SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE UNDERGRADUATE NEWSLETTER 2022
1 WELCOME MESSAGES Professor James WONG Associate Dean (UG) and GCS Program Director It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to our Global China Studies (GCS) family. In this day and age, our daily conversations always revolve around the pandemic. This is undoubtedly an unprecedented event which has impacted all walks of life, and the situation is still evolving from time to time. While we may feel excited about resuming face-to-face classes, we may also be concerned about what our future would look like. The uncertainties can be so overwhelming that we sometimes feel confused and frustrated. Perhaps this is the condition of the contemporary world. Solution? There is no quick fix. Let’s focus on things that we can control. Live in the present moment. Be thankful to what we have. Value all our experiences. In the GCS program, we aspire to prepare you to face challenges in an ever changing and increasingly complex world. We encourage you to not just think but also act. Internship. Exchange. Overseas learning experience. Ambassador scheme. Undergraduate research opportunities. By taking small steps everyday, you will gradually build a fruitful and meaningful university life. No one is certain about the future, neither am I. Que sera, sera. Whatever happens tomorrow, at least we have had today. All the best!
2 Professor Wenkai HE QSA Program Director Quantitative Social Analysis (QSA), offered by the Division of Social Science, is a unique program binding rigorous training in data science and other quantitative methodology with social science knowledge and theory. In an era that big data is increasingly available, we need to learn how to use big data for a better society and better future. I am excited at seeing both new and the returning students. I wish you the best for your study at HKUST. As campus life is returning to normal, you will have more opportunities to interact with faculties and other students both in and off classroom. I hope you make full use of these opportunities to let us know your ideas and interests and how we can be helpful to you. We had our first cohort who graduated with the QSA degree and moved forward to the next stage in life. We are hearing great achievements by this first cohort of graduates including those working as an analyst in a leading global firm and being admitted to PhD programs in well-known universities. Many of our final and third-year students have already participated in internships in government, businesses, and non-profit organizations, applying what they have learned in class to the real world. Others have joined faculty research projects. In this newsletter, you will learn more about the activities of our students, with stories and thoughts from their perspectives. As a new director of the program, I look forward to meeting our new and returning QSA students. Feel free to contact me if you have any question.
3 STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENTS Ashleigh MA GCS Year 1 Ashleigh represented HKUST in the 60th USFHK Annual Athletic Meet in June 2022 where she won the gold medal in the 400 meters. She was greatly encouraged and moved by her teammates as they worked together and cheered for one another’s achievements. They have all proved themselves with their hard work and vitality. Anson CHAN GCS Year 4 Anson’s team won the Champion in the IFEC Personal Finance Ambassador Programme 2020/21 jointly organized by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) and the Investor and Financial Education Council (IFEC). The team was awarded HK$20,000 for having triumphed over other teams from 11 tertiary institutions. XIE Xiaoming QSA Year 2 Xiaoming was a finalist of the Mr. Armin and Mrs. Lillian Kitchell Undergraduate Research Award, 2022. She was also awarded the Ng Hong Mun Educational Foundation Outstanding Student Scholarship, 2022. Pearl NGAU GCS Year 3 Pearl won the Outstanding Tertiary Students Award of Hong Kong 2022 from the Hong Kong Youth & Tertiary Students Association. She also won the Outstanding Service Award for Tertiary Students 2021-2022 by the Hong Kong Outstanding Tertiary Students’ Services Association.
4 Bobo AU-YEUNG GCS Year 2 Bobo was the recipient of the Lee Hysan Foundation Exchange Scholarship and the HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund - Reaching Out Award. She thanks the two bodies for giving her the opportunity to explore and learn beyond borders. LAM Tsam Yi GCS Year 2 Tsam Yi was awarded the HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund - Reaching Out Award to support her overseas experience. Daniel DONG GCS Year 2 Daniel was awarded the HKSAR Government Scholarship and the HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund — Talent Development Scholarship.
5 OVERSEAS LEARNING EXPERIENCE LAM Tsam Yi GCS Year 3 Sciences Po, France Tsam Yi has met amazing friends for life during her exchange. She had the wonderful opportunity to explore the chilled French lifestyle in the city of Reims where she lived in. She also learned a lot from the intensive courses in her institute. She encouraged everyone to grasp the opportunity as they will get more out of it than they think. Tracy MA GCS Year 3 Utrecht University, the Netherlands Tracy found her exchange experience valuable as she had the opportunity to gain insights into her area of interest from a broader perspective and live independently in a foreign country. She had a new understanding of different social topics, such as inequality in different EU member states and Hong Kong, through cross-cultural discussions in lectures. She also became more inclusive through day-to-day interactions with people from around the globe. She enjoyed the springtime of the Netherlands where tulips blossomed everywhere. Bobo AU-YEUNG GCS Year 3 University of Warwick, United Kingdom As a fan of the Harry Potter series, Bobo was surprised to find that the fictional Quidditch was a real-life sport. She joined the Warwick Quidditch Club after taking part in the taster session. She trained twice a week with the team and cooked for themselves afterwards. Like in fiction, Bobo rode on her broom as a chaser and competed in the Southern University League and the British Quidditch Cup 2022. Her team even made it to the top 4 in the latter game. She was so proud to be part of the team.
