other external funding came from a variety of sources, including the Lantau Conservation Fund (LCF), the UGC’s Research Matching Grant Scheme (RMGS), and sizeable private donations, among others.  In terms of staff promotion, we were glad to witness one more Research Assistant Professor promoted to Assistant Professor in January. Thanks also to the Job Creation Scheme of the Anti-epidemic Fund 2.0, a second cohort of 8 staff members are serving the department in different capacities. 

We are also proud of our students too.  In AY 2021-22, a total of 68 students won different kinds of scholarships and prizes. With the addition of two more endowment scholarships created by alumni donations in 2021-22, the Department is now blessed with 28 endowment scholarships/prizes that give 33 annual awards in total.  Moreover, our students have received many faculty-wide, university-wide, and external recognitions, including the Ersi Young Scholars Award.  The pandemic has prevented our students from participating in physical overseas exchanges in the past year, but 10 of our students still managed to complete in-person exchange programs in various European and Asian countries, while others participated in virtual exchanges via online course enrolment.  A total of 30 students completed internships off-campus, and 8 students were sponsored by the University’s Undergraduate Research Program (UGRP) to work as student research assistants for individual research projects during the summer. 

The inaugural ceremony for the History Department Alumni Association was successfully held in November 2022, which included a book launch to celebrate the publication of a volume that contains the interview reports of 43 alumni to commemorate the 43^rd birthday of the Department.  We are grateful to have a team of 13 alumni, reaching the highest capacity, to serve on the founding committee.  We also thank the Association for donating a permanent scholarship to the department.

While we witness the happy graduation of 83 majors in various programs, 1 PhD student, and 45 history minors (subject to final update in September), we also welcome over 100 undergraduates (including 52 sophomores, 44+ [not yet final as of today] senior-year entrants, and 4 transferred students), who have just joined the History family. 

As I was fortunately awarded RGC’s Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship in a formal ceremony in November 2021, I am enjoying a year-long relief from teaching and administrative duties to focus on my research work in the calendar year of 2022.  I sincerely thank Professor Stephanie Po-yin Chung for acting on my behalf in the first eight months of 2022.  I would also like to extend my gratitude to Dr Kin-sum (Sammy) Li for taking up the acting headship from September to December this year.  I am greatly indebted to my two colleagues.

Wishing everyone excellent health and a very successful year ahead.

Clara Wing-chung HO
Head and Professor
Department of History

August 28, 2021

Our professional and personal lives have been challenged by the pandemic, and the world has changed a lot.  However, we have adjusted our practices to live with the new normal.  We are proud of our faculty members’ and students’ resilience in these uncertain times.

As travel was not feasible because of the pandemic, many scholarly activities were conducted in a hybrid mode or just moved online.  In the past academic year, the Department successfully delivered three multi-speaker events (one symposium, one workshop, and one colloquium) that altogether hosted 15 international scholars.  We also managed to deliver 18 public lectures, seminars, and book launches, and organized 3 on-campus and off-campus exhibitions.  As many international conferences were cancelled, our faculty members’ attendance at scholarly events outside Hong Kong unavoidably dropped.  However, members have engaged in numerous individual research activities, including publishing journal articles and books, giving physical or online presentations, and serving as chairs or discussants.  At the moment, faculty members are conducting a total of 48 projects, mainly externally sponsored.  The Department is proud that 4 members were successful in securing RGC grants/fellowship this year, including GRF, ECS, and for the first time, HSSPFS.  A team also won an ICHFS (Intangible Cultural Heritage Funding Scheme) project of nearly HK$1.5m to explore the traditional Chinese Basin Feast.  Besides, the Department is excited to receive a HK$1m donation from a long-term supporter for the Sun Yat-sen Research Projects, which is 2:1 matched by the UGC Research Matching Grant Scheme.  In terms of staff promotion, we congratulated one Assistant Professor on promotion to Associate Professor, and one Research Assistant Professor to Assistant Professor.

