De s i g n e d b y Ti n a Y I K Newsletter FALL 2018 BSc in Global China Studies: Humanities and Social Science BSc in Quantitative Social Analysis School of Humanities and Social Science
2 / S H S Message from the Associate Dean and Program Directors On behalf of SHSS and Global China Studies, I want to give a big welcome to all our new and returning students. I wish you a successful and exciting year, here on campus or wherever else in the world your studies and internships take you! GCS is a unique elite program that trains students to understand China’s past, present, and future in a global context, using intellectual tools from across the humanities and social sciences. As you will see in this newsletter, our students have many accomplishments to celebrate: awards from scholarship committees and government commissions; academic exchanges at prestigious universities around the globe; and rewarding work experiences at innovative businesses in Hong Kong and abroad. As the new associate dean and GCS program director, I’m very honored to join the leadership of a program whose talented students I’ve taught and advised for many years. We’re proud of their achievements and looking forward to see what new ideas and adventures the eighth year of GCS will bring. Quantitative Social Analysis, offered by the Division of Social Science, had its first intake of undergraduate students in fall 2017, and is now preparing to welcome its second intake. The program combines a broad training in social science theory and evidence with rigorous and structured education in quantitative methods for analyzing social science data. The latter emphasizes hands-on experience with social data. The students who entered last fall spent their first year taking foundational courses in social science and quantitative methods, and will be moving on to more advanced courses in the coming year. Some students have already participated in internships or research projects where they applied what they learned to real-world challenges. In the coming year, more students will take advantage of the opportunities for outbound exchange and internship afforded by HKUST and the School of Humanities and Social Science. Prof. Joshua DERMAN Prof. Cameron CAMPBELL UG As s o c i a t e De an , SHSS GCS P r og r am D i r e c t o r QSA P r og r am D i r e c t o r Honours and Awards Alex Cheng Hong-wun was one of the three members selected from 503 applicants who recommended themselves under a pilot scheme to involve the city’s youth in policymaking in 2017. Alex will represent the younger demographic among the 34 non-official members of the Youth Development Commission chaired by Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung. Congratulations to Yan Jiayi on being awarded the HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund - Reaching Out Award. The Award will support her to participate in learning, internship or service programmes, as well as national, regional and international events and competitions that are conducted outside Hong Kong. Siu Tsz Chun was a finalist receiving the UROP Research Award. His project is “Chinese and English Media Representation of Migrant Domestic Workers in Hong Kong”. Tsz Chun was under the supervision of Prof. Julian Groves. They had spent two years examining the media coverage of domestic workers in Hong Kong. Also, Tsz Chun (together with Prof. Julian Groves and Siu Tsz Yan) made a presentation, “Whose Side are We on? A Comparison of Chinese and English Language Media Reportage of Migrant Domestic Workers in the wake of the Erwiana Abuse Case” at the 19th Hong Kong Sociological Association (HKSA) Annual Conference. Cheng Hong Wun, Alex Yan Jiayi Siu Tsz Chun 1s t Ye a r GCS S t ud en t 4t h Ye a r GCS S t ud en t 3rd Ye a r GCS S t ud en t Congratulations to Yiu Ching Kay on being awarded as the first runner-up of the 28th Chinese Poetry Writing Competition, an annual writing competition organized by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Yiu Ching Kay 3rd Ye a r GCS S t ud en t
/ 3 S S Mu Yutong, Hepburn (GCS) I’m Hepburn, a fourth-year GCS student. I joined UST in 2014 and went on to study economics at Waseda University in September 2017. Schedule in Waseda is busy: normally I have to take twelve courses per semester (A LOT), each bearing two credits. Don’t think two credits imply an easier job: I have presentations, midterms, finals, essays… sometimes all of them. The system is quite different from Hong Kong’s. Each semester has four months and classes only meet once per week. Moreover, professors put main weight on final exams, so you have to be prepared for a tough week or two at the end of each semester, and manage your time wisely since there is no ‘study break’. The burden is heavy, but you make progress. Living in Japan is quite fun: eat sushi, drink miso soup, come home and say ‘ただいま’ (‘I’m back’). It’s a good opportunity to learn about Japanese culture and society since you have one year and a half to sharpen your lens. Apart from food and sightseeing, you can further explore Japanese business culture. Sharing from Waseda Dual Degree Program Students Lin Yinghui, Lily (GCS) The experience of studying in Japan opens my mind to another country that was once mysterious to me. Before I went to Japan, all the impressions on this country and the people there are based on secondary sources. Once I really experience it myself, I realize that everything is far more varied than a simple description could encompass. For example, the old impression that “all Japanese are obedient to the authority and dare not to express objection even if the authority is clearly wrong” was falsified by my interaction with some Japanese students and professors. Some Japanese students are indeed adept at critical thinking and have no fear in expressing their true feelings. Besides that, it is also remarkable that joining this program has brought me the opportunity to meet a bunch of friends coming from different Asian universities. We discuss important political and economic issues in East Asia in class, and go to several interesting study trips together.
