Faculty Alumni Knowledge Publications New Campus News Stories Exchange Contacts .:Pages 2-3 .:Pages 4-16 .:Pages 17-19 .:Page 20 .:Page 20 Faculty News A New Chapter In Our History communication. It also houses specially designed classrooms and innovative venues for performances Welcome to this Centenary edition of the Faculty of and exhibitions. Its beautiful roof garden, stunning Arts newsletter! views across the harbour, and light-filled spaces convey the same sense of harmony and calm that inhabits the 2012 is a particularly Main Building’s peaceful corridors and courtyards. significant year for the Faculty of Arts Centenary Celebrations Arts – it marks both the start of the The Centenary celebrations were officially launched Faculty’s Centenary with the inaugural MB Lee Distinguished Lecture in celebrations, as well the Humanities delivered by Professor Jonathan Hay as our move from the on October 25, 2012. The celebrations will run from historic Main Building October 2012 to September 2013, commemorating the to our sparkling new admission of the first Arts students in October 1912 home in Run Run and the election of the first Dean of Arts, Professor A.E. Shaw Tower on the Wrottesley-Salt, in September 1913, respectively. Centennial Campus. Over the coming months we will be holding a variety Over the last 100 years, the Faculty has grown to of public events and activities that showcase the become one of the finest humanities faculties in the Faculty’s extraordinary achievements over the region and internationally. In the pages that follow, past 100 years. Among these is the Arts Centenary some of our most distinguished alumni as well as photography project involving award-winning Hong recent graduates share their stories of life in the Kong photographer So Hing Keung. These images, two Faculty of Arts during the past half century – giving us of which are featured on this page, were captured in the opportunity to recall through their words the pride, the last two months prior to the Faculty’s move to its joys – and occasional pains – of being an Arts student new home in Run or teacher at the University of Hong Kong. Run Shaw Tower. They offer glimpses Our New Home of its history and, most importantly, of Many of these reminiscences involve the Main some of the people Building, the Faculty’s 100-year old home until our who have made move to Run Run Shaw Tower during this past summer. it the outstanding Although we had outgrown its walls, we all agreed academic enterprise that we could not leave without a proper goodbye, that it is today. and a farewell event was held on Sunday, April 22, that brought together Arts staff, students, alumni, and As we enter our friends in a joyful celebration of our time in this iconic second century with building at the heart of the University. renewed confidence and energy, we will strive Dr Carolyn Muir teaches a class in MB239 The main ceremony, which was held in Loke Yew Hall, to reach new heights in our included opening remarks by former Chief Secretary mission to provide a comprehensive, humanistic and for Administration The Hon. Mrs Anson Chan, liberal research environment for our staff and students, poem readings by Professors Agnes Lam and Leung as well as lifelong learning opportunities for the Ping Kwan, the presentation of the student Video community. Anniversaries encourage us to celebrate Competition Prize by University Artists Ms Mabel the past while looking forward to the future; what is Cheung and Mr Alex Law, a performance of Haydn’s more, they are an opportunity to thank the people Farewell Symphony by the Hong Kong Chamber who have made this journey not only possible, but also Orchestra, and a percussion parade around the Main rewarding and exciting. Building led by University Artist Dr Lung Heung-wing. The whole afternoon took on a carnival atmosphere For details of Arts Centenary activities, please visit with activities highlighting the Faculty’s diversity http://arts.hku.hk occurring simultaneously throughout the Main Building. For photos of the April 22 event and Faculty souvenirs, please visit http://arts.hku.hk/april22 Our new home, the state-of-the-art Run Run Shaw Tower in the Centennial Campus, allows our Schools and Centres to be under one roof, a situation that facilitates more inter-disciplinary research and fosters a stronger sense of communal belonging and Page 2 Faculty News New Staff Appointments Mr Juan Castillo, Assistant Language Instructor The Faculty was pleased to welcome the following Ms Eleanor K.P. Kwan, Assistant Language Instructor academic and academic-related staff who took up Ms Ellie Law, Assistant Language Instructor new full-time and fixed-term appointments between Ms Karina Muse, Assistant Language Instructor February 1, 2012 and October 31, 2012. Mr Steven J. Roberts, Assistant Language Instructor Mr Colin D.C. Tait, Assistant Language