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October 2024
Professors Min Zhou and Yu Xie Recognized Among the Top 2% of Most-Cited Scientists

Stanford University has recently released the updated version of its prestigious list recognizing the top 2% of most-cited scientists across various fields. This highly respected report, led by Prof. John Ioannidis of Stanford University, presents standardized data on essential metrics such as citation counts, h-index, co-authorship-adjusted hm-index, citations by authorship roles, and a composite indicator.

We are proud to announce that our Distinguished Visiting Professors, Prof. Min Zhou and Prof. Yu Xie, have been honored for their outstanding contributions to sociology.

Prof. Zhou is a Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Asian American Studies, the Walter and Shirley Wang Endowed Chair in US-China Relations and Communications, and Director of the Asia Pacific Center at UCLA. Prof. Xie holds the Bert G. Kerstetter ’66 University Professorship of Sociology and PIIRS at Princeton University. Both are Distinguished Visiting Professors in the Department of Sociology at CUHK and members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAA&S). Their inclusion on this list further underscores their status as leading figures in the field of sociology.

The database is an invaluable tool for assessing academic influence and can be accessed at https://elsevier.digitalcommonsdata.com/datasets/btchxktzyw/7.

Congratulations to Professors Zhou, Xie, and all the exceptional scientists recognized for their remarkable academic contributions!

September 2024
Distinguished Symposium on Contemporary China’s Political Economy, September 16, 2024

We are excited to announce the upcoming Distinguished Symposium on Contemporary China’s Political Economy, which is organized by the Department of Sociology and sponsored by the Faculty of Social Science. This symposium aims to gather world-class thought leaders to discuss the political economy of China’s contemporary development. We are honoured to have the following distinguished speakers and discussants for the symposium:

Speakers:
Professor Jean C. OI, William Haas Professor of Chinese Politics, Department of Political Science and Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University
Professor Andrew G. WALDER, Denise O’Leary and Kent Thiry Professor, Department of Sociology and Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University

Discussants:
Professor Zheng SONG, Wei Lun Professor of Economics, Department Head of Economics, CUHK
Professor Pierre LANDRY, Professor and Director of the School of Governance and Policy Science, CUHK

Event Details:

Convener Prof. Ling ZHU, Department of Sociology, CUHK
Date 16 September, 2024 (Monday)
Time 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Venue Cheng Yu Tung Building, Lecture Theatre 1B Map
Language English
Registration https://cloud.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk/webform/view.php?id=13693649 
Registration Deadline: 9:00 a.m., 9 September 2024 (Monday)

Enquiry (852) 3943 6611 / (852) 3943 6271|sociology@cuhk.edu.hk

We look forward to your participation in making the Symposium a success.

Rundown-Symposium on 16 Sep

Poster-Symposium on 16 Sep

August 2024
昔日篳路藍縷,今已佳木成林──《三代人》序言

香港中文大學為了慶祝60周年,中大社會學系編輯了一本紀念冊《三代人》。這本書展現了中大社會學系本科生與研究生三代人的發展歷程,折射出中大這所知識力和國力的表徵在過去60年的豐碩成果。

2023 年是香港中文大學成立60周年。60年前中大誕生之時,香港的大學教育較之世界先進國家是滯後的。香港中文大學的出現,改變了香港高等教育的生態與景觀。中文大學建立之初,以建造一間國際一流的研究型大學為鵠的。60 年來,香港發生了巨大變化,中大更躍居世界大學之前茅(2023 年 6 月泰晤士高等教育大學排名為全球 45 位, QS 大學排名為全球 47 位)。

不寧唯是,香港在 1963 年由原來的兩間大學擴展到今日11間公私立大學,而其中包括中大的5間大學更成為世界百強之列。在世界城市中,有如此成就者,香港是唯一的。過去60年,是香港的大學教育成功發展的故事,也是香港由一個受殖民統治的城市發展為一個國際大都會的輝煌耀眼的故事。

20世紀在最深刻意義上是一個「知識革命」的世紀。而這個「知識革命」是由大學擔當主角的。60年代,加州伯克來大學校長克拉克 · 寇爾(Clark Kerr)指出現代大學(特別指研究型大學)已成為「知識工業」的重地,他認為現代大學已是知識力的表徵,也是國力的表徵。寇爾校長是創造「multiversity」一詞的人,他無疑是第一個看到現代大學功能與本質的人。中大在創建期,有幸得到寇爾的參與,他是中大校董會的終身校董,我十分珍惜也難忘當年向這位社會學前輩請益的機緣。

在此,我想指出,現代大學與傳統大學之最大不同在於,傳統大學基本上是一個教育機構(Teaching Institution),它是以培育人才為目的的。而現代大學則在培育人才之外,還有一個「創新知識」的目的。換言之,現代大學是一個教育機構,同時也是一個研究機構。就大學生員的結構來說,大學分為本科生部門與研究生部門。本科生部是以「教育」為核心,研究生部則以「研究」為焦點。研究的目的是為創新知識,而知識是世界性的,其關注點是全球的;而教育的目的是培育人才,培育的人才自必與大學之設在地有關,故其關注點是「在地的」。

理想上說,教學與研究是相輔相成的,但實際上,大學在教研上常有倚輕倚重的現象。過去 60 年來,中文大學在教育(教學)或研究(創新知識)上,都有卓越的表現,此所以中大在世界大學位序上長期來排在很前列。在人類或世界的知識創新上,中大有付出也有貢獻;同時,在香港全方位的發展中,中大培育的人才更起了領導或推動的作用。

20世紀7、80年代以還,「東方之珠」的美名,在維港兩岸璀璨的鑽石光芒中冉冉升起,一直到90年代後,「紐倫港」為香港的金融地位發光發熱,香港傲然成為與紐約、倫敦鼎足而立的東方之都,這一切,造因甚多,但香港這個城市與香港近十間的大學的發展幾乎是同步發生的,香港的成功故事背後正是一個香港的大學成功故事。

正是基於這個認識,對於近年「東方之珠」光芒的褪色失色,我是不悲觀的,因為至少使香港成功,使香港煥發光芒的其中一個根本原因未變,那就是香港的大學在教育與研究上的巨大成就。我相信否極泰來,在最寒冷的日子過去後,春天終必再降香江。

中大社會學系研究生三代人的故事
在慶祝香港中文大學60周年的許多活動中,王淑英教授受社會學系的重託,在李勁華博士及早已退休的張德勝教授從旁協助下,編輯《三代人》一書,並邀我退休已整整20年的89歲老人作序。我自1970年自美到中大(新亞)社會學系,2004 年退休,34 年間,曾有一段時間擔任社會學系系主任,先後又擔任新亞書院院長、中大副校長、校長,但我自始至終沒有離開過社會學系的教學與研究,退休後任榮休社會學系的講座教授,所以為此書作序是義不容辭,也是樂而為之的。

我注意到這本文集講的主要是60年來社會學系「本科生」三代人的故事,而事實上,60年以來,中大社會學系已培育約1500位研究生。社會學的研究生,皆是以社會學為專業的人士,他們的事業落在許多不同的職場,但是他們集中地發展是在中國香港、中國內地、海外的高等院校或研究機構。許多畢業生都成為社會學科的領軍人物,對社會學知識的發展與累積有重大貢獻。誠然,另一本講述中大社會學系三代研究生的事蹟與人生的書是大可期待的。

《三代人》主要講述中大社會學系60年來本科生的故事,如前所述,社會學系為本科生提供的教育,具體地說,是「社會學知識」的教育。應指出者,社會學之被認定為一套知識體系,而卒能進入大學之殿堂,那是19世紀的事。需知人類存在已久,有人羣就有社會,但第一次以社會為研究對象的社會學卻是啟蒙運動後才出現的。社會學研究個人與社會的關係,要了解個人,也要了解社會。社會學為「秩序與自由」這個千古課題提供特有理解的視角。再者,社會學為一多元的範典的學科,它是科學,但不同於自然科學, 而是社會科學。它有實證社會學尋求「規律」和理解社會學以尋求「意義」的雙重性格。

最明顯的是,社會學是沒有職業對口的學科。社會學不是一種職業訓練,它是一種從表象窺探本質的知性方法。社會學的教育旨在使個人成為一更有能力適應社會之人,也使社會有成為更好的社會的可能。無可諱言,社會學是促使人類建造「現代社會」的必備知識。在一定意義上,社會學屬於「博雅教育」(Liberal Arts Education),使人在多種社會制約中取得最大可能的自由,也更契合「通識教育」(General Education)的精神。在此,我必須指出,所謂「general」,實非「普通」、「簡單」之意。而是取自拉丁文原意 For all — 為所有人所設,涵蓋所有人之意。換言之,通識教育是指現代知識人所必須共有的知識。

為了替《三代人》作序,我用了不少時間閱讀中大社會學系三代畢業生所寫的人生故事。這些故事有兩個特色:

一是博雅,指分享故事者在校時所受的教育與職業無關,主要是擴闊視野、蘊含人文與社會關懷的博雅教育。

由於所受教育與職業無關,同學剛畢業時找工作會有困難。譬如曾任金管局總裁及特首辦主任的陳德霖同學,以優異成績畢業,但寫了40封求職信,全部石沉大海,一條回音也沒有。那時的大學校園正經歷火紅年代,流行的看法是為了反殖而不做政府工,但他在看似疑無路的困惑之下,也「趕科場」去了,然後是柳暗花明天外天。

即使找到工的,初時往往也不如理想,所以通常很快便蟬過別枝,繼續上路,尋尋覓覓找工作去了。後來在證券界卓然有成的李永權同學,當年便花了5元買領帶,穿上「觀奇洋服」西裝,在中環的外資證券行逐間叩門求職。

從社會學得到的博雅教育,畢業初時找工雖不順遂,卻給人特異的視野與人文關懷。榮獲2016年華沙國際電影節最佳短紀錄片獎的年輕導演侯祖辛說:「社會學的訓練讓我有一種紀錄片的視角,懂得用非常raw的角度去看待世界。」

許冠文校友製作的電影便充滿了社會學的想像,如《摩登保鑣》(1981)講的是隨着現代商場及中產社區的冒起,衍生「保安私有化」(Privatization of Security)的議題,故片中有質疑商場保鑣維護治安的權力從何而來的場面。《雞同鴨講》(1988)所刻畫的,正是全球化過程中跨國企業席捲全球的浪潮。「麥當勞化」(McDonalization)的文化輸出,不只提供方便的快餐,也涉及如何去改造傳統家族的經營手法。

馮志強同學更別出蹊徑,以特異的社會學視野評馬,他便是當年馬迷家喻戶曉的「馬恩賜」。

「Perspective」是劉建中同學經常掛在嘴邊之詞,並坦言這是他唸社會學最可貴的得着。在本世紀初中國加入世界貿易組織之際,他看到自動化、智能化是不可逆轉的潮流,「人機介面」必然大有可為,而這些產品都需要顯示屏,便決定設廠去做 LCD 了,最終成為產品行銷歐美各地的實業家。劉同學又提到社會學不只給了他視野,也給了他人文情懷, 認識到逐利非人生唯一目標。

人文關懷的香港社會學者
講到人文關懷,就不得不提為弱勢學生鞠躬盡瘁的潘啟祥老師了。他任教於「第五類別」(Band Five)的卍慈中學, 在班上碰到很頹廢的學生,令他反思學校除了教書之外,還有更深層的意義。他觀察到有些孩子生下來就很不幸,很多事情非他們所控制得了的,因此他認為學校應該是提供平等機會的地方,是社會的「均衡器」。

還有素負盛名的戰地記者張翠容同學,若非有着濃厚的人文關懷,就不會從事這一風險高而回報低的行業了。2001年塔利班炸毁阿富汗兩尊巴米揚大佛之後,她去了阿富汗,死裏逃生。後來她又去了滿目瘡痍的加沙,訪問了巴勒斯坦解放組織的領袖阿拉法特。當晚,她就睡在他們總部一張沾有血跡的牀墊上。她引述喀布爾大學一位新聞系學生的話說:「你有沒有想過,如果社會沒有記者,這個社會會變成怎麼樣呢?」

草根出身的江俊燊同學於 2016 年以優異成績本科畢業,他在中學讀經濟學時,便對價值的定義很多思考。他不明白,為何一杯咖啡的價值除了購買者的意願之外,還與他的支付能力有關?由此產生他對社會資源的配置的價值關懷,於是他進中大讀社會學,其後又得到獎學金去劍橋大學進修,攻讀「發展研究」。學成後,無論是在智庫工作,還是投身資產管理,都念兹在兹,以改善社會的資源配置為己任。香港中文大學社會學系校友事業生涯除了「博雅」的特色外,便是「多姿」的特色。他們有從上世紀6、70年代畢業的,有從上世紀8、90年代畢業的,也有從新世紀頭20年代畢業的,算得上是三代社會學子的故事,亦是過去60年來香港這座城市成長和發展的故事。

