Humanities

The launch ceremony for the Lingnan-Yuanpei STEM Summer Academy (LYSSA), jointly organised by Lingnan University and Yuanpei College (Yuanpei) of Peking University (PKU), was held recently on the Lingnan campus. Over 50 experts, project advisors and students from both universities attended in person or virtually. A hub cultivating Hong Kong’s and Beijing’s innovative and entrepreneurial talents, LYSSA encourages students from both universities to transform their creative ideas into grant-winning business plans. At the same time, they are expected to acquire liberal arts qualities and an entrepreneurial spirit.

Watching and waiting with minimal intervention forms educational philosophy guided by balance

Once a two-armed attendant to the goddess Tara, over time, Marichi was increasingly endowed with power until she became a deity in her own right. Revered as a warrior and guardian against evil and darkness, Marichi’s imagery reveals myriad symbolisms — from her association with the sun to her role as a fierce protector. Read about the multifaceted nature of Marichi's mythology and imagery, spanning nations, cultures, and time.

The delegation from the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR visited Lingnan University yesterday (8 April). Counsellor Wang Jian, Director-General of the International Department, delivered a lecture titled "Current International Situation and China’s Diplomacy". Attended by over 100 students and faculty members, the lecture provided a comprehensive analysis of the unprecedented global changes of our time and discussed the four key aspects of China's diplomacy, including its core objectives, basic principles, significant focal points, and cooperative platforms.

Insights into ethical and legal ramifications of growing brain organoids from human fetal brain tissue

In India’s dry, western-most state — Rajasthan — the gods are carried from village to village, and tales that surround the deity are narrated so that the devout may be blessed. The gods are housed in a ‘kavad’, a portable shrine adorned with intricate narrative paintings of folk tales and epics. Constructed from low-density wood and painted with mineral-derived pigments, the kavad serves as a conduit for the oral storytelling tradition known as kavad banchana. Learn about the synergy between the makers, painters and patrons of these shrines, and how this tradition continues to evolve.

In the late 1930s, French archaeologists discovered a large and remarkable group of ivory sculptures, in Afghanistan's Begram (present-day Bagram). Stipulated to have been used as accents or embellishments for wooden furniture, these carved objects showcase a blend of Greco-Roman, Central Asian, Mediterranean, and Indic stylistic influences. Despite the political upheavals in the region, some of these ivory artefacts still survive. Explore how ongoing scholarly efforts shed light on the historical significance of these art objects, highlighting the cultural connections that were built and flourished along the Silk Road.

Lingnan University has launched a three-day (13-15 March) career expo, titled "Resurgence Career Expo@LingnanU 2024" on campus, drawing the participation of more than 100 companies offering over a thousand of job opportunities for Lingnanians. The first two days of the physical event attracted over a thousand Lingnan University students and alumni to participate. This marks the University’s first large-scale career expo since the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the event is to provide a platform for employers to engage with Lingnan students, introducing their companies, and jobs. This will allow students who are about to graduate to gain first-hand information about the job market and equip themselves for future career endeavours. Lingnan University also extends a warm welcome to alumni, encouraging them to return to campus and explore development opportunities across various industries. In addition to the physical career fair, Lingnan University is concurrently holding the "Resurgence Career Expo@LingnanU 2024" in hybrid mode. The online platform will remain accessible until the end of April, providing additional time for Lingnan students and graduates to explore job search strategies and pursue their desired careers.

"LU Jockey Club Health and Financial Education Programme for Elderly", organised by Institute of Policy Studies of Lingnan University and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, was awarded the IFEA (Teaching – School Division) Silver Award by Investor and Financial Education Council (IFEC), making it the only university in Hong Kong to be selected as one of the top three winners. The respective Assessment Committees are comprised of government representatives, IFEC Board members, and industry experts, recognising Lingnan University’s efforts to advance investor and financial education by improving the elderly’s health and financial literacy, and sharing best practices in investor and financial education projects. The Honourable Mr Paul Chan Mo-po, GBM, GBS, MH, JP, Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government, presented an award to Lingnan University representative, Vice-President Prof Joshua Mok Ka-ho yesterday (13 March).

Lingnan University, the Tuen Mun District Office of Home Affairs Department, and the Tuen Mun District Youth Development and Civic Education Committee hosted an experiential event called "A Day at University" on Lingnan campus on 9 March 2024. There were STEAM education workshops for over 110 students from 15 primary schools in Tuen Mun. The event has been held for 10 years, but incorporated STEAM elements for the first time this year, aligning with the Government's promotion of STEAM education and raising awareness among students of sustainable development concepts, particularly in light of the upcoming Municipal Solid Waste Charging in August.

In the early seventeenth century, the royal ateliers of the Mewar kingdom, in present-day western India, witnessed the emergence of a new miniature painting tradition. The Mewar School, as it is known, was patronised by the ruling Sisodia dynasty. Stemming from manuscript illustration, this tradition evolved to encompass intricately detailed portraiture. Delve into the evolution of the Mewar School, tracing its distinct styles, aesthetic influences, master artists, and the shifting preferences of its royal patrons.

Dated to the fourteenth century, the Chandayana is a Sufi romance that narrates the story of the lovelorn protagonists — Chanda and Laurik — in rhyming couplets. It was composed in the Awadhi dialect of Hindi, by the Chishti poet Mulla Daud. Five illustrated manuscripts of the poem were created between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and they are housed in five different locations worldwide. These illustrated texts provide a lens into the history of manuscript paintings in the Indian subcontinent.

Prof Joshua Mok Ka-ho, Vice-President and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies of Lingnan University, presented at the Centre for Global Higher Education's (CGHE) Annual Conference 2024 at the Institute of Education, University College London, United Kingdom. The conference, which was titled "The Future of Higher Education", brought together scholars and researchers from around the world to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing higher education in the 21st century.