6 Selah LO QSA Year 3 Korea University, Korea In Korea University, Selah enjoyed very much the week-long annual festival Ipselenti where booth games and concert with K-pop stars Red Velvet and PSY took place. She was amazed by the atmosphere brought by the music vibe. She also spent many evenings in a language exchange club using the Korean language to chat with different people. The group usually went for dinner together afterwards. She could never forget the time she spent in the country. Millie HAN GCS Year 3 Fudan University, Mainland China Millie has a great interest in Chinese society and the country’s education system. In Fudan University, she developed the skill of analyzing social issues through the lenses of stakeholders with different backgrounds. Apart from studying, Millie was happy that she was treated as part of the family by people in Fudan amidst the pandemic in Shanghai. And although only a few face-to-face activities could take place, Millie still enjoyed the virtual activities such as Top 10 Singers on Campus, ukulele sessions, and bird watching. Anson WONG GCS Year 3 Peking University, Mainland China In Peking University, Anson was able to explore international relations through understanding in-depth ideas about the world and discussions with peers. She liked talking to people and having local food while travelling around the city. She also enjoyed the atmosphere of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
7 INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE Dominic NG QSA Year 3 Administrative Service Internship in Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau Having the opportunities to work with experienced Administrative Officers, Dominic was involved in the coordination and execution of the publicity of the Greater Bay Area such as preparing key messages for promotional videos and managing the Bureau’s booth at the HKTDC Education & Careers Expo. Dominic believes that QSA has equipped him with the knowledge and skills that are indispensable for the profession. Jack YU QSA Year 3 Financial Accounting Advisory Services – Software Engineer, Ernst & Young In a system development project, Jack improved codes to resolve errors and wrote automation scripts to retrieve datasets. He also performed data analysis and visualization with professional programming packages. Besides, he worked together with co-workers and clients for troubleshooting problems. After the internship, Jack is considering doing a master’s degree in computer science for future career development. Jessie LEUNG GCS Year 4 Administrative Service Internship in Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau During her 2-month internship, Jessie assisted in the development of promotional campaigns for the Constitution and the Basic Law and provided administrative support for the Basic Law Promotion Sponsorship Scheme. From this experience, she came to realize that accuracy, cautious planning and evaluation in the allocation of public resources are significant for the prudent management of public finances. She also gained a more profound understanding of government operations and public policy process. Jessie thanks especially her AO mentor, also a GCS graduate, for giving support and guidance for her professional and personal growth. Anson CHAN GCS Year 4 Semester Intern, Dr Martens Airwair Group Limited Anson conducted four data-driven retail projects for direct-to-consumer (D2C) and online-to-online (O2O) business operations. She also proposed strategic plans targeting Asian Pacific markets.
8 Tracy MA GCS Year 3 Development Assistant, Education for Good In the project of Revitalisation of Tai Wai Nullah, Tracy performed social listening and data research to understand the experience and concerns of users in the community. Such information would help the authority to respond to people’s needs. Tracy learned that policymaking counts on the efforts of all sides and the importance of understanding things from different perspectives. LAM Long Kiu QSA Year 3 Marketing Assistant, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong Long Kiu conducted research on Tuen Mun to prepare his organization to operate the Tuen Mun District Health Centre. He believes that the academic training received in HKUST has enabled him to perform efficiently in the workplace. He also sees the importance of good interpersonal skills. Long Kiu is proud to have been involved as he knows his work is going to help many people. LIANG Ka On QSA Year 2 Business Analyst, BeyondLabs Limited In the project of a gamified yoga mobile app, Ka On designed the database and performed server implementation. She was also involved in project management where she learned communication and coordination skills for working with clients. From this experience, Ka On appreciates the importance of being flexible and creative in different areas. Gina KUNG GCS Year 4 Part-time Intern, The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong Working with the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Gina got to know how the organization helps members navigate a rapidly changing business environment. Through close observation, she also understood the impacts of international relations and governments’ policies on business operations. She thanks her coworkers for answering her enquiries, whether being directly related to her duties or not. This enabled her to gain deeper insights into the relevance of her tasks. Gina found the experience rewarding and eye-opening.