We are also proud of our students who continue to invest great efforts in their study.  In AY 2020-21, our students won 56 scholarships and prizes. The Department is now blessed with 26 endowment scholarships/prizes that give 31 annual awards in total.  Moreover, our students are doing excellent in further faculty-wide, university-wide, and external recognitions too.  The pandemic has barred our students from doing physical exchanges in the past year, but 3 of our students still managed to complete in-person exchange programs in several parts of Europe, while others participated in virtual exchanges via online course enrolment.  A total of 27 students completed internships off-campus, and 8 students, a record-breaking number, were sponsored by the University’s Undergraduate Research Program (UGRP) to work as student research assistants for individual research projects during the summer.

One exciting development of the Department in the past academic year was the successful creation of 10 supporting positions, thanks to the Job Creation Scheme of the Anti-epidemic Fund 2.0.  Since joining the Department in late 2020 or early 2021, the team has offered excellent support for a host of projects, including but not limited to “History in Data,” our collaborative project with the University Library; “History Gallery,” a revamping project in collaboration with different units in the University, and the newly established “History Alumni Association” to reconnect with all of our alumni in different programs across decades. With the team’s support, we are planning the inaugural ceremony for the Alumni Association in the coming November, which also includes a book launch to introduce a volume that contains the interview reports of 43 alumni to commemorate the 43^rd birthday of the Department.  More information will follow.

While we witness the happy graduation of 83 majors in various programs, 3 PhD students, and 41 history minors (subject to final update in September), we also welcome 78 undergraduates (sophomores, senior-year entrants, and transferred students), two PhD students, and one MPhil student, who have just joined the History family.  Whereas we bade farewell to one Assistant Professor and one Lecturer who left the Department, we welcome our new colleagues, including a Research Assistant Professor and a Lecturer.  New faces for the fall semester also include one new part-time Lecturer and several new research support staff.  The Department is a big family and all members, old and new, are genuinely valued.

Wishing everyone excellent health and a very successful year ahead.

Clara Wing-chung HO
Head and Professor
Department of History

August 28, 2020

The 2019-20 academic year was a very unusual and difficult one. Social unrest and the global pandemic seriously hampered on-campus teaching and learning, as well as face-to-face scholarly events.  As we enter AY 2020-21, the virus is still not contained, so we will open the fall with online classes and with non-local students outside Hong Kong. Still, we hope for a speedy return to normal. 

Although we experienced many challenges last year, both faculty members and students adapted, and all courses were completed without giving up the standard quality of teaching and learning. Although many scholarly activities were postponed or cancelled, the Department successfully delivered three international conferences, including one fully online, a book launch, and several seminars. Owing to the pandemic, a lot of international conferences were cancelled, and it is unavoidable that our faculty members’ attendance at scholarly events outside Hong Kong dropped this year.  However, members have engaged in more than 110 individual research activities, including publishing journal articles and books, giving physical or online presentations, and serving as chairs or discussants.  At the moment faculty members are conducting a total of 32 projects, mainly externally sponsored.  The Department is proud that 4 members were successful in securing GRF (General Research Fund) grants this year, making a success rate at 80%.  Within the past academic year, our members formed two teams to win two sizeable QEF (Quality Education Fund) projects that altogether were granted nearly HK$3m to work on applying 3D models of artifacts and interactive maps to secondary school education. Another team also won an ICHFS (Intangible Cultural Heritage Funding Scheme) project of nearly HK$1.4m to work on the Pok Fu Lam Fire Dragon Dance.  Besides, the Department is excited to receive a HK$1m research funding from the new RMGS (Research Matching Grant Scheme) launched by RGC, which was a one-to-one matching of a sizeable donation offered by one of our long-term supporters.  Moreover, it is very encouraging that one colleague was elected Fellow of Advance HE (UK) while another colleague was awarded a research fellowship offered by the MacLean Collection Map Library in Chicago.  In terms of staff promotion, the past academic year was a fruitful one, as we congratulated two Assistant Professors on promotion to Associate Professors, one Lecturer I on promotion to Senior Lecturer, and one Lecturer II on promotion to Lecturer I.  Five of our members received Long Service Awards this year, and fortunately the university-level ceremony took place in June, before Hong Kong was attacked by the third wave of COVID-19 in July.