Lingnan University held its Staff Communication Day and Staff Party 2024 yesterday (15 February), where around 700 faculty members and staff gathered to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. This was the first university-wide event of its kind since Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University took office last year, connecting with all faculty members and staff and sharing the latest developments at the University.

Lingnan University is honoured to receive a generous donation of HK$3.88 million from the Lingnan Education Organization (LEO) to support the commencement of the two-year LingArt Programme on the Promotion & Inheritance of Chinese Culture (LingArt Programme). It aims to promote Chinese culture and show its grandeur and uniqueness through a series of cultural and artistic activities, so as to foster a deeper understanding of the rich and diverse heritage of China in both local and international students, as well as to nurture a sense of national belonging in local students.

Nestled in northern Karnataka, the Badami cave temples of India are adorned with a unique blend of intricate carvings that draw religious motifs from Shaivite, Vaishnavite and Jain traditions. Learn more about these 2nd-century rock-cut shrines that bear testament to ancient Indian royal patronage and religious syncretism.

Three young fellows supported by IDRC’s Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar are tackling crucial issues in women’s rights, economic empowerment, and climate change through their research and advocacy endeavours.

Lingnan University’s Advanced Institute for Global Chinese Studies (AIGCS) will launch a new series of How to Read Chinese Poetry, on 1 March 2024. This knowledge transfer project promotes Chinese literature and culture globally, narrating Chinese stories through poetry. The new programme is presented in three series: “Chinese Videos: Sounds of Tang Poetry”, “English Videos: From the Book of Poetry to Qing Dynasty Poetry”, and “Chinese Videos: From the Book of Poetry to Qing Dynasty Poetry”. The first two series were released in 2023, and have been viewed two million times.

To strengthen connections with alumni and showcase the university's rich history and accomplishments, Lingnan University in Hong Kong has initiated a series of alumni interview activities. The first session, led by Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University, featured a conversation with distinguished alumnus and renowned economist Prof Gregory Chow Chi-chong in the US.

Lingnan University held the kick-off ceremony for the 2nd Postgraduate Mentorship Programme on campus today (20 January). About 200 postgraduate students and mentors attended the event, which helps graduating students navigate employment challenges in Hong Kong's rapidly evolving and competitive environment. The programme shows mainland Chinese and overseas non-local students how to adapt strategically to Hong Kong's culture, make smart career choices, and unleash their full potential in the job market.

Lingnan University’s School of Graduate Studies recently invited Dr Miguel Antonio Lim, Senior Lecturer in Education and Research Excellence Framework (REF) coordinator at the Manchester Institute of Education, to deliver a thought-provoking presentation on “Ethical Internationalisation in Higher Education and the Need for Understanding ‘South-to-South’ Student Mobility” at a seminar. Dr Lim is well-known for his extensive research in international and transnational higher education.

The Punjab regions of India and Pakistan bear witness to a centuries-old, laborious tradition of embroidering cloth with silk threads. Called Vari da Bagh and Bagh, meaning “‘garden”’, these textiles are ritually significant and are adorned with geometric patterns or motifs that draw from the everyday life and culture of the region.

What actually happens is much weirder, and may help us understand more about quantum mechanics

In the 16th and 17th centuries, religious ivory statuettes sculpted in colonial Goa sported a unique amalgamation of European and ancient Indian symbolisms. Discover the history of this Indo-Portuguese iconography and its ties to local evangelism, slavery and colonial export.

Amongst the earliest objects unearthed from Gandhara are carved stone dishes depicting guardian spirits, mythical creatures and scenes of merrymaking. Despite the carvings being rich in artistic and cultural information, they reveal little about the functions of these objects. Learn more about these enigmatic artefacts, and the material history of ancient Gandhara.

The School of Graduate Studies of Lingnan University has initiated a research project to address growing concerns regarding the emotional well-being of Hong Kong students and the academic stress they have faced since the COVID-19 pandemic. The project focuses on "Enhancing positive values among primary students through digital storytelling." Research findings indicate that incorporating digital storytelling in primary schools’ English language classes helps inculcate positive values among students. It is found that this pedagogical approach not only improves students’ engagement in class, but also significantly contributes to their holistic development, and emotional and mental well-being, and cultivates positive values in young learners.

Since nearly the twelfth century, painters, called ‘patuas’, lived around the Jagannatha Temple at Puri in Odisha, painting tales from Hindu and Islamic religious mythologies, and local legends onto cloth scrolls. Discover how the rituals and festivals of the temple, and its principal deities — Jagannatha, Balabhadra, and Subhadra — inspire these paintings.

Created by western India’s nomadic Vaghri community, mata ni pachedi is a tradition of cloth painting dating back 300 years. Originally meant as canopies for shrines and as objects of ritual worship, these textiles depict a pantheon of local goddesses surrounded by regional motifs. Read on to understand how printing, painting and cloth come together in religious consumerism.

Riding on the success of the previous two seminar sessions, the Distinguished Scholars Seminar Series organised by Lingnan University’s School of Graduate Studies continues with the delivery of its third seminar. The seminar series takes place between November and December 2023 and features world-renowned scholars sharing their insights and expertise on various topics.

Most Chinese-language media reports concerning migrant domestic workers (MDW) in Hong Kong fail to report their mistreatment factually, independently and critically, and focus on news appeal while neglecting the deeper roots of this important issue, related to power and the interplay of gender, race, ethnicity, and class, according to a recent study by Lingnan University. These news stories distance the community from the sufferings of MDW, reinforcing inequalities, and inhibiting any discussion that might lead to improved policies, practices and awareness.