CUHK
News Centre

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) hosted the China-UK Humanities Annual Forum from 5 to 7 December at CUHK, enhancing the University’s closer partnership with both Chinese and British partner institutions in the humanities. As the annual event of the China-UK Humanities Alliance for Higher Education in 2018 with a theme of China and The Humanities, the Forum was held in Hong Kong for the first time and brought to it about 80 delegates comprising government officials, university leaders and academic members from 18 institutions of mainland China and UK.  

The opening ceremony was organised on 6 December on CUHK campus. Guests joining the ceremony to officiate included Professor Rocky S. TUAN, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK; the Hon Mrs. Carrie LAM CHENG Yuet-ngor, GBM, GBS, Chief Executive of the HKSAR government; Professor TAN Tie-Niu, Vice Minister of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR government; Mr. Jeff STREETER, Director, British Council, Hong Kong and Professor CHEN Xu, Alliance Chair and Chairperson of the University Council, Tsinghua University.

Participants took it in turns to give presentations using keynotes, thematic sessions and dialogues, involving exchanging ideas and sharing perceptions on topics like the state of humanities research and the role of arts and humanities in China, the humanistic tradition in Chinese history and culture as well as issues relating to globalising Chinese humanities. The meeting served as a platform for sharing views and experiences of mutual interest, for cross-cultural and transnational dialogue and cooperation in the field of the humanities and for deepening exchanges between the universities in China and UK.  

The China-UK Humanities Alliance for Higher Education
The Alliance was initiated by Tsinghua University with the aim of increasing and consolidating academic exchanges between Chinese and British universities through cross-cultural dialogue and collaboration in the field of the humanities in 2016. Founding members joining the Alliance comprise 5 Chinese universities (Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, Wuhan University, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong) and 7 British universities (The University of Oxford China Centre, The Needham Research Institute of Cambridge University, SOAS University of London, King’s College London, University of Reading, The University of Manchester and The University of Warwick).  New members include Shanghai International Studies University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, University of Exeter, Loughborough University and University College London. It serves as a platform for cross-cultural and cross-ethnic dialogue and cooperation in the field of the humanities. CUHK is the only founding member from Hong Kong in the Alliance. As an annual event of the Alliance, the China-UK Humanities Annual Forum is held to take forward this collaborative initiative and deepen exchanges among the member universities under the Alliance.