Our students in all programs continue to invest great efforts in their study.  In AY 2019-20, our students won about 60 scholarships and prizes. The Department is grateful that after the establishment of two more endowment scholarships donated by a past faculty member in AY 2019-20, our scholarship opportunities dedicated to our majors have perfectly covered winners of both SGPA and CGPA, across all years and semesters.  The Department is now blessed with 26 endowment scholarships/prizes that give 31 annual awards in total.  In AY 2019-20, 18 students participated in exchange programs and studied outside Hong Kong for one or two semesters, although the spring semester was cut short in some countries owing to the pandemic.  Fourteen students completed internships off-campus, and 5 students were sponsored by the University’s Undergraduate Research Program (UGRP) to work as student research assistants for individual research projects during the summer.  In accordance with the value the Department places upon the voices of students, an online questionnaire was designed in lieu of the usual Faculty-Student Consultative Meeting this year.  In addition, the Honors Project Briefing was also shifted to online because of the special circumstances.

In last year’s message, I mentioned our plans to establish the History Alumni Association.  Given the COVID-19 development and the continuous need for social distancing, this plan has been delayed, but preparations will resume as soon as the situation allows.  Our family bond with alumni will continue to grow, and we are ever grateful for their generous support. 

While we witness the graduation of 71 majors in various programs and 31 history minors (subject to final update in September), we also welcome 68 undergraduates (sophomores, senior-year entrants, and transferred students) and a PhD student who have just joined the History family.  Whereas we bade farewell to a long-serving professor in September last year, we welcomed a newly joined Lecturer and an Assistant Professor in January and July this year respectively.  New faces for the fall semester also include two new part-time Lecturers and several new research support staff.  The Department was fortunate to be allocated extra space to form a new wing of office rooms, and will also embark on new teaching initiatives such as launching six new Level-3 GE capstone courses (GCAP), some with support from internal Service-learning grants and Students-as-partners funding.  We look forward to working with students.

Wishing everyone excellent health and a very successful year ahead.

Clara Wing-chung HO
Head and Professor
Department of History

August 28, 2019

At the beginning of the 2019-20 academic year, I am glad to report that the History Department has gone through another successful, happy, and memorable year.

2018 was really special and important for the History Department because we celebrated our 40th birthday.  With a formal kick-off ceremony in early February, we went through a whole year of celebration loaded with nearly 30 scholarly events and activities for alumni and students.  A series of six celebratory “Ruby Lectures” and several distinguished talks were proudly delivered by internationally-renowned scholars. An exhibition that showcased our journey over the past four decades was hosted by the Library.  A pictorial book, Forty Years in Retrospect, was published to commemorate this important occasion.  The climax of our celebration was a grand homecoming event in December, in which over three hundred past and present members of the History family participated, including a few former professors and alumni who flew from North America to join us.

We set up the “Department of History 40th Anniversary Scholarship" to cement the legacy of our ruby anniversary, and are extremely thankful that the tremendous support secured meant that we were able to establish a dozen new endowment scholarships under this award series.  For individual scholarship titles, please refer to the "Scholarships" page of this website.  Donations were received from a number of existing and new supporters, including distinguished alumni and esteemed friends of the department.  These permanent awards will forever remind us of our happy celebration, register our pride, and endlessly benefit the future generations of our students. In the same year, we also received sizeable donations which were added to existing scholarships and endowment research projects, as well as substantial donations and gifts made in support of our grand reunion in the winter. We are ever grateful to all of our friends and supporters, including those who choose to remain anonymous.