在這些故事中,可以看到上世紀60年代馬料水的美麗校園、温黛颶風襲港;70年代的火紅歲月、廉政風暴、全城人下班趕回家看連續劇集的往事;80、90年代的紙醉金迷夜繽紛、90年代的八仙嶺大火、亞洲金融危機、政權交接;乃至近年因國教、佔中及反修例而引發的社會動亂、新冠疫情,都是香港及內地國人難以忘懷的集體回憶。

自創校以來,從香港中文大學社會學系畢業的同學約有5000人,其中本科的 3000多人,書中分享故事者只是隨意掇拾的剪影而已。這31位同學在校時並未受過職業訓練, 離校後赤手空拳闖蕩江湖,從無到有,各自在法律、治安、新聞、廣播、演藝、金融、證券、工商、實業、政府、教育、廣告、公關、學術、科技、社企及運輸交通等界別對社會作出貢獻。我珍惜在香港中文大學的歲月,昔日篳路藍縷,今已佳木成林,是為序。

(節錄自《三代人》)

August 2024
許冠文:影以載道──電影中的社會學想像

(編按:香港中文大學社會學系把三代校友的故事結集成書《三代人》,當中收錄了社會學系31位傑出校友,共26篇故事。這些校友離校後赤手空拳去闖蕩江湖,從無到有,在各自的領域貢獻社會,琳瑯滿目,卓爾多姿!馳名寰宇的一代笑匠許冠文便是當中的一分子,本社獲授權節錄許先生的專訪發布,以饗讀者。)

2024年2月2日上午,香港中文大學社會學系與校友處的採訪組一行五人,來到「老許記」工作室,與馳名寰宇的一代笑匠許冠文進行兩小時的訪談。他投身影藝界逾半世紀, 得獎無數,既是影帝,亦獲頒終身成就獎。早些時候他還在拍戲忙不過來,難得過年前抽空受訪,分享人生故事。一代笑匠笑容可掬,誠懇親切,侃侃而談,細說從前。

許冠文
本科畢業年份:1969年
演員、編劇、導演、製片人、香港演藝人協會創會會長

 

從木屋區到喇沙書院

1950年,當時年僅8歲的許冠文隨家人從廣州坐火車南來香港。來到香港,舉目無親。爸爸只有個做酒店的朋友, 關照他去灣仔區的酒店當經理,就這樣安頓下來。當初他們住在鑽石山的木屋區,爸爸一星期回來一次,由媽媽照料四兄弟一妹妹。那裏的環境極差,連水都沒有,而最大的煩惱是米缸出現沒米的情況。有次他和弟弟冠傑出去想辦法,看見一輛貨車沿彎彎的窄路送米上山,乘司機不察,便用螺絲批往貨斗的米袋插孔,掉出來的米就拿回家去。

當初爸爸跟他們說:「這地方(香港)是個漁村,暫時住三幾個月,很快就回去。」誰知道就這樣住了一輩子。許爸原來是小學教師,會玩小提琴,媽媽則擅長唱粵曲,算得上是音樂世家。但老爹總是在提點他們,娛樂界是找不到吃的,最重要讀書,讀好書才能賺錢,要做總統或大商家什麼的。「他是這樣想的,也是這樣說的。那時候他覺得做戲子是很低級的,所以就說不要做了。」許冠文跟着說:「我們從小就有這樣的印象,偏偏那麼巧,後來竟然在演藝發展,那是命運的安排,就沒得說了。」

許冠文不知道他爸哪來的本事,竟然讓他在12、13歲時進了名校喇沙書院讀書。當時穿着爛衣褲,鞋都沒有,穿着拖鞋,由爸爸帶他去面試,幾十人在排隊,輪到他時,校長打量一下,說句「Good Boy!」就取錄了他。

這是他人生的一個重要轉捩點,教他們的愛爾蘭修士, 大部分是從上海來的,都是超級棒的老師。那幾年,在學校的聽、講、讀、寫,全是英文。聽的是英文歌,迷的是貓王、披頭四,還取了個Michael的英文名字。學校的整個文化氛圍都是英國的,某程度上,他感覺像是半個外國人,回到家才講廣東話。那時候他爸爸的指示就是,總之香港你什麼都不用關心,最重要英文好就行了。

喇沙書院於1917年成立,最初設於界限街。圖為目前的校園。(喇沙書院舊生會)

喇沙書院於1917年成立,最初設於界限街。圖為目前的校園。(喇沙書院舊生會)

 

由覓食到追尋理想

讀到中五(Form 5)時,Michael想過考入香港大學,但成績夠不上,而且父母也沒錢供他讀大學。剛好柏立基師範學院有一年制,就進去讀了一年,出來後在聖芳濟書院教書。本來柏立基師範的一年制只能教小學,但聖芳濟書院缺中二(Form 2)班的老師,就安排他教該年級的英文與General Science科,共12班,27節課。後來他發現,同是教那些學生,但有大學證書的同事工資比他高,約為1000元左右,而他的月薪只有675元,於是他決定報讀剛成立不久的香港中文大學。由於家境清貧,父母雖鼓勵他繼續升學,但是「阿媽話讀大學可以,拿回家的錢不能少!」作為家中長子,下有弟妹,為了賺取家用和學費,他不能放棄在聖芳濟書院的全職教書,還兼教夜校。

在當時中大的3間成員書院之中,崇基在郊外,太遠了,只能在新亞與聯合之間二選其一。他教書的聖芳濟附近剛好有個碼頭,乘渡輪過海便是上環,再上去便是聯合書院,所以就進了聯合書院,主要是交通方便。

他最想選讀的是商科,但所需條件要多些,後來看到社會學少人排隊,估計會容易進入。當時他也不知道社會學是什麼東西,只覺得與心理有關,相當有趣,便決定主修這個學科。事後回想,他認為這是無心插柳,純粹是命運的巧妙安排。「真的是命運,如果上帝讓我再選,我還是會選讀社會學的,因為社會學才能了解人。當初我不知道自己是要拍電影的,我想着的是從政,其實政治也需要懂心理的。那時候我不知道有個學科叫做社會學,心理是內在的, 社會學則是interactive的,我接觸的第一本書Individual and Society,其實就是說,超過二人或以上就是社會學了。原來什麼都是社會學,將人的行為可以分析得那麼細緻,那麼可預測,又是那麼鞭闢入裏,無論從政或拍電影都會受益。你叫我做醫生、做工程師,我會很悶,所以一定是社會學, 一定要了解人。這麼短暫的人生,為什麼不選擇一個研究人的學科,讓我可以了解多些人為什麼會這樣做,社會為什麼有這樣的結構,整個家庭為什麼會是這樣的呢。」

「後來我教小孩、教孫子、教自己,雖然我讀書麻麻地,但只是沾上了一點點,就獲益良多。尤其是社會學,正是因為一般人不懂,以為只是common sense吧了,但社會學不是common sense,認為社會學是common sense原來是錯的。沒讀過社會學的人以為我讀的與他們所知的差不多,正因為差不多,他們以為是差不多,但我們讀過的就知道,那個結構是非常複雜的,所以我對所有事情的了解,尤其是對人心理的了解都多了,也對我後來在電影事業的發展,有莫大裨益!」

許冠文(中)與父母合影畢業照。(中大社會學系提供)

許冠文(中)與父母合影畢業照。(中大社會學系提供)

 

進入聯合書院之後,Michael嘗試湊合聖芳濟的教學時間表與聯合的上課時間表。這是不可能做得到的,因為他要教27節課那麼多,能騰出的時段非常少,以致沒怎麼過大學生活。但他自言生性頑皮,沒課就回大學去,盡量參加各種clubs。他喜歡玩音樂,書院晚上有派對,他都會參加,還搞樂隊、唱歌、彈結他,甚受同學歡迎,選了他當學生會的會長。通過學生會他認識了許多不同系的同學,這是最值得回味的。出於好玩,劇社有事他也會幫忙,曾客串演出過一、兩次。他不知道自己原來會演戲的。

Michael白天全職教學,雖想面面兼顧,總是分身乏術。大學有些課他根本上不了。尤其是兩堂連堂的政治課,他總是缺第一堂課,到第二堂才出現。他還記得大四那年,鄭棟材校長找他去談話,跟他說:「你雖然是學生會會長,也不應該如此驕傲的。」訪談時Michael說:「這跟驕傲真的沒有關係的,但人家見到你總是遲到,還當上學生會會長,所以對你會有看法。」

時任聯合書院校長鄭棟材。(聯合書院)

時任聯合書院校長鄭棟材。(聯合書院)

 

連兼教夜校的收入在內,Michael當時賺到的錢是勉強夠的,但熬到大學三年級就感覺不夠了。剛好香港無線電視開台,請他弟弟許冠傑Sam Hui的樂隊做節目。通過阿Sam的介紹,Michael見到當時TVB從澳洲來的總經理Colin Bednall。

Mr. Bednall問他想做什麼,能做什麼,Michael說他是教書的,自覺口材不錯,是否可以做司儀一類的工作。Mr. Bednall旋即表示他剛在澳洲悉尼做了個校際中文問答的節目,反應不錯,問Michael可否也在香港搞個類似的比賽,叫他設計一個方案,包括進行的形式,問些什麼問題等,由他做司儀,給他一個月時間去準備及提出建議。

當晚他回去,立即設計了一個打擂台式的問答比賽方案,包括問題的樣本等。當晚整夜沒睡,還叫了一位女同學幫忙打字,她也捱通宵,結果完成了60多頁紙的計劃書。

翌日早上9點Mr. Bednall便收到建議書,翻了翻,很是滿意,便撥電話給《歡樂今宵》綜合娛樂節目的導演蔡和平, 問他編劇的月薪是多少,然後他對Michael說:「我覺得你的方案挺不錯的,你就照此執行好了,最好盡快,你要多少時間準備?」Michael回他說:「幾星期便行。」Mr. Bednall說:「月薪3000元夠嗎?由昨天起算。」Michael當時喜出望外,那已是教師薪金的4倍多,但他依然故作冷靜的回答道:「好吧,暫時就這樣啦。」自此他進入香港無綫電視台工作,每周做一次校際問答比賽節目。

《星晨校際問答比賽》做了三幾個月,《歡樂今宵》那些導演覺得Michael口才不錯,英文也很好,就邀請他加入TVB的這個王牌節目,不是要他演戲,而是讓他在節目中訪問外賓,有時也做司儀、翻譯等工作。

有一次Michael碰到《歡樂今宵》的台柱演員也是粵劇名伶梁醒波,波叔跟他說:「Michael你口才不錯,但記住你是讀過書的人,不像我們,沒讀過書。你是知識分子,做訪問,做些有知識的工作是對的,不要像我那樣搞笑的,這不適合你的。」誰能料到,這正是Michael將來要走的路,但當時他仍然覺得自己是不會做演員的,因為他爸也叮囑過千萬別做戲子的。

加入《歡樂今宵》之後,便跟該節目組的人經常混在一起。他看到他們做的趣劇有些並不那麼好笑,於是寫了些gags 交給導演,毛遂自薦,導演覺得不錯,就邀請他編寫趣劇。那時已是大四,他本來打算大學畢業後在廣告界發展, 不想留在無線電視台,已準備辭職的,只因尚未找到工做, 暫時繼續做。

此時迎來Michael人生的另一轉折點,有一天TVB的編導周梁淑怡跟他說:「我經常看到你教人做喜劇,挺搞笑的, 不如找你兩兄弟,阿Sam唱歌,你演趣劇,30分鐘而已, 試玩一個吧!」這一試,造就了《雙星報喜》於 1971年面世, 大受歡迎,收視理想,廣告商七喜汽水重金贊助,未夠30歲的許冠文名聲鵲起,迎來更上層樓的發展機會。

《雙星報喜》首集開場曲截圖。(YouTube截圖)

《雙星報喜》首集開場曲截圖。(YouTube截圖)

 

《雙星報喜》做了差不多兩年,嘉禾電影公司的鄒文懷先生看中了Michael的弟弟許冠傑Sam Hui,並和他簽約拍電影。那時有人笑Michael,說他肯定沒弟弟那麼帥,否則幹嘛簽他弟弟不簽他呢?但幾個月之後,命運之神又再次降臨他身上,邵逸夫打電話給他,說大導演李翰祥開拍一套名為《大軍閥》的電影,本來由台灣的一位資深演員擔綱,外景棚已搭好,馬上就開拍,但入境簽證出了問題。正是萬事俱備,獨欠男角。碰巧李翰祥看電視見到許冠文,遂以他為不二之選。李大導要他剃光頭做大軍閥,他當初很抗拒,心想自己才29,怎麼扮60歲?但邵逸夫先生勸他別傻,說頭髮可以再生,機會卻沒有第二次。

初登大銀幕的許冠文,一舉成了300萬票房的男主角,打破邵氏電影公司過往的賣座記錄。李翰祥對他賞識有嘉, 經常找他聊天。Michael說:「李翰祥很喜歡自己寫劇本,寫的是自己對世界的看法,借角色以諷刺現實。我的抱負本來是想做總統的,拍了兩齣戲之後,便覺得可以憑着一支筆在紙上寫下對世界的不滿,然後藉助電影,將自己的思想放在大銀幕上影響全世界,那跟做總統有什麼不同呢?」