4 / S Inspired me to do further research To analyze data by using software like R Studio and Python Good opportunity to apply skills and knowledge obtained from study Cheung Ka Ki Kelly (GCS) District Office of New York State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky The most impressive part of my internship experience was assisting in the operation of a free informational workshop that offered confidential legal advice for immigrants. This hands-on experience gave me a great exposure to the deep-rooted governmental problems and conflicts related to migration and refugees in the United States. It also inspired me to do further research in political science and seek deeper understanding about international human rights law. Kim Da Hye (QSA) Notiplus I worked as an intern at a startup company in South Korea, which manages a B2B distribution platform that provides tailored news contents based on AI recommendation. My job is to analyze data and statistics by using software like R Studio and Python, and visualize data through generating graphs in order to estimate the trend for news users and find out the most popular keyword in each month. Shin Eunji (GCS) Agorize Agorize is a French-based company that has been expanding its business in APAC, I was able to gain first-hand insights into the ways European companies approach the Chinese market, and understand the kind of challenges they face. I believe it was a good opportunity for me to apply the skills and knowledge that I obtained through the major study (Global China Studies) to the real world. Internship Work on issues I had never dealt with before Wong Conway (GCS) Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Singapore It was a pleasure for me to work in the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Singapore. This internship enabled me to work on issues which I had never dealt with before, such as human resources affairs. I was responsible for writing evaluation reports for the interviewees during job interviews and arranging written tests for them. Working in the Government is like writing a speech Ng Ting Yin (GCS) AO Summer Internship Program, HKSAR I joined the Administrative Service Internship Programme 2018 (AO summer internship) of the HKSAR Government and was assigned to the Communication and Creative Industry Branch (CCIB) of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB). Working in the Government is like writing a speech. A just-right speech is neither overloaded with information nor stuffed only with unsubstantiated statements. A proper balance and even compromises are often needed, and I think this is a fine line that a responsible government must strive to walk.
/ 5 S H S S Utmost beneficial to SHSS schoolmates Chan Ho Ting (QSA) SEE Network Ltd. My first internship at SEE Network Ltd. is surely an unforgettable experience. I have cooperated with another talented intern and tackled many challenging tasks assigned to us. It is definitely a fruitful month and has great influence on my future plans. I am grateful to the SHSS and SEE Network Ltd. for this opportunity to work as an intern and learn from real-life working environment. I sincerely wish that more internships related to research and society, such as those to work at mass media firms, could be made available, which I believe will be of utmost benefit to my schoolmates. Definitely an invaluable experience Lai Kai Fai (GCS) Legislative Council During the internship programme, I was assigned to two offices, Research office and News office. The most important tasks that I performed respectively in the two offices include drafting a supplementary paper for meetings called Statistic Highlight and drafting Press releases for LegCo or its member’s upcoming activities. This has broadened my horizons and enlightened me about my future career planning. I enjoyed every single part of it. Education is no longer about classroom teaching Gao Xiaohan (QSA) 2018 HeadStart @ HKUST Program As a QSA major, I am very pleased and proud that I was involved in a great program – the HeadStart Program during my first year at HKUST. Education in the 21st-century is no longer about imparting knowledge through classroom teaching only. Equipping students with an understanding of the real world and developing their capacity to maneuver through the various challenges in life is equally vital. That is why the HeartStart Program is here. Of great value to me and GCS students to understand China and the world Lam Cheuk Yuet, Leonard (GCS) Wuhan Economic and Trade Office (WHETO) Working as a Liaison Coordination and Commercial Relations Division Intern in the WHETO was certainly a challenging yet greatly meaningful experience. I assisted in event preparation for the Opening Ceremony of the Immigration Office of the WHETO and participated in producing post-meeting reports for official firm visits and high-level meetings of WHETO with business organizations in Wuhan. These experiences are all of great value to me as a university student, and a GCS student trying to understand China and the world. The firm is extremely open to all disciplines Li Zonghao (GCS) Deloitte I sailed through the four months of the internship in Deloitte and made a bunch of great friends there. Many would say that the “Big Four” is reserved for business school students, especially accounting majors. However, the firm is extremely open to all disciplines, part of the reason I guess is when the skill sets in these companies are quite broad and diverse.