In AY 2018-19, the department organized/co-organized 6 large-scale events, including conferences, fora, and exhibitions, and 29 lectures/seminars. Energetic as usual, our faculty members have engaged in more than 200 individual research activities, including publishing journal articles and books, giving lectures and conference presentations, and serving as panel chairs/discussants. At the moment faculty members are working on a total of 25 funded projects, mainly externally sponsored.  The department is extremely proud that seven members were successful in the GRF/ECS exercise this year, which is the highest record in our history. The department's dedicated engagement and productivity in scholarship is illustrated by all these endeavors. The attainment of external fellowships, IoC grants, conference grants, FRG grants, and service-learning grants by several members is also worth mentioning. Moreover, it is very encouraging that two retired professors were conferred Professor Emeriti, effective July 1, and two members of our teaching staff at the rank of Lecturer II will be promoted to Lecturer I on September 1.  Recognition must be given and gratitude must also be extended to our dedicated Office Team, which collectively won a university-level team award for their outstanding service.  Congratulations to all of our colleagues for the much-deserved success! Our research students also spared no efforts in publishing and attending conferences and they have achieved a proud record of publications/presentations in the previous academic year.

Our undergraduate students in all programs continue to work hard and flourish.  In AY 2018-19, our students won over 60 scholarships and prizes, making the past year again a breakthrough.  A particularly astounding achievement is that History students continued to win the 2018 HKBU Library Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Research for the second year in a row.  A significant number of our graduates in recent years were admitted to first-rate universities in North America, Europe, and Australia to further their studies, some on full scholarships.  Furthermore, 18 students participated in exchange programs and studied outside Hong Kong for one or two semesters, while 9 students completed internships.  Sponsored by external collaborators, the department co-organized a successful exchange and study tour to Hunan in May, in which 11 students were fully financially supported to visit various places in Hunan and participate in voluntary teaching in partnership with students from Central South University.  For the first time in our history, the department hired a total of five undergraduate students to work as student research assistants during the summer.   This opportunity was made possible by university funding and resulted in a very rewarding experience for several highly-motivated students.  In accordance with the value the department places upon the voices of students, our Faculty-student Consultative Meeting was held as usual in April and the turnout this year was the highest in recent years, with over a hundred students and faculty members gathering to share their views on academic and non-academic matters in a frank and open manner.  Moreover, our Peer Mentoring Program continues apace.  It is also illuminating that a total of 54 graduates in HKBU's Class of 2019 declared a Minor in History, a record-breaking number which again ranked us as the second most popular Minor program in the university.  We witnessed a growth of about 400% when compared to the average student numbers in the Minor program's first five years since 2009.

Two faculty members departed/will depart to take up senior positions in and outside HK.  A number of our recent PhD graduates also secured very respectable positions in local and non-local academia. The department wishes all of them every success in their future endeavors.   In AY 2019-20, we will welcome a number of new faces, including three part-time lecturers who will mainly support the delivery of several General Education courses.  We shall also begin to look for a newcomer to fill an opening.  Our welcome is also extended to several research assistants, as well as 85 newly declared History Majors in different undergraduate programs, including 23 Senior Year entrants and 9 transferred students.

With new blood joining us, the History family is ever growing with a positive spirit. With more than four decades of history and countless distinguished alumni, the department deserves a decent Alumni Association, and this is a target set for the new academic year.  More information will be released in due course and please allow me to extend an advance invitation to all of our alumni to join this association.  We are looking forward to reconnecting with many of our accomplished and dedicated alumni when the association inaugurates. 

Wishing all of you a most successful year ahead.

Clara Wing-chung Ho
Head and Professor
Department of History

August 28, 2018

At the beginning of the 2018-19 academic year, I am glad to report that the History Department has again made impressive progress in the past twelve months.