回家後他告知太太,也就是大學時代通宵幫他打字的那位社會學系同學,他雖然不演戲,但可以做導演,作為終生事業。自此,他就拿起筆,透過觀察世情,以喜劇形式,盡澆心頭塊壘。

 

銳利觀察賣座之本

許冠文第一部自編自導自演的電影是1974年與弟弟冠傑合拍的《鬼馬雙星》,寫下他對賭徒及市井中人不顧一切,「為兩餐乜都肯制,前世」的諷刺。喻意有些人為了兩餐,啥都肯幹,真是前世作孽。結果這電影票房600 萬,打破香港開埠以來的紀錄,奠定他日後在影視界發展的康莊大道。接着的《天才與白痴》、《半斤八両》、《賣身契》、《摩登保鑣》, 皆屬年度票房冠軍,許冠文成了當時的票房保證。

打從開始他便知道,電影的製作是很昂貴的,而且他想影響世界,拍出來的電影愈多人看就愈好。所以他的作品大多以基層小市民的生活作題材,着眼於社會最底也是最大的階層。想多人看,就要拍喜劇。況且人生苦短,處處是悲劇, 所謂「好事不出門,苦事傳千里」,喜劇反而能夠笑中有淚, 帶出一絲絲的無奈。

《半斤八両》電影海報。(Wikimedia Commons)

《半斤八両》電影海報。(Wikimedia Commons)

 

許冠文拍的市井喜劇,蘊含強烈的知識分子的情懷與氣質,而他的創作靈感,亦植根於他的社會學想像及人文關懷。他說1981年的《摩登保鑣》,源自走在街上的一種直覺,他看到押錢的護衞員要荷槍實彈,以前是沒有的,突然有種感覺,這個世界怎麼變得這樣不安全!許的觀察與社會學「風險社會」及「安全私有化」的觀點相呼應,隨着消費社會的興起以及風險管理的需要,私人安保日益進入傳統上由警察管轄的公共領域,對社會控制產生深遠影響。

1988 年的《雞同鴨講》,靈感來自他經常光顧的一家粉麵攤檔,因敵不過麥當勞而要結業的現實。他對中國食物有種自豪,認為武器或許尚比不過美國,說到食物,法國還差可比擬,美英遠不入流,那些炸雞呀、兩塊麵包夾着一塊肉呀,怎麼會勝過地道的魚蛋粉和雲吞麵呢?像《雞同鴨講》這樣一齣賣座喜劇,內涵卻是「麥當勞化」(McDonaldization)的文化輸出,刻畫全球化過程中跨國企業對傳統小店的衝擊,那無異是以電影書寫社會學。

《雞同鴨講》成為賣座喜劇。(Wikimedia Commons)

《雞同鴨講》成為賣座喜劇。(Wikimedia Commons)

 

影以載道任重道遠

許大師自言拍電影除了糊口,也很小心地拍。他說:「那不是開玩笑的,電影的影響是很大的,這個我自己心知,一輩子就受那麼三幾部電影影響。」

跟着他以改編自黑澤明《七俠四義》的西片《七俠蕩寇誌》為例,說明電影如何影響他的價值觀:「戲中一班窮苦的墨西哥村民想聘請槍手尤伯連納對抗大盜,整條村只籌得幾隻金牙,尤伯連納竟然答應了。他是這樣說的:『很多人給過我很多錢,但從來沒有人給我全部。』這個價值觀,就入了我心。槍手請來拍檔幫手,那拍檔一直以為事成後會有很多金,激戰過後瀕死那一刻,他叫尤伯連納老實回答他是否有金子,尤伯連納說:『是的,騙不了你。』他老友就瞑目了。這一幕教曉了我,在別人絕路時,即管給他一個夢。」

許冠文對電影的潛移默化作用有切身體會,深感拍電影責任重大,「只要有人喜歡看你的電影,他已接受了你的價值觀。那很嚴重,這樣就一輩子了。」

許冠文的心願是再執導一齣喜劇,「要麼不拍,要拍,就拍給70億人看,反正能打動人的總是情──兄弟情、父子情、友情、愛情,如果有共鳴的話,全球70億人應該是人同此心的。別問我哪個市場才是市場,人就是市場。」

他見到很多朋友開始有老人痴呆(認知障礙)徵象,也曾花頗長的時間去構思一個關於老人痴呆的故事──老公對老婆、老婆對老公的相處,感覺很有創意,很搞笑,也很投入,只是當他把故事放在桌面上,馬上便想到要面對票房問題,因為若要票房破紀錄,就要老少咸宜。他擔心老人痴呆這題材,年輕的不懂得笑。

 

貼地、層次與轉角度

許冠文有敏銳的觀察力,對人生也有深刻的體會,但近來明顯感覺自己不夠貼地了。拍一部賣座的好電影,既要貼地又有層次。但層次是要時間與經驗去積澱的,當一個人有這樣的智慧,累積了經驗,達到足夠層次時,很不幸他就不再貼地了,因為他年紀大了,社會地位也不同了。他說近年跟很多年輕導演、編劇合作時,發現他們很貼地,但層次不夠,「到我跟他們說層次,希望補充的時候,他們未必聽得懂。」如何拿捏貼地與層次,也許是創作者畢生的掙扎與功課。

另一挑戰是社交媒體流行,就看TikTok吧,現在連賣菜的都懂得拍笑話了,但許冠文說他不服氣,他的使命就是要拍笑片,經常跟一班編劇兄弟說:「大家盡量想辦法,轉個角度思考,把整套東西、整個方法改變,連度gag的橋段也要改變。」然後他補充說:「當你們聽到我要做導演了,即是我已想通了。」

不僅創作可以轉角度,個人或社會面對逆境亦然。他這樣說:「先停一停,轉個角度去想着同一目標,一定有路可走的。如果當年連沒飯吃的問題也可以克服,其他問題又怎會沒法解決呢?」

但心境還可以自我調整,外在環境卻非個人所能改變。許大師則勉勵大家要有自信,「香港人一無所有,就是捱得, 還懂執生、補鑊、隨機應變、什麼困難都能過關的。這種捱得又懂轉彎的特質,籠統點說就是獅子山精神。具備這種素質,不是其他國家幾年可以追得到的,所以香港現況雖不盡如人意,待安定一點以後,很容易會殺出一條生路的。」

由弟弟Sam Hui寫曲、許冠文填詞的《鐵塔凌雲》,其中「豈能及漁燈在彼邦」這句話,正是訴說香港情懷。8歲的他來到這裏,見證漁港蛻變成國際都會、東方荷里活的整個過程。如今年逾80了,仍天天努力轉彎,矢志拍出70億人都會看的喜劇,年輕一輩怎麼不發揚獅子山精神,再續往日香江的輝煌歲月呢?

(節錄自《三代人》中許冠文先生的故事)

文章轉載自《灼見名家》: https://www.master-insight.com/?p=415447

July 2024
Congratulations! | Four professors from our department received funding from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council General Research Fund (GRF) and the Early Career Scheme (ECS) 2024/25

The following four faculty members have received funding from the 2024/25 RGC grants.

Awardees

Grants

Research Projects

Prof. Siqi HAN

ECS

Non-Specialized Skill Sets or Low-Status Credentials? Employer-Perceived Worker Skills and Horizontal Stratification in China and the U.S.

Prof. Nicole CHEUNG

GRF

In the Name of Romance: Sexual Abuse in Online Dating Perpetrated by Young Adult Men in Urban China

Prof. Jaemin LEE

GRF

Nationalist Polarization? A Connectionist Approach to Mapping Cultural Schemas of Nationalism in South Korea

Prof. Sara ZHONG

GRF

The relationship between boarding status and pathological internet use among Chinese rural students: an investigation of mediating and moderating social mechanisms

Let us extend the warmest congratulations to the four professors for their academic achievements!

July 2024
《三代人》新書發佈和簽書會圓滿落幕

《三代人》新書發佈和簽書會已於7月20日在香港會議展覽中心書展圓滿落幕。本書收錄我系31位傑出校友,共26篇故事。這些校友離校後赤手空拳去闖蕩江湖,從無到有,在各自的領域貢獻社會。

我們非常榮幸邀得三位我系的榮休教授 – 金耀基教授、李沛良教授、及劉兆佳教授,以及近二十位書中受訪的校友出席書展活動。我們衷心感謝所有參與這次活動的教授、校友、各界友好和廣大的讀者,大家的支持與鼓勵對我們意義非凡。同時,我們再次向三位特意由北京和新加坡回港,親身支持和參與這次活動的受訪校友表達最深切的感謝。

《三代人》將在各大書店有售,另商務印書館將為所有參與即日起至明天的書展的學生及香港中文大學校友提供七折的特別購書折扣,只需在購買本書時出示學生證/校友證即可享有優惠。

The book launch and signing event for 《三代人》(Three Generations) was successfully held at the Hong Kong Book Fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 20th July. The book features a collection of 26 stories from 31 esteemed alumni of our Department, showcasing the remarkable achievements and diverse paths pursued by these alumni, who have made significant contributions to society across various fields.

We were honored to have three retired Chair Professors – Prof. King Ambrose Yeo-chi, Prof. Lee Rance Pui Leung, and Prof. Lau Siu Kai, as well as nearly twenty alumni who were interviewed for the book, attending this momentous event. We sincerely thank all the professors, alumni, friends, and readers who joined us at the Book Fair, as your support means a lot to us. We would also like to express our deepest gratitude to the three alumni who traveled from Beijing and Singapore to support us in person.

《三代人》(Three Generations) will be available at major bookstores. The Commercial Press will offer a special discount of 30% off for all students and alumni of The Chinese University of Hong Kong on book purchases at the Book Fair until tomorrow (23rd July).

July 2024
《三代人》─ 代代相傳的社會學精神

《三代人》這本書表面上是紀錄個別中大社會學系校友畢業後的人生起伏,但它的敘事視角將個人故事緊扣時代洪流。雖然它是學系與出版社合作的新書,但書中沒有流於官腔,一面倒地說好社會學故事。

書評作者: 楊立明 (香港中文大學社會學系本科畢業生)


 

DSE放榜,一眾莘莘學子期盼考上心儀的大學與學科。社會學作為冷門科目之一,收生時多標榜學科出路甚廣。事實是否如此?

今年書展香港中文大學社會學系將發布新書──《三代人》,由商務印書館出版並發行,紀錄31位校友、共26篇的故事。受訪者來自各行各業,包括金管局前總裁陳德霖、戰地記者張翠容和獲獎紀錄片製作人侯祖辛等。

令人印象深刻的校友

侯祖辛的故事令我印象特別深刻。書中她憶述一次訪問性工作者為何從事性工作,被反問為何以充滿同情的語氣針對性工作,反映她潛意識假定這份工作是恥辱的。這次經歷令她茅塞頓開,啟發她打破刻板印象的框框,建立的自己獨特的紀錄片視角。她的早期作品《老搖滾》紀錄他爸爸中風後的復康之路,穿插着中國第一代搖滾人澎湃的生命力和時代背景。《老搖滾》面世後先後取得多項國際獎項。

書中個別受訪者是筆者昔日的同窗。如投身科技界的葉俊廷早年與筆者同樣有志在學術界發展,後來各自在不同的領域闖出另一片天。電影人冼杞然與其子冼基樺同為中大社會學系畢業生──父親闖蕩中港台的電影製作,執導多齣享負盛名的港產片,曾到愛爾蘭都柏林參加影展預演;兒子卻成社會學者,在劍橋大學博士畢業,研究電影發展。

作為書中受訪校友之一,筆者首選中大社會學的初心源於學系祟尚每個人的獨特性。畢業後我曾一度面對人生的迷惘期,既不想為三餐糊口而隨便找份工作,又響往事業開展前看看這個世界。結果我花了一年的時間先後在內地、新加坡和俄羅斯實習,直至找到當時認為理想的工作。往後的事便成歷史。

看透表象 見樹又見林

回顧自己接近15年的仕途,筆者最受社會學啟蒙的是,社會學永遠叫人抽離,不要靠邊, 見樹又見林──意思是凡事看全局,既要了解樹與樹之間千絲萬縷的關係,亦要了解樹林錯綜複雜的生態體系,才能看透表象、拆解問題。這種思維對國際傳播尤其重要。

受訪時被問到,香港這幾年(在外媒報道下)國際化的特質減退,是否足以支撐國際公關的發展?我反問國際化是否只有歐美媒體框架下的定義──當世界對中國充斥猜忌與懷疑,香港可以成為範例,既是中國一部分,又享有很多自由,這正正是香港國際公關從業員發揮的空間。

《三代人》這本書表面上是紀錄個別中大社會學系校友畢業後的人生起伏,但它的敘事視角將個人故事緊扣時代洪流。雖然它是學系與出版社合作的新書,但書中沒有流於官腔,一面倒地說好社會學故事。

書中其中一個彩蛋是,一名受訪校友坦言,他不想他的分享成了心靈雞湯,把社會學的出路說得太美好。他說:「有人說社會學系出路很廣,可以做這,可以做那。這邏輯不對,並不是因為讀完社會學有很多選擇,而是因為沒有選擇,什麼都要做。誰給你萬多元工資,就返工啦。」

像這種真誠又懂得自嘲的黑色幽默,何嘗不是社會學人代代相傳的精神。

文章轉載自《灼見名家》: https://www.master-insight.com/《三代人》──代代相傳的社會學精神/

July 2024
《三代人》出版了!