Instructor School of Chinese Mr Kevin Yung, Assistant Language Instructor Dr Song Geng, Associate Professor Dr Lee Tong King, Assistant Professor Centre of Buddhist Studies Dr S.H. Choi, Teaching Consultant Dr Gao Junling, Post-doctoral Fellow Dr K.W. Siu, Teaching Consultant Ven Dr Sik Fa Ren, Teaching Consultant Ms Chan Yan Yan, Language Instructor Mr H.S. Lam, Language Instructor Centre for the Humanities and Medicine Dr Y.T. Wong, Language Instructor Dr Harry Wu, Post-doctoral Fellow Ms Zhang Wei, Assistant Language Instructor Existing Staff School of English The following existing members of staff took up new Prof Adam Jaworski, Professor full-time and fixed-term positions during the same Dr Olga Zayts, Assistant Professor period of February 1, 2012 and October 31, 2012. School of Humanities Dr Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park, Assistant Professor School of English (Comparative Literature) Dr Dirk Noël, Associate Professor Dr Johanna Wolff, Assistant Professor (Philosophy) Dr Geng Xiujuan, Research Assistant Professor School of Humanities (Linguistics / State Key Laboratory of Brain and Prof Gina Marchetti, Professor (Comparative Literature) Cognitive Sciences) Dr Roslyn Hammers, Associate Professor (Fine Arts) Dr Gong Tao, Research Assistant Professor (Linguistics) Dr Li King Ling, Post-doctoral Fellow (Linguistics) Centre for Applied English Studies Dr Edoardo Zamuner, Post-doctoral Fellow (Philosophy) Dr Martin K.K. Tang, Language Instructor Ms Veronica PY Kwok, Research Officer (Linguistics / Dr Clarence Wang, Language Instructor State Key Lab) Mr Parco Wong, Language Instructor Dr Joey Tang, Research Officer (Linguistics / State Key Lab) Dr David Pomfret Honoured With Ms Xu Guiping, Research Officer (Linguistics / State Key UGC Teaching Award 2012 Lab) Dr David M. Pomfret, Associate Professor in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures Department of History, is one of the winners of Prof Liu Haiming, Fulbright Visiting Professor (American this year’s UGC Teaching Award. The Award was Studies) launched by the UGC in 2011 to honour academics Dr Su Yun Kim, Assistant Professor (Korean Studies) in the UGC-funded institutions for their outstanding teaching performance and achievements, as well Dr John Wong, Post-doctoral Fellow (American Studies) as their leadership in and scholarly contribution to teaching and learning. Centre for Applied English Studies Dr Angela C.K. Chan, Assistant Professor Since joining the University in 2001, Dr Pomfret has Mr Simon D. Boynton, Language Instructor distinguished himself as a teacher, a pioneer and a Mrs Daya Datwani, Language Instructor leader within HKU, and beyond. The depth of his engagement with students and reflections on their Ms Vivian Li, Language Instructor learning processes and his remarkable record of Dr Connie Ng, Language Instructor sustained teaching excellence mark him as a highly Dr Jane M. Robbins, Language Instructor unusual, talented and charismatic teacher. Dr Ms Jane Tsoi, Language Instructor Pomfret was awarded the University’s Outstanding Ms Laura J. Wakeland, Language Instructor Teaching Award in 2010 and was also presented Mr Robert E. Walker, Language Instructor with the Outstanding Young Researcher Award in 2007/2008. Ms Rebecca Welland, Language Instructor Page 3 Stairway To Heaven The Main Building’s Why don’t you write me a piece pretending you are stone staircase has been him, in his style? Criticising Hong Kong in a nice sort of many things to Elizabeth way, a satirical sort of way.’ Wong Chien Chi-lien – a place where she wore “Which I did, and she liked it. And I find that has left her first ball gown, met me with a kind of mark all my life. Because in all my former governor Lord writings, even when I was in government, the official Maclehose, and once papers, I used to see things that other people take for took a tumble. But most granted.” important was where the staircase led her. Mrs Wong joined the civil service in 1969 and eventually became Secretary of Health and Welfare. “To me it was like going She was known for her touches of humour such as up the ladder to heaven, sending poems to legislators who criticised her. In 1995 which was the Arts Attending a ball at Loke Yew Hall she stepped down and was elected to the Legislative faculty,” she says. Council where she stayed until 1997. Mrs Wong (BA 1959) was an English Literature major “I learned from Mary Visick. At the time I didn’t realise and at the time the faculty was a heaven of several it was her influence but later on I said, I have this habit gods with very human characteristics. Oxford poet of looking at things from a different angle and laughing Edmund Blunden was one of her tutors and she at them,” she says. remembers him vividly. Today Mrs Wong is a “He was an old man at the time, at least he looked novelist and teaches English old.