2018 is a very special and important year for the History Department because we are celebrating our 40th anniversary.  We started our celebration in January and February with a formal kick-off ceremony, academic events, and a sharing by a distinguished alumna.  As soon as we announced our 2018 celebration plan at the commencement of AY 2017-18 we began to invest efforts in fund-raising, with the aim of establishing a series of commemorative scholarships.  Now we are truly grateful to report that to date we have successfully raised six new endowment scholarships. The scholarships are grouped under the umbrella title of "Department of History 40th Anniversary Scholarship," but also have individual titles: The Spring and Autumn Annals Award, The Herodotus Award, the Dr Soo Kim Lan Scholarship, the Professor Robin D S Yates and Professor Grace S Fong Scholarship, The Sima Qian and Ban Gu Award, and the Alumna Esther May Wai Wong Scholarship.  Moreover, our long-term supporter Dr Tan Siu Lin, who was conferred Honorary University Fellow by the University in fall 2017, has generously donated another million to our Sun Yat-sen Research Fund, a permanent asset of the Department established by Dr Tan's continuous donations over the years. We are ever grateful to all of our friends and supporters.

In AY 2017-18, the Department organized/co-organized 7 large-scale events, including conferences, fora, and exhibitions, and over 20 lectures/seminars. Energetic as usual, our faculty members have engaged in nearly 200 individual research activities, including publishing journal articles and books, giving lectures and conference presentations, and serving as panel chairs/discussants. At the moment faculty members are working on a total of 27 funded projects, externally and internally sponsored.  The Department is extremely proud that a team of 5 History colleagues and two external members won a grant of 2 million (maximum-level funding) awarded by the Development Bureau, HKSAR, under the newly launched Built Heritage Conservation Fund.  Furthermore, for the first time our historians won a sizable Equipment Matching Fund in order to purchase a 3D scanner, which will be used for various research activities. Three members were successful in the GRF/ECS exercise this year, adding to our proud inventory.  The Department's dedicated engagement and productivity in scholarship is illustrated by all these endeavors. We are also delighted to share that a member was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, while yet another member won the Faculty Award for Early Career Academic (Research).  Moreover, it is very encouraging that one Assistant Professor will be promoted to Associate Professor and one Lecturer II will be promoted to Lecturer I, both effective on September 1.  Congratulations to all of our much-deserved colleagues! Our research students also spare no efforts in publishing and attending conferences. They have achieved a record of 15 publications/presentations in the past year.

Our undergraduate students in all programs continue to work hard and flourish.  In AY 2017-18, our students won over 50 scholarships and prizes, which is truly record-breaking.  A particularly astounding achievement is that History students swept all the 2017 HKBU Library Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Research.  A significant number of our graduates in recent years got admitted to first-rate universities in North America, Europe, and Australia to further their studies, some on full scholarships.  Besides, 23 students participated in exchange programs and studied outside Hong Kong for one or two semesters, while 10 students completed internships at different periods during the past academic year.  In accordance with the value the Department places upon students' voices, our Faculty-Student Consultative Meeting was held as usual in April. Moreover, our Peer Mentoring Program operated during both semesters and will continue this year.  It is also illuminating that a total of 52 graduates in HKBU's Class of 2018 declared a Minor in History, making us the second most popular Minor program in the university.  We witnessed a 40% growth as compared to last year, and the growth is almost 400% if compared to the average figure of the Minor program's first five years since 2009.

In AY 2018-19, we will welcome a number of new faces, including two new Research Assistant Professors who bring expertise on environmental history, medical history, and comparative history.  We are also happy to host a Visiting Scholar sponsored by the Capital Normal University, who works on the history of middle-period China.  Our welcome is also extended to two new graduate students, one on a HKPFS Scholarship and the other on a university studentship, a new teaching assistant, several research assistants, as well as 74 newly declared History Majors in different undergraduate programs, including Senior Year entrants and transferred students.

With new blood joining us, the History family is ever growing with a positive spirit. Another climax of our 40th anniversary celebration will happen in the fall semester, when we launch a series of "Ruby Lectures," as well as some other distinguished lectures, all delivered by internationally-renowned scholars.  We will co-organize an exhibition with the Library to showcase our journey in the past four decades.  Moreover, we will publish a commemorative album, in print and online, to showcase memories of our forty years’ journey.  Most significantly, we shall host a grand reunion on the evening of December 1. We are very proud to have secured many alumni, past colleagues, and other honorable guests to join the celebration, including but not limited to three former professors who will fly from North America to participate in this occasion.   Please stay tuned and check our website often for updates.  Looking forward to catching up with our family members of many different generations in December

Clara Wing-chung Ho
Head and Professor
Department of History

August 28, 2017

At the beginning of the new academic year, I am glad to report that the History Department has again made impressive progress in the past twelve months.