香港中文大學社會學系把三代校友的故事結集成書 – 《三代人》,現已由商務印書館出版並發行。本書收錄我系31位傑出校友,共26篇故事。這些校友離校後赤手空拳去闖蕩江湖,從無到有,在各自的領域貢獻社會。他們當中有馳名寰宇的一代笑匠、出生入死的戰地記者、獲頒國際獎項的年輕導演、為弱勢學生鞠躬盡瘁的校長、曾任特首辦主管的金管局總裁、請得動總統或行政首長的公關、商品行銷歐美各地的實業廠家、國際著名律師事務所的合夥人、在兩岸四地廣告界開天闢地的領軍人物、引領香港消費委員會成長的總幹事、文韜武略、作為社會秩序中流砥柱的警務人員、在没有理論的地方搞理論的馬評家、縱橫於香港股票市場多年的「債券先生」、獲頒羅德獎學金的政府官員,乃至影視監製、大學教授、社企創辦人或推動者、科技界新銳、人力資源老總、銀行經理、唱片騎師、報社主編、專欄作家等,琳瑯滿目,卓爾多姿!

為慶祝這次出版,我系將於2024年7月20日(星期六)上午11:00至中午12:00,在香港灣仔會議展覽中心書展的商務印書館攤位(1E-A04)舉行新書發布會及簽書活動。出版商將為所有參與書展的學生及香港中文大學校友提供七折的特別購書折扣,只要在購買本書時出示學生證/校友證即可。歡迎大家踴躍支持和參與!

We are thrilled to announce that the Chinese book titled 《三代人》 (Three Generations), featuring 31 esteemed alumni of our Department, has recently been published by The Commercial Press. This book showcases the remarkable achievements and diverse paths pursued by these alumni, who have made significant contributions to society across various fields.

The stories within the book encompass a wide range of captivating narratives from graduates spanning different eras, including the 1960s-1970s, 1980s-1990s, and the early 2000s. Each story not only provides a true account of their experiences but also reveals touching moments, acts of kindness, and timeless human values that deserve to be cherished.

To celebrate the launch of this momentous publication, we have arranged a book launch and signing event on 20th July 2024 (Saturday) from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. The event will take place at the Commercial Press booth (1E-A04) in the Book Fair held at the Wan Chai Exhibition Centre. The publisher will offer a special discount of 30% for all students and CUHK alumni who purchase the book at the Book Fair, provided that they show their student/ alumni ID card at the sales counter. Please feel free to come and join us at this event!

July 2024
恭賀劉兆佳教授榮獲香港特別行政區最高榮譽 – 大紫荊勳章!

香港中文大學社會學系榮休講座教授劉兆佳榮獲2024年香港特別行政區大紫荊勳章,大紫荊勳章現為香港特別行政區授勳及嘉獎制度下的最高榮譽,以表揚畢生為香港作出重大貢獻的人士。

劉教授自1975年起在香港中文大學社會學系任教至2007年退休。劉教授至今一直致力研究社會學和政治發展,被公認為內地香港事務及國際政治評論的權威。他曾在2002至 2012年間擔任中央政策組首席顧問,以及在 2013至 2023年間擔任全國港澳研究會副長。劉教授一直致力推動公共政策研究,並就如何強化「一國兩制」的實踐和維持香港長期繁榮穩定提出真知灼見。透過訪問和撰寫文章,劉教授讓市民對中央和特區政府的立場和政策有更正確理解。劉教授盡心竭力為國家及香港服務,貢獻殊偉,現獲香港特別行政區頒授大紫荊勳章,以表彰他多年來對國家建設和香港特別行政區發展作出的卓越貢獻。

2024年大紫荊勳章附件一

劉兆佳教授簡介

Professor LAU Siu Kai, the Emeritus Professor of the Department of Sociology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, has been awarded the 2024 Grand Bauhinia Medal. The Grand Bauhinia Medal is currently the highest honor under the HKSAR Honours and Awards System for recognizing the selected person’s life-long and highly significant contribution to the well-being of Hong Kong.

Professor Lau had been teaching in the Department of Sociology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong since 1975 until his retirement in 2007. Professor Lau has been committed to conducting research in sociology and political development, and is widely recognised as an authoritative commentator in Mainland and Hong Kong affairs, as well as international politics. He had served as the Head of the Central Policy Unit from 2002 to 2012 and Vice-President of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies from 2013 to 2023. All along, Professor LAU has proactively promoted public policy research, offering sound advice on how to strengthen the implementation of “One Country, Two Systems” and maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong. Through interviews and penning articles, Professor LAU has facilitated the public to have a more accurate understanding of the stances and policies of the Central Government and the Hong Kong Government. Professor LAU is awarded GBM in recognition of his dedicated service and tremendous contributions to the country and Hong Kong.

Appendix 1 of the 2024 Grand Bauhinia Medal (GBM)

About Professor LAU Siu Kai

May 2024
Live Chat Session (for Non-JUPAS Senior Year Applicants 2025 Entry)

Date: 29 May 2024 (Wednesday)
Time: 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Mode: via Zoom Webinar
Language: Cantonese

Please click the following button for registration. You will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the webinar:

Registration

Learn more about our programmes:

SOCIN (Sociology)

SOCIN-SSD (Society and Sustainable DevelopmentRead More)

May 2024
The PNAS publication authored by Prof. Han Siqi and a report about it from THE

We’re excited to announce the recent PNAS publication “Interdisciplinary college curriculum and its labor market implications” authored by Prof. Han Siqi, accompanied by a report from THE(The Higher Education):

Interdisciplinarity of US science degrees ‘overstated’

Extensive comparison of course descriptions to actual syllabuses shows persistent silos, with highest cost for science students

October 17, 2023

Paul Basken (/author/paul-basken)

Twitter: @pbasken (https://twitter.com/pbaske

US colleges and universities are overstating the degree to which their course content is interdisciplinary, with especially significant workplace implications for students in the sciences, a nationwide course analysis has found.

The peer-reviewed investigation (https://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2221915120) compared course catalogue descriptions with the actual syllabuses across more than 110,000 courses at 80 four-year colleges and universities in the US – many of them leading liberal arts and research institutions – to show that the ideal of teaching multiple field-specific skills is more often claimed than delivered.

And that difference was shown through data to be especially important for science majors, given how much more they earn with a better interdisciplinary experience, said a lead author of the study, Peter Bearman, a professor of social science at Columbia University (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/columbia-university).

“There’s a high return either way” in the job market for students who graduate with a degree in a scientific field, Professor Bearman said.“ And then there’s premium for those who have interdisciplinary experiences in college.”

The data was compiled by Professor Bearman with three colleagues at Columbia and one at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/university-hong-kong), and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The discrepancies between course catalogue outlines and actual syllabuses, he said, probably reflected the fact that a true interdisciplinary experience (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/liberal-arts-teaching-should-go-interdisciplinary) is expensive for a college to provide, mostly because of the challenge of finding or training science instructors who can supplement their teaching with content from outside their field.

“It’s really difficult (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/jealousy-and-lack-community-block-multidisciplinary-research) in the academy to create incentives for faculty to be teaching across disciplines,” Professor Bearman said.

The 80 US institutions chosen for the study cover a range of types and reputational heft, and include about 20 top-ranked research universities and another 20 leading liberal arts institutions.

The study team used text-scanning technologies to read the course catalogue entries and then assess the syllabuses on the extent to which the course actually covers multiple fields of academic expertise.

It was possible, Professor Bearman acknowledged, that individual instructors might teach in ways that provide more interdisciplinary exposure than their syllabuses indicate. However, that is not likely to happen to a significant degree in most cases, given the specificity of most syllabuses, he said.

Professor Bearman also acknowledged that students in all fields benefit from interdisciplinary instruction, but said the relative benefit is higher for science majors because they tend to get less cross-major exploration from their regular coursework.

The data showing higher starting salaries for science majors with interdisciplinary course content might understate the later-career gains by humanities majors, Professor Bearman said. But generally, he said, early career pay differentials tend to hold, and later-career wage growth tends to reflect multiple factors beyond the worker’s particular college major.

paul.basken@timeshighereducation.com (mailto:paul.basken@timeshighereducation.com)

 

April 2024
Our hearty congratulations to our two faculty members on receiving the CUHK Long Service Award 2023!

Professor Tony Tam 譚康榮教授 – 15-year Long Service Award

Professor Yuying Tong 同鈺瑩教授 – 15-year Long Service Award

We would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt appreciation to the above members for their continued dedication and contributions to the Department over the years.

April 2024
QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2024 – Sociology

🎉 Exciting News! 🎉 We’re thrilled to announce that CUHK Sociology has once again been ranked among the top 50 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024! 🌟📚 Our department’s commitment to excellence in research and education continues to shine bright. Congratulations to all our faculty, staff, and students for this remarkable achievement! 🎓

Source: QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2024 – Sociology

March 2024
In memory of our generous donor, Mr. Ma Ah Muk

Mr. Ma Ah Muk was a generous donor to our department, establishing the “Ma Ah Muk Award for Student Exchange” scholarship from 2013 to 2020. A total of 7 students benefited from this scholarship, enabling them to participate in overseas exchange activities. Mr. Ma passed away on March 17, 2024, due to illness, leaving us with deep regret. His kindness will always be cherished, and his selfless support for students and contributions to the department will be forever remembered. Let us remember Mr. Ma’s kindness and generosity, and express our gratitude for his valuable contributions to our department.

February 2024
Scholarships and Awards Presentation Ceremony 2023

The Department of Sociology hosted its Annual Scholarships and Awards Presentation Ceremony on February 16, 2024, at Chung Chi College Staff Clubhouse. The event was a celebration of outstanding students and a token of gratitude to generous donors. Faculty members, awardees, and donors gathered to commend academic excellence and philanthropic spirit.

Professor Wong Suk Ying, the Acting Chair of the Department, warmly welcomed attendees and expressed gratitude to donors for their invaluable contributions. She emphasized the transformative power of scholarships in shaping students’ lives and reiterated the department’s dedication to providing accessible education. Additionally, she announced the forthcoming alumni book, which will showcase inspirational stories of sociology graduates.

A total of 25 exceptional students were honored with scholarships recognizing their academic achievements, leadership qualities, and contributions to the community. Each recipient was commended for their hard work and unwavering commitment to their educational aspirations.

The ceremony included touching testimonials from scholarship recipients, who shared personal anecdotes of overcoming obstacles and expressed heartfelt appreciation for the support they received. These testimonials underscored the profound impact of scholarships in providing opportunities for deserving students.

Donors had the opportunity to witness firsthand the positive effects of their generosity on students’ lives and society at large. Their contributions not only assist individual students but also contribute to the advancement of knowledge and societal progress.

Let us extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the deserving awardees!

(Access to the Ceremony Programme and Awardees List)

January 2024
Congratulations to our Sociology student on receiving the CUHK Outstanding Students Awards 2023!

SHIU Cheuk Lam Charlton, a final year undergraduate student from CUHK Sociology, is honored with the Outstanding Students Awards 2023 by The Chinese University of Hong Kong. These awards were bestowed to recognize the CUHK students for their exceptional achievements beyond academic excellence. Charlton established two innovative social enterprises and has been taking leading roles in various NGOs. She was also active in participating in both local and international conferences and symposiums. Congratulations to Charlton on receiving this well-deserved award for her remarkable accomplishments and contributions to society!

Know more about Charlton: https://www.soc.cuhk.edu.hk/profile/shiu-cheuk-lam-charlton/

January 2024
Our Warmest Congratulations to Prof. ZHANG Wenhong on his Appointment as the Founding Dean of the New School of Sociology at Nankai University

Prof. ZHANG Wenhong is a distinguished alumnus of the Department. He received his Sociology Ph.D. degree from the Department of Sociology of the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2003. His research directions are social capital and social stratification. From July 2011 to August 2021, he served as the Dean and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Sociology and Political Science of Shanghai University. In September 2022, he returned to his alma mater, Nankai University, and served as a Professor at the Zhou Enlai School of Government. On 23rd December 2023, the School of Sociology of Nankai University held its founding ceremony, with Prof. ZHANG Wenhong as the Founding Dean.

Learn more: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/h9qWvQa5wgMif9sciFRvBQ

December 2023
Visitation details of the delegates for the MOU renewal of the Joint Migration Research Center of CUHK-XJTU and a subsequent Workshop

On December 10th, Professor Wang Shuguo, who is the President of Xi’an Jiaotong University, led a delegation to Hong Kong where they met with Professor Rocky Tuan, the President of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. During the meeting, they renewed the MOU for the XJTU-CUHK Joint Migration Research Center.

On December 11th, a symposium and academic seminar were held at the Department of Sociology, CUHK, for the joint centre.