6 / S H Exchange Kwok Tsz Ting (GCS) York University, Canada During the first week of exchange, I was not brave enough to chat with my roommate. I wasn’t even sure how to pronounce my roommate’s name. One day, I gathered sufficient courage and talked to a floormate. Beyond my expectation, he introduced his roommate to me, and then the circle went on and on. We often sat on the ground and had all kinds of conversations. The corridor became our common room. This has taught me that sometimes if you take one step forward, the outcome may be surprising. Mak Tin Yiu (GCS) Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands During my exchange study at Erasmus, what impressed me the most is the attitude of teachers and students towards presentations. Like many HKUST students, I pay extra attention to the design of PowerPoint slides and the smoothness of the message delivery process. I always rehearsed many times with my group mates before presentations. In contrast, it’s rare to see students here doing rehearsals beforehand. However, it does not mean that Erasmus students are not hard-working. They seemmore concerned about how to engage with the audience. Ng Yui Tung (GCS) Seoul National University, South Korea If you study in Korea in the Fall semester, you cannot avoid the challenging winter. It may be really difficult for ordinary Hong Kong people to adapt to the cold and dry climate. I still remember the day when the temperature dipped to -20 degree Celsius but I needed to go to school for an exam at 0900. It was an extraordinary experience... If you don’t think you can withstand such cold weather maybe you should consider going on exchange in the Spring Semester! Chan Hiu Wing (GCS) University of Warwick, UK The learning style in Britain is quite different from that in Hong Kong. There is great emphasis on seminar sessions, in which students would do the required readings beforehand and then discuss the questions set by the lecturer. That gave me a great chance to speak up and express my opinions. Without doubt, such experience enriched my knowledge through the exchanges with students from different cultures.
/ 7 H S S Ng Chun Yin, Tony (GCS) Jagiellonian University, Poland Krakow is an old city but full of energy. Even though you can see many historical buildings around the city, most people there are students and young. Exchanging in Krakow was an unforgettable experience for me and I really learned a lot from the host university in the past five months. Yeung Chi Huen, Shirley (GCS) Utrecht University, The Netherlands I am very impressed by the city planning of Utrecht. There are more green areas in the city than in HK. The Netherlands is renowned for its huge number of bicycles. Almost every Netherlander has three bikes! Lam Ho Fung (GCS) University of Copenhagen, Denmark All in all, Copenhagen is a nice city to stay. The exchange experience is very unique and special, which brings me a new perspective on things in life. I would certainly recommend the University of Copenhagen and this exchange program to other students. Ng Ting Yin (GCS) The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel I would share an important tip with all prospective exchange students because studying in Israel is very different from studying in Hong Kong. Hong Kong lectures are more instructor-led but the Israeli one is more interactive. Make yourself part of the process and do not be shy to ask for help.
De s i g n e d b y Ti n a Y I K w w w . s h s s . u s t . h k @HKUST.SHSSUG @HKUST.SHSSUG @香港科技大學人文社會科學學院 Global China Studies Quant i tat i ve Social Analysis JUPAS Code: JS5411 Email: gcspgm@ust.hk www.shss.ust.hk/ug/major/gcs/ JUPAS Code: JS5412 Email: qsapgm@ust.hk www.shss.ust.hk/ug/major/qsa/
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