The biggest event of AY 2016-17 was, undoubtedly, the centennial time capsule our Department buried in the Baptist University Road Campus Entrance Plaza on Oct 5, 2016, in celebration of HKBU's 60th anniversary.  A grand ceremony officiated by our President, all Vice-Presidents and our Faculty Dean and witnessed by more than two hundred university colleagues, supporters, alumni, and press reporters, sent an emphatic message to the world that we as historians do indeed make history.  The time capsule we deposited underground, which will be opened in 2116, will certainly be a welcome gift for historians in the next century.  Our future colleagues will make use of the carefully curated texts, images, and objects we have selected to enable them to study our present time.  The History Department is very proud to have received many generous compliments about the centennial time capsule project, which was a huge success.

In AY 2016-17, the Department organized/co-organized 9 large-scale events, including conferences, fora, and exhibitions, and a total of 32 lectures/seminars. Energetic as usual, our faculty members have engaged in nearly 150 individual research activities, including publishing journal articles and books, giving lectures and conference presentations, and serving as panel chairs/discussants. At the moment faculty members are working on a total of 34 funded projects, externally and internally sponsored.  The Department is proud that one of its members won the first Collaborative Research Grant initiated by the Faculty of Social Sciences. Furthermore, one of the 3 new GRF projects awarded to members in summer 2017 secured the largest amount of funding won by HKBU Faculty in this round.  The Department's dedicated engagement and productivity in scholarship is illustrated by all these research activities. We are also delighted to share that a Department member was elected as the first Junior Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of the Humanities while yet another member won the best paper award of an international journal.  Our research students also spare no efforts in publishing and attending conferences.  They have achieved a record of 11 publications and 29 presentations in the past year.

Our undergraduate students in all programs continue to work hard and flourish.  In AY 2016-17, our students won nearly 50 scholarships and prizes, which is truly record-breaking.  Besides, 10 students participated in exchange programs and studied outside HK for one or two semesters.  23 students completed internships at different periods during the past academic year.  In accordance with the value the Department places upon students' voices, our Faculty-Student Consultative Meeting was held as usual in April. Moreover, our Peer Mentoring Program operated during both semesters and will continue this year.  The Nanjing University Exchange Tour in late May to early June, which created opportunities for our students to visit a first-rate university in China, also demonstrated our care for students.  We collaborated with the School of History, Nanjing University, to win sponsorship from the "Ten Thousand Student Interflow Program" launched by the Ministry of Education, which enabled two Department members to escort a group of students to Nanjing University in summer 2017 and engage in a very fruitful exchange.

In AY 2017-18, we will welcome a number of new faces: two new Assistant Professors and one Research Assistant Professor arrived in the summer, bringing expertise on the histories of Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East, thereby benefiting our students by broadening the geographical scope of our courses. We are also extremely honored to host a Visiting University Fellow, an internationally renowned scholar on Early China, who will be with us for Semester One.  Our welcome is also extended to two new graduate students, a new half-time teaching assistant, several research assistants, as well as 78 newly declared History Majors in different undergraduate programs, including Senior Year entrants and transferred students.

With new blood joining us, the History family is ever growing with a positive spirit. The History Department was established in 1978, and therefore will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2018.  A host of scholarly activities and family reunions will soon be planned.  Besides our current students and colleagues, other family members including our alumni, supporters, and former colleagues, will be invited to several events.  Please stay tuned and more news will follow.  The History family works as a team: let's aim to do our best to make the Department a better place, for every stakeholder.

Clara Wing-chung Ho
Head and Professor
Department of History

August 18, 2016

At the beginning of this new semester, I am glad to report that the History Department has completed another fruitful academic year.