For details of the event, please refer to the press release of Xi’an Jiaotong University: https://news.xjtu.edu.cn/info/1033/204783.htm

October 2023
CUHK INFORMATION DAY 2023

The CUHK Information Day will be held on October 21, 2023 (Saturday). The Sociology Department will organize a series of admission activities to introduce the program and sociological way of thinking. Join us and unleash your sociological imagination!

Sociology Admission Talk
Come and listen to an introductory talk by our faculty members! Discover sociology and have the opportunity to ask questions about our program.

Time
10:00am – 11:00am
11:30am – 12:30pm
2:00pm – 3:00pm
3:30pm – 4:30pm

Venue
LT2, UG/F, Sino Building, Chung Chi College

Experiencing Sociology
Come chat with our student ambassadors and try out our mini sociology games!

Time
9:00am – 5:00pm

Venue
4/F, Sino Building, Chung Chi College

Urban Diversity – A Collaborative Sociological Art Project
Take a snapshot of the city! Submit it to us on your visit to the Sociology Department, and receive a limited-edition gift in return! The original photo should be based on one of the following themes and the image file size should not exceed 5MB (JPEG format):

– Diversity and Urban Life
– Inclusive Spaces
– Equal Opportunities
– Breaking Barriers
– Communities Empowerment
– Intersectionality

Where to submit your photo:
4/F Sino Building, Chung Chi Campus

Date: 21 October 2023 (Saturday)
Time: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Submitted photos will contribute to an AI-assisted art project that visualizes urban diversity in Hong Kong. Visit here to check the collaborative project after your visit: www.soc.cuhk.edu.hk/

Useful link:
CUHK Information Day 2023 (official homepage)
https://infoday.cuhk.edu.hk/

Department of Sociology
www.soc.cuhk.edu.hk/

Poster PDF

October 2023
(Reminder) Call for Papers for HKSA 24th Annual Conference at The Chinese University of Hong Kong

The Department of Sociology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is proud to host the 24th Annual Conference of the Hong Kong Sociological Association (HKSA) on December 2, 2023, at the CUHK campus.

This year’s conference theme is “Population Changes and Social Inequalities,” and we extend a warm invitation to sociologists and researchers from all institutions to submit abstracts or panel proposals related to this theme or other topics within Sociology.

To submit your abstracts or panel proposals, please use the online submission form, and make sure to complete your submissions by 11:59 p.m. (UTC+8, HKT) on October 15, 2023. For more detailed information, kindly refer to the conference website. Notifications of accepted presentations will be sent out in late October.

We are delighted to announce that Prof. Wei-Jun Jean Yeung from the National University of Singapore will be our keynote speaker. Her talk, titled “Demographic Transition and Social Stratification in Asia,” promises to be enlightening and insightful.

If you have any inquiries or require further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at hksa@cuhk.edu.hk. We eagerly anticipate your participation and valuable contributions to make this conference a success!

More details: https://www.soc.cuhk.edu.hk/conference/hong-kong-sociological-association-24th-annual-conference/

August 2023
Congratulations to Prof. SUN Jin for two Publication Awards

We are delighted to announce that Prof. Sun Jin has been awarded two prestigious publication accolades by the American Sociological Association (ASA).

Specifically, Prof. Sun has received the 2023 Distinguished Article Award from the Section on Political Economy of the World System and the 2023 Granovetter Best Article Award (Honorable Mention) from the Section on Economic Sociology. These two ASA awards commend the remarkable theoretical contribution and empirical depth of the 2022 AJS article co-authored by Prof. Sun and Prof. Grégoire Mallard. It’s noteworthy that Professor Sun completed his undergraduate studies at CUHK.

Please join us in congratulating Prof. Jin Sun on these outstanding achievements. These accomplishments underscore the excellence consistently contributed by our faculty members to the field of academic sociology.

Link for reference: http://www.asapews.org/

July 2023
NEW COURSE! SOCI 4211 Sociology Internship (Term 1, September to 3 December 2023)

In this credit-bearing internship course, students will work with one of our collaborating organisations during Term time. Students are required to complete 100 internship hours, attend at least five regular in-class seminars and submit other course assignments such as written report in the end of semester. Upon completing the course, students should be able to reflect on the social impacts of an organisation and incorporate their sociological knowledge into real-life work experiences.

July 2023
Congratulations!

Congratulations!|Five professors from our department received the Humanities and Social Sciences Distinguished Scholars Scheme (HSSPFS) and General Research Fund (GRF) respectively  

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Choi Susanne Yuk-ping, Prof. Jin Lei, Prof. Jacob Thomas, and Prof. Zhu Ling have successfully obtained “General Research Fund (GRF)” from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council’s for 2023-2024. Furthermore, it is worth emphasizing that out of ten professors in Hong Kong who have been granted funding through the prestigious Humanities and Social Sciences Distinguished Scholars Scheme (HSSPFS), two professors from our Department, namely Prof. Tong Yuying and Prof. Choi Susanne Yuk-ping, have received this esteemed recognition.

Congratulations to our professors for their outstanding academic achievements!

The HSSPFS, established in 2012/13, aims to provide senior researchers in the humanities and social sciences with extended leave of absence and funding support, allowing them to concentrate on research and writing. When evaluating research projects for funding, the RGC considers several criteria, including the academic quality and merit of the project, the scientific and scholarly value of the research proposal, the qualifications and research achievements of the researcher, the originality of the project, and its feasibility within the specified timeframe. Additionally, institutional commitment, the project’s contribution to academic/professional development, potential societal, cultural, or economic applications, and the possibility of funding from external sources are taken into account.

The General Research Fund (GRF) provides funding to exceptional scholars. Research categories encompass both basic and applied research. Evaluation criteria include academic quality, research value, researcher qualifications, originality, and project completion. Institutional commitment, contributions to academic/professional development, social applicability, and the potential for external funding are also considered. In cases where similar applications are received, academic quality serves as a key assessment factor.

Please find below the list of funded research projects:

Scheme PI Title of the project
HSSPFS TONG Yuying Understanding the Low Fertility in Rural China: The Perspectives of Livelihood Choices and Gender Equality
HSSPFS CHOI Susanne Yuk-ping Forbidden Desires, Intersectional Inequalities: Gay and Lesbian Lives in China
GRF CHOI Susanne Yuk-ping Gender, Power and Online Sexual Harrassment: A Comparative Study of Four Cities in East Asia
GRF JIN Lei Assessing the Reciprocal Interplay between Social Relationships and Health-related Outcomes across the Life Course in China
GRF THOMAS Jacob Richard Who Realizes Their Online Intentions To Emigrate? What Distinguishes Emigrants from Potential Emigrants in the Context of Rapid and Sudden Social Change
GRF ZHU Ling Career Background and Career Advancement of Local Political Leaders in China: An Internal Labor Market Perspective

To learn more about our faculty members, please visit: www.soc.cuhk.edu.hk/people/faculty

CUHK press releases about the RGC Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme:

https://www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/tc/press/four-cuhk-scholars-awarded-funding-by-rgc-humanities-and-social-sciences-prestigious-fellowship-scheme/

https://www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/en/press/four-cuhk-scholars-awarded-funding-by-rgc-humanities-and-social-sciences-prestigious-fellowship-scheme/

June 2023
Prof. Min ZHOU, Honorary Adjunct Professor and Distinguished Fellow of the CUHK Department of Sociology, has been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS)

Prof. Min ZHOU, UCLA Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Asian American Studies, Director of the UCLA Asia Pacific Center, as well as an Honorary Adjunct Professor and Distinguished Fellow of the CUHK Department of Sociology, has been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS). This prestigious honor follows her election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAA&S) in 2022. Prof. Min ZHOU is the second Distinguished Fellow of our department to receive this prestigious honor since Prof. Yu XIE was elected to the NAS in 2009.

The NAS is a renowned society of distinguished scholars established by Congress in 1863, dedicated to advancing science in America and providing objective advice on matters of science and technology to the U.S. government.

Prof. Zhou’s research focuses on migration and development, Chinese diasporas, race and ethnicity, and the sociology of Asian America. Her scholarly contributions have been recognized by the American Sociological Association (ASA), with awards such as the 2020 Contribution to the Field Award from the ASA Section on Asia and Asian America and the 2017 Distinguished Career Award from the ASA Section on International Migration.

Prof. Zhou has published numerous books and articles, with notable works including Beyond Economic Migration: Social, Historical and Political Factors in U.S. Immigration (2023) and The Asian American Achievement Paradox (2015). Her memoir, The Accidental Sociologist in Asian American Studies (2011), provides a captivating account of her childhood in China and her career journey in America.

Let us extend the warmest congratulations to Prof. Min ZHOU for this well-deserved recognition and for her valuable contributions to academia!

For more information, please visit https://www.international.ucla.edu/apc/article/266117; https://m.stnn.cc/c/2023-05-04/3813017.shtml.

A recent interview in Chinese with Prof. Min ZHOU can be accessed at https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/-zXDUhbJlbWwDtsGvMAhyA.

June 2023
Scholarship for Social Services of Department of Sociology

The following scholarship for Social Services is open for application:

Lau Cheung Kwai Lan Memorial Scholarship in Sociology
劉張桂蘭社會學紀念獎學金

The scholarship has been generously donated by Dr. Lau Yiu Chung Laurie (劉耀忠博士) and his wife, Mrs. Lau Lam Cheuk Man (劉林卓敏女士), in honor of Dr. Lau’s beloved mother Mrs. LAU Cheung Kwai Lan (劉張桂蘭女士), This scholarship aims to recognize the academic excellence, humanistic sensibility, and commitment to social service demonstrated by students pursuing sociology.

For the current academic year, a single scholarship of HK$5,000 will be awarded to a non-first-year student who is majoring in sociology at the undergraduate level during the 2022/23 academic year. Eligible students may apply for this scholarship only once throughout their entire course of study at our university. Applicants are required to have maintained a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above in previous academic years, in addition to making significant contributions through service to their fellow students and/or the wider community in Hong Kong.

Interested students please submit the application on or before 30 June 2023 (Friday).

Enquiries: 3943 6271 / sociology@cuhk.edu.hk

Application form | Supplementary information form

May 2023
Exciting News: New Admission Scholarships Offered by Sociology Programme

The Department of Sociology will introduce two new admission scholarships starting 2023-2024. The scholarships, namely the Admission Scheme for Sociology Talents and the Undergraduate Admission Scholarship of Sociology, have been established to recognize outstanding academic achievements of students admitted to the program.

The Admission Scheme for Sociology Talents (社會學菁英入學計劃) provides a remarkable opportunity for students who have excelled academically and demonstrated a keen interest in sociology. The number of awardee is unlimited for this prestigious scholarship, as JUPAS students meeting the specific requirements (please refer to this link) will be eligible to the scholarship. The scholarship amount is equivalent to the local tuition fee for one year, currently set at HK$42,100, and will be provided as a one-time payment.

The Undergraduate Admission Scholarship of Sociology (社會學本科入學獎學金) has been introduced to recognize outstanding academic achievements among students admitted through both JUPAS and non-JUPAS channels. It offers four awards annually, including one for JUPAS admission, one for a non-JUPAS Year 1 student (local and international; for academic credentials other than sub-degrees), one for a sub-degree holder, and one for a Social Science Broad-based student based on Year 1 cumulative GPA. The scholarship amount for each recipient is HK$10,000 per year.

The Department of Sociology is committed to providing excellent opportunities for students to pursue their academic goals and unlock their potential in the field of sociology. These scholarships not only recognize outstanding achievements but also pave the way for a successful academic journey and future career prospects.

For more information regarding the department’s scholarships, kindly visit the “Scholarships” section on our official website.

Poster

 

May 2023
Our hearty congratulations to our three faculty members on receiving the CUHK Long Service Award 2022!
  • Professor Wong Suk Ying 王淑英教授 – 25-year Long Service Award
  • Professor Jin Lei 金蕾教授 – 15-year Long Service Award
  • Dr. Lau Siu Lun 劉紹麟博士 – 15-year Long Service Award

We would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt appreciation to the above members for their continued dedication and contributions to the Department over the years.

April 2023
Award Celebration of the CUHK Faculty of Social Science 2022

The Appreciation Achievement Award Celebration of the CUHK Faculty of Social Science was held on 22 Apr 2023 to celebrate the outstanding academic achievements of the students being placed on the 2021 Dean’s List.

18 undergraduate and 6 taught postgraduate students of Sociology were placed on the 2021 Dean’s List, including:

[ Undergraduate Students ]

  • CHENG, Sum In Yen 鄭心研
  • CHEUNG, Chun Fung Anthony 張竣峰
  • GUO, Yuhan 郭雨寒
  • JIANG, Minglun 蔣明倫
  • LEE, Ho 李灝
  • LEE, Hoi Ching 李凱晴
  • LEE, Wing Hei 李穎晞
  • LEUNG, Yu Shan 梁喻珊
  • LI, Yihan 李亦涵
  • LIU, Chiu Kit 廖昭傑
  • LO, Tsz Yiu 盧芷瑤
  • LO, Yiu Dik Ivan 魯曜迪
  • LUK, Wai Yan 陸慧欣
  • PEI, Yu   裴瑜
  • WONG, Hei Man Maggie 王希文
  • WONG, Yi Nei 王旖旎
  • WONG, Yu Yan 黃汝恩
  • YEUNG, Ka Yi 楊嘉怡

[ Taught Postgraduate Students ]

  • GAO, Hongyang 高宏揚
  • GONG, Hongjin 龔弘晉
  • PENG, Yuhao 彭雨豪
  • QI, Donghang 齊東航
  • SHEN, Yueying 沈月盈
  • ZHUANG, Jia 莊佳

Congratulations!