9 WELCOME TO THE SHSS FAMILY! SHSS freshers met our faculty members for the first time in September. Professor Kellee TSAI, Dean of Humanities and Social Science, shared with students how she realized her lifelong passion in political science after working years in investment banking. She also emphasized that nowadays employers look for graduates with a breadth of knowledge. Professor James WONG, Associate Dean, encouraged freshers to get to know one another and keep in touch with the School so that they could have a meaningful experience in HKUST. Professor Kellee TSAI Professor James WONG
10 THERAPY DOG WELCOME SESSION The School organized together with HKUST +VibEs Therapy Dog Welcome Session at the start of the new academic year. Bruno, a German shephard living on campus with his parent Professor Garvin Percy DIAS, came to visit our students at the Dean’s Suite. Students had the opportunities to interact with Bruno such as patting, combing his hair, throwing balls, and treating him snacks. We were also happy to have Professor Kellee TSAI and Professor James WONG dropped by to greet students and played with Bruno. Everyone enjoyed a relaxing afternoon with the incredible friend of ours. HANDMADE LEATHER PASSPORT HOLDER WORKSHOP Needles and threads, hammer and iron-on letters. All participants were busy with making their masterpieces. The School hopes that leisure activities like this can let students relax from stress and soothe their minds. Do come and join our future workshops!
11 ALUMNI SHARING LAU Hei GCS Class of 2014 Town Planner, Planning Department Working as a town planner in the government gives me the opportunity to improve the urban environment on different scales, such as by formulating development strategies for the whole territory, as well as processing local development proposals and planning applications. GCS is a multidisciplinary program that has provided me with a solid foundation for my future endeavors in urban planning, and the ability to see urban issues from different perspectives. Feel free to explore more and you might find your passion for life! Elaine NGAN GCS Class of 2014 Art Curator, Hong Kong Heritage Museum As an art curator, I promote the appreciation of arts through museum collections, exhibitions and programs. Currently at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, I work closely with artists, collectors, designers, contractors, and public relations to turn an idea into an educational exhibition open to the public. Looking back, GCS’s multidisciplinary program as well as internship and exchange opportunities have provided me with the freedom and platform to find my passion and encouraged me to pursue further study in museum curatorship. Hope you can chase your own dream! Rico YIP GCS Class of 2014 Teacher and Head of Science Panel, Our Lady of the Rosary College Time flies. Eight years ago, I started my career as a teaching assistant. It was not easy for a social science graduate as there were few teaching posts for Liberal Studies teachers. But thanks to the recognition from my supervisors, I was promoted and have formally become a teacher. I was so nervous about my career while I was about to graduate. But when I look back, I think everyone should be more confident as we are more capable than we expect. Try to spend time understanding yourself and be courageous becoming the person you want to be. Rico (right 1)
12 Linda CHEUNG GCS Class of 2016 Freelance Photographer Photography is my introverted way to learn about people around me and connect with total strangers. For my commissioned work, I shoot portraits, food and product photography. My personal projects revolve around identity, bodies and women’s stories. GCS gave me the freedom and opportunities to identify subjects that I am passionate about and it was during my exchange study in Paris that my passion for photography was rekindled. I hope you will get to explore what fascinates you intellectually and personally during your time here. From courses to internships, stay open and give everything a try so you can decide if you like something or not! Angela NG GCS Class of 2014 Medical doctor in Endocrinology in Ireland Those years that I spent as an undergraduate in Hong Kong were both bitter and sweet. I have cultivated lifelong friendships with people that I have cherished for the past 10 years. Yet, it was also a time of great misfortune when I lost my father to cancer. Had the professors of SHSS not extended their helping hands, I would not have had the strength to complete my studies. Interestingly, life has paved its way to build the resilience and inner clarity I needed to embark on a journey in Medicine. The future might seem uncertain, but uncertainty creates fun and excitement. If you ever feel hopeless, bear in mind that “where there there is a will, there is always a way”. Angela (left 1) Hyson LAM QSA Class of 2021 I previously worked as Research Assistant at the Center for Business and Social Analytics (CBSA) of the HKUST Business School. I am grateful that I could apply the quantitative and computational skills I learned to academic research. Recently, I have started my new journey as an MPhil student in Social Science here in HKUST. Hyson (left 1) YUAN Wanyi QSA Class of 2021 I am pursuing Master of Arts in Social Science in HKUST.
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