As our teaching team expands, we are set to offer more course choices for our students in all programs. I am proud to share that we have launched a bunch of new courses within AY 2015-16, including 9 newly approved courses, 4 existing topic study courses with new themes, and 3 existing courses that were offered for the first time. Looking forward, I am happy to share that we are going to offer 6 new undergraduate History courses, 2 new postgraduate courses, and 3 new GE courses in the coming academic year. Our new courses reflect the Department’s commitment to creating a stimulating and diverse learning environment for our students.

The Department never tires in creating opportunities to recognize high-achieving students. In AY 2015-16, we continued our previous efforts in seeking external donations to establish new scholarships. Thanks to the Class of 1985 alumni, a scholarship has been established to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their graduation. Thanks to our supportive alumnus Mr Yip Sing-kit, a scholarship has also been created this year to celebrate the happy retirement of our long-serving colleague Prof Kai-wing Chow. Both generous donations have been endowed and will generate annual awards in perpetuity. Another substantial donation of one million arrived in April 2016 from our long-term supporter Dr Tan Siu-lin. This sizable endowment will create 5 awards each year starting from AY 2017-18. The Department is truly grateful for all the strong support we have secured. 

Besides scholarships, we are also committed in giving other forms of support to our students. In AY 2015-16, we implemented the peer mentoring program as an expression of our love and care for our students. We understand that some students may need a little time to adjust to university life, while some may be struggling at different junctures, and others simply require the support of their peers. Therefore, we appointed ten outstanding students as peer mentors and trained them to offer extra support to students who choose to join the program.

In AY 2015-16, the Department organized/co-organized 8 large-scale events including a database launch, several conferences and fora, and a total of 33 lectures/seminars. Our faculty members have been very active and productive. They have engaged in over 140 separate research activities, including publishing journal articles and books, giving lectures and conference presentations, and serving as panel chairs/discussants. At the moment department members are working on 21 externally funded projects and 13 internally funded projects. In June 2016, the Department achieved a great success in the GRF/ECS competition by securing funding for 6 projects. Together with the award of a prestigious CCKF grant won by a colleague in May, the Department is proud to demonstrate its energetic engagement in scholarship. Our research students are also active in publishing and attending conferences. The Department has hosted two fora sessions to better prepare them to present at international conferences.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the University, the History Department is going to bury a century-long time capsule at the Baptist University Road Campus Entrance Plaza on October 5, 2016. All serving colleagues and current students, including the Class of 2016, as well as some of our alumni and supporters, will contribute messages, images and objects to be stored in the time capsule, which is scheduled to be re-opened in 2116. To date, this will be the capsule kept for the longest period of time among all tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. This is our gift for historians of the 22nd century, as they will use what we have deposited to study our time. We are truly grateful for the support of our President, Vice-Presidents, and Dean, who will all attend and officiate at the grand ceremony. We are very much looking forward to this historic occasion, and are excited to declare that as a Department of History we are indeed making history!

In AY 2016-17, we shall welcome a number of new faces including one Assistant Professor, one Visiting Lecturer, one Postdoctoral Fellow, several Research Assistants, as well as 87 newly declared History Majors in different undergraduate programs, including Senior Year entrants and transferred students. We are also in the process of searching for two more Assistant Professors to further diversify our curriculum. With new blood joining us, the History family is ever growing with a positive spirit. Working hand in hand, we shall continue to dedicate our best efforts to making the Department a better place.

Clara Wing-chung Ho
Head and Professor
Department of History

August 18, 2015

Thanks to the concerted efforts of all colleagues, the History Department has just completed a fruitful academic year. A major renovation has brought professionalism, liveliness, and inspiration to the Department. A user-friendly and regularly-updated website has facilitated much better communication between the Department, students, and the general public. For the first time in history, we have our own logo and anthem. We launched the first Annual Assembly and re-activated the Faculty-Student Consultative Meeting. The founding of our e-newsletter, published ten times a year, has been most exciting. We were also blessed by several homecoming visits and donations from alumni.