April 2023
金耀基:中國崛起是文明崛起 中國式現代化必要融合文化元素

金耀基:中國崛起是文明崛起 中國式現代化必要融合文化元素

[以下引用自  HK01 來源文章]

4 月 11 日,著名社會學家、香港中文大學社會學榮休講座教授金耀基教授於香港大學舉辦著作《從傳統到現代》改版對談會,針對中國現代化進程與轉型,金耀基提出中國現代化發展的必然性、以及作為文明崛起的意義,更重要的是,中國的現代化不會是一場沒有「沒有傳統」的現代化。…

時至今日,世界的重心已從西方轉移到東方,亞洲經濟已經是世界版圖中最活躍的一股勢力。金耀基教授援引西方學者的評價,認為中國現代化已經取得傲世成就,甚至被認為是一種新的工業文明的身份在亞洲崛起。金耀基教授特別強調「文明」二字,指出在西方眼中,中國的崛起已不只是一個強權國家的興盛這麼簡單,而是蘊含一個文明的升起與移轉,與之相伴的是西方過去500年的優勢,可能被逆轉。…

金耀基教授簡評了中國現代化的歷程,其認為中國從鄧小平改革開放開始,到今天「有中國社會主義特色的現代化」,其來有自,因為鄧小平意識到不能走蘇聯式的現代化,以保留「中國」作為現代化的理想性目標,意即融入中國文化元素於其中。「那不是指人口、也不是指發展階段,這些都是會出現階段性變化,唯有中國文化才是穩定的。」…

原文網址: 金耀基:中國崛起是文明崛起 中國式現代化必要融合文化元素 香港01

https://www.hk01.com/article/887153?utm_source=01articlecopy&utm_medium=referral

March 2023
QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2023 – Sociology

CUHK Sociology ranks 1st in Hong Kong and 23rd in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2023.

Source: QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2023 – Sociology

March 2023
PNAS Science Sessions at Podcast: U-turn in occupational gender segregation

Prof. Ling Zhu and Prof. David B. Grusky explore intergenerational factors influencing occupational gender segregation in the United States.

Details: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u-turn-in-occupational-gender-segregation/id1367460245?i=1000581422321

November 2022
Student Exchange Programme with University of Kent and University of Warwick, UK

Student Exchange Programme with University of Kent and University of Warwick, UK

The captioned programme organized by the Department is now open for application.

Details

The application deadline is 9 December 2022 (Friday).

 

November 2022
Introducing our new faculty member

Jin Sun has been appointed as an Assistant Professor of Department of Sociology starting from January 2023. His research received funding from Stanton Foundation, the European Research Council (ERC), and the Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS). His articles with collaborators have been published by the American Journal of Sociology, Global Governance, and other peer-reviewed journals. He was honored with the International Geneva Award in 2020. He also contributed chapters to books at Edwards Elgar Publishing and Cambridge University Press. His research focuses on transnational and global sociology, comparative-historical sociology, and the sociology of law and global governance with regard to global sanctions, financial capitalism, climate change, global environmental law, global digital rules, global health law, multinational financial institutions, and neoliberal globalization, using a mix of methods including the fieldwork, interview, ethnography, participant observation, and data analysis. He passed the Chinese bar in Beijing and Directed Studies at the Hague Academy of International Law. He obtained master’s and Ph.D. degrees, respectively, from Harvard University and the Geneva Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.

October 2022
CUHK Info Day for UG Admissions on 15 October 2022 (Sat)

I) Admission Talk:

Session 1: 10:00am – 11:00am Prof. Jaemin Lee (English)
Session 2: 11:30am – 12:30am Prof. Nicole Cheung (Chinese)
Session 3: 2:00pm – 3:00pm Prof. Wong Suk-ying (Chinese)
Session 4: 3:30pm – 4:30pm Prof. Jin Lei (English)

Venue: LT2, UG/F, Sino Building, Chung Chi College

Listen to and chat with our professors!

II) Exhibition Booth

Visit our booth and chat with sociology students. Don’t forget to leave a note and tell us about your experience!

III) Experiencing Sociology (9:00am – 5:00pm)

Venue: 4/F Sino Building, Chung Chi College

Join the sociology quiz and win unique souvenirs!

Do you want to know more about sociology, student life at CUHK, and the latest development of our Department? Click the link below!

Sociology Programme Admission Brochure

Follow us on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/CUHKSociologyAdmission/

Poster PDF

October 2022
MPhil & PhD Programmes 2023-2024

September 1, 2022 – December 1, 2022

RGC Deadline of HKPFS at 12:00 Noon (HKT)
CUHK Main Round Deadline of applications at 5:00 P.M (HKT)
CUHK Clearing Round Deadline of applications at 5:00 P.M (HKT), March 31 2023

* Applications in Clearing Round will only be considered subject to availability of places



MPhil/PhD Admission web pageCUHK Graduate SchoolHKPFS

More details (English)More details (Chinese)

October 2022
MA in Sociology Programme Open for Online Application (for 2023’s entry) NOW

MA in Sociology Programme Open for Online Application (for 2023’s entry) NOW

Click for the Information Session:

https://www.soc.cuhk.edu.hk/admissions-2/ma-programme/admissions-ma-programme-update/

September 2022
Welcome to our Distinguished Visiting Scholar Professor Zhou Xueguang

Our Department is delighted to be hosting Professor Zhou Xueguang for Term 1 of 2022/23 under the University’s Distinguished Visiting Professor Scheme.

Professor Zhou is the Kwoh-Ting Li Professor in Economic Development, a professor of sociology and an FSI senior fellow at Stanford University. His main area of research is institutional changes in contemporary Chinese society, focusing on Chinese organizations and management, social inequality, and state-society relationships.

During the visiting period, apart from academic collaboration and exchange with colleagues and students in and outside the Department, Professor Zhou will also teach an undergraduate course “Complex Organization” (SOCI3001).

August 2022
Prof. Shen Wensong, Assistant Professor, his article was selected as a nominee for the 2022 Rosabeth Moss Kanter International Award for Research Excellence in Work and Family

Shen, W., Hu, L. C., & Hannum, E. (2021). Effect Pathways of Informal Family Separation on Children’s Outcomes: Paternal Labor Migration and Long-Term Educational Attainment of Left-Behind Children in Rural China. Social Science Research, 97, 102576.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2021.102576

The award is presented to the author(s) of the best research paper published in a given year. Dr. Shen’s work is now recognized as one of 17 nominees from over 2,500 articles published in 2020, from around the world.

A joint project of the Center for Families at Purdue University and the Boston College Center for Work & Family, the international award raises the awareness of high quality work-family research among the scholar, consultant, and practitioner communities. Nominations are not accepted. A very rigorous process involving nomination and review by a committee of over 70 leading scholars determined this year finalists from over 2,500 articles published in 70 leading English-language journals from around the world. As the standards of quality for work-family research continue to rise, the actionable findings from the best studies will become more commonplace in business communities to inform policy and best people practices.

August 2022
2022 Academic Counselling Session for New Full-time Undergraduate Students (Online)

Date: 23 August 2022 (Tuesday) 

Session: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.  

For SOCI new students who would like to join this counselling session, please click HERE to register on or before 22 August 2022 (Monday). The counselling session will be conducted via ZOOM. The meeting link will be sent to registered participants in due course.  

August 2022
Assistant Professor, Prof. Zhu Ling, published a PNAS article: The Intergenerational Sources of the U-Turn in Gender Segregation

It is our great honor to announce that one of the Assistant Professors in our Department, Prof. Zhu Ling has recently published an PNAS article with Prof. David Grusky: “The intergenerational sources of the U-turn in gender segregation” in PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (SCIE category: Multidisciplinary Science, rank 9/73 in JCR 2021). The article was a direct submission to PNAS and free for anyone to download. It is an innovative and masterful investigation into the puzzle of the stalled gender convergence (some also call it the stalled gender revolution) that has attracted thousands of research publications in the past 15 to 20 years.

This publication is also a milestone in the history of the Department. For the first time ever one of our faculty members or students appeared as the lead or primary author of a direct submission to any of the big three general-interest science journals, which are PNAS, Nature, and Science. Please click here to read the full article: The intergenerational sources of the U-turn in gender segregation | PNAS

May 2022
Our PhD graduate, Prof. Francisco Olivos, published two articles recently

Our PhD graduate, Prof. Francisco Olivos, also the Research Assistant Professor of Sociology and Social Policy at Lingnan University, Hong Kong, published two articles recently as follows:

1) “Citizen Complaints as an Accountability Mechanism: Uncovering Patterns Using Topic Modeling” in Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency (SSCI category: Criminology & Penology, rank 14/72 in JCR 2020) [Click here to read the article] and;

2) “Cultural Omnivorousness and Status Inconsistency in Chile: The Role of Objective and Subjective Social Status” in Sociological Research Online (journal’s SSCI category: Sociology, rank 76/149 in JCR 2020) Our current Phd student Peng WANG is the co-author of this article. [Click here to read the article].

May 2022
The Network Structure of Occupations: Fragmentation, Differentiation, and Contagion

Our MPhil graduate, Mr. Koit Hung, the PhD candidate at The University of Texas at Austin, USA, recently published an article with Prof. Ken-Hou Lin titled “The Network Structure of Occupations: Fragmentation, Differentiation, and Contagion” in American Journal of Sociology (journal’s SSCI category: Sociology, rank 4/149 in JCR 2020).

Read more

April 2022
QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2022 – Sociology

Department of Sociology of CUHK ranks 37th in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2022. Source: QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2022 – Sociology

February 2022
Call for applications: Internship Programme 2022 for undergraduate students, Department of Sociology

The captioned programme is now open for application. Interested students should complete and submit the application form with supporting documents by 12 noon, 8 March 2022 (Tuesday).

Please see the application guidelines and internship positions appended below (login is required) for more details.

Application guidelines | Internship positions | Application form

February 2022
The future of human behaviour research

Prof Hong Yingyi, Choh-Ming Li Professor of Management, also the Professor (by courtesy) of Department of Sociology, is a contributor of a big article titled “The future of human behaviour research” published in Nature Human BehaviourPlease click here to read the full article.

 

More details

January 2022
Invitation to CUHK Summer Research Placement Programme for Mainland and Taiwan Students 2022

To forge close relationship and strengthen research collaboration with the University’s key partners in mainland China and Taiwan, CUHK has been organizing a summer research placement programme for mainland and Taiwan students every year since 2008. Co-ordinated by the University’s China Engagement Office (CEO) and supported by various academic and research units, over 900 students from more than 70 CUHK’s strategic partners in mainland China and Taiwan participated in this programme.

Department of Sociology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong is pleased to receive talented students for the placement. Successful applicants can have the opportunity to work with the world-leading academic team in a multi-cultural environment.

More Details

December 2021
Handbook 2021-22

Handbook 2021-22

December 2021
Newsletter

Newsletter 2021

December 2021
New stream ‘Society and Sustainable Development’ (SOCIN-SSD) for Senior Year Entry Admission, starting from 2022-2023

Starting from 2022-2023, the Sociology Programme will expand the Senior Year Entry admission quota by introducing a new stream ‘Society and Sustainable Development’ (SOCIN-SSD). Collaborating with the Earth System Science Programme of the Faculty of Science, and the Gender Studies Programme of the Faculty of Social Science, the new stream will provide cross-disciplinary training for students who wish to understand key social and environmental challenges of our time and to seek innovative solutions for them. Available only to the Senior Year Entry admission, SOCIN-SSD will offer students a unique study path, specific subject knowledge, and technical skill attainment.

For more admission information for the Sociology Programme@CUHK, please visit the following links:

Sociology Programme (SOCIN)

http://admission.cuhk.edu.hk/programmes/SOCIN.html

‘Society and Sustainable Development’ (SOCIN-SSD, new stream under the Sociology Programme)

http://admission.cuhk.edu.hk/programmes/SOCIN-SSD.html

 

November 2021
MPhil & PhD Programmes 2022-2023

September 1, 2021 – December 1, 2021

RGC Deadline of HKPFS at 12:00 Noon (HKT)
CUHK Main Round Deadline of applications at 5:00 P.M (HKT)
CUHK Clearing Round Deadline of applications at 5:00 P.M (HKT), March 31 2022,

* Applications in Clearing Round will only be considered subject to availability of places



MPhil/PhD Admission web pageCUHK Graduate SchoolHKPFS

More details (English)More details (Chinese)

November 2021
Call for applications for Department exchange 2022-23

Student Exchange Programme with University of Kent and University of Warwick, UK

The captioned programme organized by the Department is now open for application. Details of the exchange programme and the application form can be found at :

https://mycuhk.sharepoint.com/sites/Faculty.SSC.SOC/SitePages/Student-Exchange-Programme-with-University-of-Kent-and-University-of-Warwick,-UK.aspx

The application deadline is 26 November 2021 (Friday).

 

October 2021
MA in Sociology Programme Open for Online Application (for 2022’s entry) NOW

MA in Sociology Programme Open for Online Application (for 2022’s entry) NOW

Click for the Information Session:

https://www.soc.cuhk.edu.hk/admissions-2/ma-programme/admissions-ma-programme-update/

October 2021
CUHK Virtual Info Day for UG Admissions on 16 October 2021 (Sat)

Sociology Admission Talk (11am, 2:30pm) and Guided Exhibition Tour (10am, 3:30pm)

Want to know more about sociology, student life at CUHK, and the latest development of our Department? Click the link below!

Sociology Programme Admission Brochure

Follow us on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/CUHKSociologyAdmission/

Poster PDF

 

September 2021
Peter Lau Scholarship in Sociology 劉建中先生社會學獎學金

Peter Lau Scholarship in Sociology is open for application. New Asia year 2 undergraduates who have achieved excellent results in their year 1 study and in HKDSE or NCEE in Mainland China are eligible to apply. Interested students should complete and submit the online application by 7th October 2021 (Thursday). Please see below the announcement for more details.

Announcement | Application Form

September 2021
Peter Lau Sociological Imagination Scholarship 劉建中先生社會學想像力獎學金

Peter Lau Sociological Imagination Scholarship is now open for application. New Asia undergraduates who joined the Internship Programme organised by the Department this year are eligible to apply. Interested students should complete and submit the online application by 7th October 2021 (Thursday). Please see below the announcement for more details.

Announcement | Application Form

September 2021
Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) @ CUHK

Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS)

Monthly stipend: HK$26,900 (approx. US$3,450)

Conference travel allowance: HK$13,500 (approx. US$1,730) per year

Award: 1st year: HK$40,000; 2nd & 3rd year: HK20, 000 per year

Accommodation: Guaranteed on-campus accommodation & waiving of on-campus hostel fee for the first year

Step 1

Submit an initial application to the RGC through their on-line application system and obtain a HKPFS reference number.

RGC Application deadline: 1 December 2021 at 12:00 noon Hong Kong Time

Apply here

Step 2

Submit your full application through CUHK’s Online Application System for Postgraduate Programmes and quote the HKPFS reference number.

CUHK Application deadline: 1 December 2021 at 5:00pm Hong Kong Time

Apply here

August 2021
Scholarship for Internship Programme 社會學系實習計劃奬學金

Scholarship for Internship Programme is open for application. Students joined the Internship Programme organised by the Department this year are eligible to apply. Interested students should complete and submit the online application by 15 September 2021 (Wednesday). Please see below the announcement for more details.

Announcement | Application Form

August 2021
2021 Academic Counselling Session for New Full-time Undergraduate Students (Online)

Date: 24 August 2021 (Tuesday)
Session: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
For SOCI new students who would like to join this counselling session, please click HERE to register on or before 23 August 2021 (Monday). The counselling session will be conducted via ZOOM. The meeting link will be sent to registered participants in due course.

August 2021
Gan Yumei, PhD graduate from our Department, has just received the Young Scholar Thesis Award 2020.

Gan Yumei, a PhD graduate from our Department who is now an Assistant Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University- School of Media and Communication, has just received the Young Scholar Thesis Award 2020. It is an annual award and only one person can receive this award in each Faculty at CUHK. Her thesis title is “Choreographing Affective Relationships across Distances: Multigenerational Engagement in Video Calls between Migrant Parents and Their Left-behind Children in China”. This thesis is an exceptionally innovative, exciting and original study of video-mediated conversation in migrant families. While the phenomenon of ‘left-behind children’ has been the subject of many previous studies, this is the first that examines how parents and children actually ‘do’ family in their video calls. Congratulations to Yumei and her thesis supervisor Prof. Christian Greiffenhagen!

甘雨梅是社會學系的一名博士畢業生,及後獲上海交通大學媒體與傳播學院聘請為一名助理教授,她的論文獲得了 “CUHK Young Scholars Thesis Award 2020″,這是一個年度頒發的獎項,每個學院只有一位學生可以獲此殊榮。

她的論文課題為 “Choreographing Affective Relationships across Distances: Multigenerational Engagement in Video Calls between Migrant Parents and Their Left-behind Children in China”,這篇原創論文深入研究了在外務工家庭的視頻交流現象,立意新穎,令人振奮。

儘管”留守兒童”現象已經在此前的研究主題中出現多次,但這篇論文首次省視了現實中父母與留守兒童究竟是如何通過視頻通話保持家庭的情感聯系。

在此恭喜雨梅和她的論文導師Prof. Christian Greiffenhagen!

July 2021
IMPORTANT: Release of the new Sociology Programme Admission Brochure!

Do you want to know more about sociology, student life at CUHK, and the latest development of our Department? Click the link below!

Sociology Programme Admission Brochure

July 2021
New concentration: Society, Sustainability and Technology (introduced in 2021-22)

A new concentration will be introduced in 2021-2022. Students may declare a concentration, on a voluntary basis, in the final term of studies when the requisite courses for a concentration have been completed or are expected to be completed in the final term. Students are allowed to declare no more than 2 concentrations. Upon approval of the declaration by the Department, the said concentration will be indicated in the academic transcript.

Key Note:

  • Students need to take a total of 18 units to fulfill the concentration requirement
  • There are two subthemes under this new concentration: i. Society and Sustainability and ii. Environment and Technology

SOCIETY AND SUSTAINABILITY

(At least 9 units, with 3 units must be either SOCI3002 Social Stratification or/and SOCI4204 Sociology of Education, and a maximum of 12 units)

-take at least 6 units of courses listed below:

Course Code / Title:

SOCI 2116 Criminals and the Law

SOCI 2208 Urban Sociology

SOCI 2216 Social Problems in China

SOCI 2218 Marriage and Family

SOCI 3204 Sociology of Crime and Deviance

SOCI 3208 Gender and Society

SOCI 3227 Social Demography

SOCI 3237 Medical Sociology

SOCI 4202 Teaching Workshop for Sociology Students

SOCI 3230 Globalization and China

SOCI 4020 Graduation Thesis II

SOCI 4410 / 4420 Directed Studies I /II

ENVIRONMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

(At least 6 units, with 3 units must be SOCI3239 Issues in Environment and Society, and a maximum of 9 units)

-take SOCI3239 Issues in Environment and Society (new course introduced in 2021/2022), and;

-take either SOCI3238 Digital Sociology (new course introduced in 2021/2022); or/and SOCI3102 Social Networks and Social Capital; or/and SOCI4210 Science and Technology Studies

For information of the three existing sociology concentrations, please visit here (https://www.soc.cuhk.edu.hk/undergraduate/undergraduate-programme-sociology-concentrations/):

 

June 2021
Ms. LEE Lai Han, our Teaching Assistant, will leave our Department today

Ms. LEE Lai Han, our Teaching Assistant, will leave our Department today. She has recently received the University’s “15-year Long Service Award” in recognition of her long years of service at the University. We would like to take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Lee for her invaluable contribution and teaching support to the Department of Sociology over the years.



30-June-2021 Wednesday

June 2021
Sage Sociology has recently published a podcast where our PhD candidate, Francisco Olivos

Sage Sociology has recently published a podcast where our PhD candidate, Francisco Olivos, discusses his most recent publication in Social Psychology Quarterly, the social-psychological journal of the American Sociological Association. Social Psychology Quarterly (SPQ) publishes theoretical and empirical papers on the link between the individual and society. This includes the study of the relations of individuals to one another, as well as to groups, collectivities, and institutions.

Podcast

Full article

June 2021
Scholarships for Student Exchange of Department of Sociology

Scholarships for student exchange are now open for application. Interested students should complete and submit the application form to the General Office by 30 June 2021 (Wednesday).

Please see below the announcement for more details.

Announcement | Application Form

June 2021
Change of Major 2021 (Transfer Requirements)

Students who wish to apply for change of major to the Sociology programme must submit the application using the e-Application form under CUSIS before 5:00 p.m. of June 29, 2021 (Tuesday) (NOT June 30 as our Department schedules an internal deadline to allow some time for the arrangement of an interview, if any, before the approval period starting from July 2 to 8, 2021).  Please submit the following documents via CUSIS:

  1. A completed e-Application form for Change of Major,
  2. An explanatory letter for the reasons of application,
  3. A copy of an unofficial transcript showing the academic results within the University, and
  4. A copy of the HKCEE, HKALE results, or other public examination results acquired at secondary school level.

Note: Incomplete submission of documents will delay the application process or lead to the result of application not being processed. Please be aware of the minimum requirements (please refer to the mass email from Registration and Examinations Section (RES) or its web site at www.res.cuhk.edu.hk) for change of major set by the University Senate.

If shortlisted, students will be contacted for an online interview likely scheduled on July 5-6, 2021 (please enable camera or webcam during the interview).  Applications MUST reach the Department before 5:00 p.m. of June 29, 2021 (Tuesday) via CUSIS. Late applications will not be processed. Successful applicants MUST confirm their acceptance of the NEW major during the period of July 9 to 13, 2021.

For enquiries, please call 3943-6606 or 3943-1486.

May 2021
Scholarship for Social Services of Department of Sociology 社會學系社會服務奬學金

Scholarship for social services is now open for application. Interested students should complete and submit the application form by 15 June 2021 (Tuesday).

Please see below the announcement for more details.

Announcement | Application Form

March 2021
QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2021 – Sociology

Department of Sociology of CUHK ranks 37th in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2021. Source: QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2021 – Sociology

February 2021
Yifan Shen, an MPhil graduate from this Department, had published (in 2021) a single-authored paper “The Nonlinear Linkage between Earnings Homogamy and Earnings Inequality between Married Couples” in Demography

Yifan Shen, an MPhil graduate from this Department, had published (in 2021) a single-authored paper “The Nonlinear Linkage between Earnings Homogamy and Earnings Inequality between Married Couples” in Demography–the premier journal for population research [see note below]. Congratulations to Yifan for turning his master thesis into an outstanding research contribution!

Yifan started this project in 2014, his first year at CUHK. His advisor Professor Tony Tam suggested him to try this topic to learn how to do research. He finished the first draft in 2016 which ended up being his MPhil thesis. It was not until two years later (2018), during his second year of PhD at Brown University, that he restarted to work on this paper.

Looking back, he recognizes how crucial the two years he spent at CUHK was to the project as it was during those years that he got the financial and intellectual support to immerse himself in the literature and develop a deep understanding of the question. As he savors the fruitful outcome from this long-running project, he encourages fellow graduate students at CUHK to stay focused and persevere in their intellectual endeavors: “At the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

The Department is really proud of Yifan, not only for his remarkable publication but also for setting an example that speaks loud and clear on the virtue of perseverance in graduate training towards a scholarly career.

Note:

Earnings inequality between couples has been rising in many countries. Yifan’s new paper shows that in both urban China and the United States income homogamy increased over time. Most importantly, the increase in income homogamy between the top 20% of husbands and their wives has played a major role in lifting the overall inequality between couples.

February 2021
Call for applications: Internship Programme 2021 for undergraduate students, Department of Sociology

The captioned programme is now open for application. Interested students should complete and submit the application form with supporting documents by 9:00am, 11 March 2021 (Thursday).

Please see the application guidelines and internship positions appended below (login is required) for more details.

 

Application guidelines | Internship positions | Application form

December 2020
Mr. Loa See-Pok (MPhil graduate) received HKSA Best Thesis Award 2020

One of our MPhil graduates Mr. Loa See-Pok has received this year’s Hong Kong Sociological Association (HKSA) Best Thesis Award for his MPhil thesis: “(Re)Classing Homosexuality: A Comparative Study of Middle-class and Working-class Gay Men in Hong Kong”  (supervised by Professor Susanne Y. P. Choi)

December 2020
Notice of Revised counter service hours in the time of COVID-19 (until further notice)

Revised counter service hours in the time of COVID-19 (until further notice)
Monday – Friday : 9:00am-5:00pm (lunch hour : 1:00pm-2:00pm)

November 2020
Student Exchange Programme with University of Kent and University of Warwick, UK

The captioned programme organized by the Department is now open for application. Details of the exchange programme and the application form can be found at:

https://mycuhk.sharepoint.com/sites/Faculty.SSC.SOC/SitePages/Student-Exchange-Programme-with-University-of-Kent-and-University-of-Warwick,-UK.aspx

The application deadline is 1 December 2020 (Tuesday).

October 2020
Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) @ CUHK

Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS)

Monthly stipend: HK$26,600 (approx. US$3,410)

Conference travel allowance: HK$13,300 (approx. US$1,700) per year

Award: 1st year: HK$40,000; 2nd & 3rd year: HK20,000 per year

Accommodation: Guaranteed on-campus accommodation & waiving of on-campus hostel fee for the first year

Step 1

Submit an initial application to the RGC through their on-line application system and obtain a HKPFS reference number.