In regard to the curriculum, AY 2014-15 was remarkable because of the successful addition of 15 new courses to the list, accompanied by 6 revised courses, to be implemented in AY 2015-16. Moreover, our Minor Program has been significantly expanded from offering 17 courses to 67 courses. In addition to doubling the size of our Office Team, our team of Academic Staff and Teaching Staff is also growing healthily. With the existing 5 scholarships/awards and the establishment of another 6 new scholarships in the past few months, we are now able to give due recognition to the most outstanding History Majors, in all programs and across years of study, according to their performance in each semester of their sophomore, junior, and senior years. We also accomplished substantial growth in our team of research postgraduate students owing to the successful bid for a Hong Kong PhD Fellowship and 2 donated scholarships. 

The Department has organized/co-organized 3 conferences and 18 lectures/seminars in the past academic year. Moreover, faculty members have published a total of 12 books and over 50 journal articles and book chapters. In the same period, we have over 120 records of members delivering lectures, conference papers, and serving as panel chairs or moderators. At the moment we have 17 externally funded projects and 5 internally funded projects that are ongoing. Therefore, faculty members are truly active in engaging themselves in various academic activities. Furthermore, the Department takes great pride in adding to its record 2 significant recognitions, a book prize and a research award, won by 2 Assistant Professors in the past academic year.

In AY 2015-16, we welcome a number of new faces including 2 Assistant Professors, 1 Research Assistant Professor, 1 Visiting University Fellow, 1 Visiting Lecturer, several Research Assistants and Research postgraduate students, as well as 78 newly declared History Majors in different programs. The Department is ever growing with new blood and a positive spirit. While we are marching forward, we shall never forget the important hard work of the previous History family members. It was their advanced insight and indispensable efforts that laid the strong foundations of the Department. We are ever grateful to our former colleagues and students, and will do our best to stay connected with them. Working as a team, we shall strive for excellence and will continue contributing enthusiasm to make the Department a better place.

Clara Wing-chung Ho
Head and Professor
Department of History

Sept 16, 2014

Taking up the headship of the Department is a great challenge for me because I am much more interested in research and teaching. However, after serving the University for nearly a quarter-century, I can no longer avoid contributing my energy to run the Department. My target is to make the Department a better place for all parties involved, so that we as teachers will take pride in working here, and our students will find it to be a warm and caring place to learn, gather and share. Moreover, I hope the Department can also offer a thought-provoking yet friendly environment for scholarly exchange and interaction that our worldwide guests enjoy visiting.

Several reforms are going on at the moment, including a major physical renovation. It is expected that when the renovation is completed the Department will become a much livelier place. A lot of discipline-related decorations will also bring in a sense of history. We shall enhance our website soon and have it updated regularly. Starting from this academic year, we shall organize an annual assembly at the beginning of every fall semester for all teachers to meet with all History majors across years, programmes, and cohorts. Certificates of Excellence and Certificates of Merit will be awarded to outstanding students during the annual assembly. We are also planning a logo design competition to draw upon the wisdom of our students and alumni in creating a departmental logo for the first time.

Looking ahead, the University will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2016, and the Department of History will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2018. It is the perfect time for us to invest more effort to reconnect with our alumni. Many of them have been doing wonderfully well in their professions, and we are really proud of them.  Their success will bring positive spirit to the Department, and their stories will doubtlessly inspire our current students. Homecoming activities will be organized in due course.

Our team of academic and teaching staff is a group of scholars with diversified academic backgrounds and expertise. We earned our doctoral degrees in Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America, and were trained in different streams of the historical profession. Age-wise speaking, our team is a good combination of scholars of a few different generations. Our students have the privilege of being taught by senior, middle-aged, as well as young scholars in the Department. Regardless of age, all members in our team are active, energetic, and productive scholars in a variety of fields. Working together, we shall make the Department a better place.

Clara Wing-chung Ho
Head and Professor
Department of History