RGC Application deadline: 1 December 2020 at 12:00 noon Hong Kong Time

Apply here

Step 2

Submit your full application through CUHK’s Online Application System for Postgraduate Programmes and quote the HKPFS reference number.

CUHK Application deadline: 1 December 2020 at 5:00pm Hong Kong Time

Apply here

Click to open Poster PDF

August 2020
Scholarships for Internship Programme, Department of Sociology

The scholarships for internship programme are now available. Students joined the Internship Programme organised by the Department this year are eligible to apply. Details of the scholarships can be found at:

https://mycuhk.sharepoint.com/sites/Faculty.SSC.SOC/SitePages/Scholarships-and-Awards.aspx

The deadline of application is 16 September 2020 (Wednesday)

August 2020
Yifan Shen, an MPhil graduate from this Department, will publish a single-authored paper “The Nonlinear Linkage between Earnings Homogamy and Earnings Inequality between Married Couples” in Demography

Yifan Shen, an MPhil graduate from this Department, will publish a single-authored paper “The Nonlinear Linkage between Earnings Homogamy and Earnings Inequality between Married Couples” in Demography–the premier journal for population research [see note below]. Congratulations to Yifan for turning his master thesis into an outstanding research contribution!

Yifan started this project in 2014, his first year at CUHK. His advisor Professor Tony Tam suggested him to try this topic to learn how to do research. He finished the first draft in 2016 which ended up being his MPhil thesis. It was not until two years later (2018), during his second year of PhD at Brown University, that he restarted to work on this paper.

Looking back, he recognizes how crucial the two years he spent at CUHK was to the project as it was during those years that he got the financial and intellectual support to immerse himself in the literature and develop a deep understanding of the question. As he savors the fruitful outcome from this long-running project, he encourages fellow graduate students at CUHK to stay focused and persevere in their intellectual endeavors: “At the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

The Department is really proud of Yifan, not only for his remarkable publication but also for setting an example that speaks loud and clear on the virtue of perseverance in graduate training towards a scholarly career.

Note:

Earnings inequality between couples has been rising in many countries. Yifan’s new paper shows that in both urban China and the United States income homogamy increased over time. Most importantly, the increase in income homogamy between the top 20% of husbands and their wives has played a major role in lifting the overall inequality between couples.

 

July 2020
Introducing new faculty members, 2020

Prof. Bo JIANG, Research Assistant Professor (Profile)

Bo Jiang is a Research Assistant Professor in The Department of Sociology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is primarily interested in topics related to transnational crimes and evidence-based policing.  His research relies on interdisciplinary approaches to address policy-relevant issues within criminology and sociology, drawing on methods from computational sciences.  His current work focuses on (1) statistical learning of terrorist organizations; and (2) spatial-temporal analysis of crime hot spots and harm spots.

Prof. Jiang earned a PhD from the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland and MS degree from the Department of Criminology at the University of Pennsylvania.  He spent five years as a Graduate Research Assistant at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START).  Since 2018, he has held an appointment with the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge as a Data Analysis Consultant. 

Prof. Jaemin LEE, Assistant Professor (Profile)

Jaemin Lee is a social scientist interested in social networks, mathematical sociology, and computational social science. He studies social influence in the political, economic, and school contexts. His research aims to understand various substantive topics including political polarization, product diffusion, friendship segregation, and intergroup relations. Methodologically, he uses agent-based modeling, field experiments, and longitudinal network analysis. 

A sociology Ph.D. from Duke University, Prof. Lee worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Northeastern University’s Network Science Institute. He received an Outstanding Dissertation-in-Progress Award by the American Sociological Association’s Mathematical Sociology Section and a Paul Lazarsfeld Best Paper Award from the American Political Science Association (Political Communication). 

Prof. Wensong SHEN, Assistant Professor (Profile)

Wensong Shen is an incoming Assistant Professor of Sociology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He received his Ph.D. degree in Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania in May 2020. His research focuses on education and health, and especially the interaction between education and health in the context of social stratification and inequality. Broadly speaking, Prof. Shen utilizes quantitative methods to explore how individuals and families with different social backgrounds experience the complex process of social stratification, and how such experiences shape their life opportunities and consequences such as education and health.

Prof. Ling ZHU, Assistant Professor (Profile)

Ling Zhu received an MS in Statistics and a PhD in Sociology from Stanford University. Before joining CUHK she was a post-doctoral fellow at the Stanford Center for Poverty and Inequality. Her overarching research interests consist of two substantive topics and one methodological theme: (1) state governance in authoritarian regimes – how the bureaucratic organizations are structured and the bureaucrats are incentivized to maintain a delicate balance between political control (which requires power centralization) and regional development (which requires power de-centralization), (2) mechanisms of reproducing economic inequality, gender segregation, and family advantages/disadvantages in China and in the United States, and (3) understanding misuses of causal inference methodology. The substantive studies are unified by a sociological interest in understanding how political and social institutions work together to shape social structures and often built on newly available big data and state-of-the-art data analytics for causal inference, network analysis, and machine learning techniques.

July 2020
Professor Andrew Junker received the Book Award: Asia/Transnational

Professor Andrew Junker’s new book Becoming Activists in Global China: Social Movements in the Chinese Diaspora (Published by Cambridge University Press) was selected for the Book Award: Asia/Transnational, by American Sociological Association Asia/Asian America Section.

Details of the book can be found here.

May 2020
Scholarships for Student Exchange of Department of Sociology

The following scholarship for Student Exchange is open for application:

Yan Wo Tong (International) Limited Award for Student Exchange
仁和堂(國際
)有限公司海外交流獎學金)

The award is established with a grant from UGC for matching the donation by Yan Wo Tong (International) Limited. The award aims to encourage undergraduate students of the Department of Sociology to participate in exchange programmes overseas or in mainland China organised by the Department, College, or the University. The award of the amount $5,000, will subsidize 1 local student* participating in exchange programme.

*The recipients of the award are restricted to local students as per the regulations of the matching grant.

Application deadline: 15 June 2020 (Monday)
Enquiries: 3943 6271 / sociology@cuhk.edu.hk

Application formSupplementary information form

May 2020
Scholarship for Social Services of Department of Sociology

The following scholarship for Social Services is open for application:

Lau Cheung Kwai Lan Memorial Scholarship in Sociology
劉張桂蘭社會學紀念獎學金

The scholarship was donated by Dr. Lau Yiu Chung Laurie (劉耀忠博士) and his wife, Mrs. Lau Lam Cheuk Man (劉林卓敏女士), in commemoration of Mrs. LAU Cheung Kwai Lan (劉張桂蘭女士), the beloved mother of Dr. Lau. This Scholarship emphasizes the academic performance, humanistic sensitivity and social service of sociology students.

This year there is one award with HK$5,000 for a non-first-year student majoring in sociology at undergraduate level in 2017/18. Students can apply only once in their entire course of study at this university. S/he should have obtained an average GPA of 3.0 or above in previous years, and have provided significant services to his/her fellow students and/or the community in Hong Kong at large.

Application deadline: 15 June 2020 (Monday)
Enquiries: 3943 6271 / sociology@cuhk.edu.hk

Application form | Supplementary information form

 

May 2020
Change of Major 2020 (Transfer Requirements – SOCI)

Students who wish to apply for change of major to the Sociology programme must submit the application using the e-Application form under CUSIS before 5:00 p.m. of June 30, 2020 (Tuesday) (NOT July 7 as our Department schedules an internal deadline to allow some time for the arrangement of an interview, if any, before the approval period starting from July 8 to 13, 2020).  Please submit the following documents via CUSIS:

  1. A completed e-Application form for Change of Major,
  2. An explanatory letter for the reasons of application,
  3. A copy of an unofficial transcript showing the academic results within the University, and
  4. A copy of the HKCEE, HKALE results, or other public examination results acquired at secondary school level.

Note: Incomplete submission of documents will delay the application process or lead to the result of application not being processed. Please be aware of the minimum requirements (please refer to the mass email from Registration and Examinations Section (RES) or its web site at www.res.cuhk.edu.hk) for change of major set by the University Senate.

If shortlisted, students will be contacted for an online interview likely scheduled on July 9, 2020 (please enable camera or webcam during the interview).  Applications MUST reach the Department before 5:00 p.m. of June 30, 2020 (Tuesday) via CUSIS. Late applications will not be processed. Successful applicants MUST confirm their acceptance of the NEW major during the period of July 14 to 17, 2020.

For enquiries, please call 3943-6606 or 3943-1486.

April 2020
QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2020 – Sociology

Department of Sociology of CUHK ranks 39th in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2020. Source: QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2020 – Sociology

March 2020
Graduate Students Newsletter – Mar 2020

The newsletter in PDF format can be accessed here

The newsletter is an initiative of the graduate students of the department and is published on a monthly basis. Previous issues are on the newsletter page.

February 2020
Graduate Students Newsletter – Feb 2020

The newsletter in PDF format can be accessed here

The newsletter is an initiative of the graduate students of the department and is published on a monthly basis. Previous issues are on the newsletter page.

February 2020
Call for applications: Internship Programme 2020 for undergraduate students, Department of Sociology

The captioned programme is now open for application. Interested students should complete and submit the application form with supporting documents by 9:00am, 9 March 2020 (Monday). Please see the application guidelines and internship positions appended below (login is required) for more details.
Application guidelines | Internship positions | Application form

January 2020
Graduate Students Newsletter – Jan 2020

The newsletter in PDF format can be accessed here

The newsletter is an initiative of the graduate students of the department and is published on a monthly basis. Previous issues are on the newsletter page.

December 2019
Graduate Students Newsletter – Dec 2019

The newsletter in PDF format can be accessed here

The newsletter is an initiative of the graduate students of the department and is published on a monthly basis. Previous issues are on the newsletter page.

December 2019
(Deadline extended) Student Exchange Programme with University of Kent and University of Warwick, UK

The captioned exchange programme is now open for application. Interested students should complete and submit the attached application form with copies of transcripts and other supporting documents to the General Office on or before 22 November 2019 (Friday) 9 December 2019 (Monday). Please see the below announcement for more details. Announcement | Application form (Word)

November 2019
Graduate Students Newsletter – Nov 2019

The newsletter in PDF format can be accessed here

The newsletter is an initiative of the graduate students of the department and is published on a monthly basis. Previous issues are on the newsletter page.

October 2019
Graduate Students Newsletter – Oct 2019

The newsletter in PDF format can be accessed here

The newsletter is an initiative of the graduate students of the department and is published on a monthly basis. Previous issues are on the newsletter page.

September 2019
Graduate Students Newsletter – Sep 2019

The newsletter in PDF format can be accessed here

The newsletter is an initiative of the graduate students of the department and is published on a monthly basis. Previous issues are on the newsletter page.

September 2019
Ms. Wong Miu Yin (MPhil Graduate, 2016) has received the PhD admission offer from London School of Economics and Political Science.

For more details about further studies and employment of our MPhil and PhD Graduates, please refer to MPhil-PhD website.

September 2019
Scholarships for Internship Programme 社會學系實習計劃奬學金

Scholarships for Internship Programme are open for application. Students joined the Internship Programme organised by the Department this year are eligible to apply. Interested students should complete and submit the online application by 2 October 2019 (Wednesday). Please see below the announcement for more details.
Announcement | Application Form

August 2019
Graduate Students Newsletter – Aug 2019

The newsletter in PDF format can be accessed here

The newsletter is an initiative of the graduate students of the department and is published on a monthly basis. Previous issues are on the newsletter page.

June 2019
Graduate Students Newsletter – Jun 2019

The newsletter in PDF format can be accessed here

The newsletter is an initiative of the graduate students of the department and is published on a monthly basis. Previous issues are on the newsletter page.

May 2019
Graduate Students Newsletter – May 2019

The newsletter in PDF format can be accessed here

The newsletter is an initiative of the graduate students of the department and is published on a monthly basis. Previous issues are on the newsletter page.

May 2019
Mr. Chao Kin Chong (MPhil Graduate, 2014) has received the PhD offer from University of Wisconsin – Madison.

For more details about further studies and employment of our MPhil and PhD Graduates, please refer to MPhil-PhD website.

May 2019
Prof. Susanne Choi received Research Mentorship Award 2018

Prof. Susanne Choi has been awarded the Research Mentorship Award 2018 by the Faculty of Social Science in recognition of her outstanding performance and achievements in postgraduate supervision.

May 2019
Application for Change of Major

Students who wish to apply for change of major to the Sociology programme must submit the application using the e-Application form under CUSIS before 5:00 p.m. of June 19, 2019 (Wednesday) (NOT June 27 as our Department schedules an internal deadline to allow some time for the arrangement of an interview, if any, before the approval period starting from June 28 to July 5, 2019).

Announcement

April 2019
Graduate Students Newsletter – Mar 2019

The newsletter in PDF format can be accessed here

The newsletter is an initiative of the graduate students of the department and is published on a monthly basis. Previous issues are on the newsletter page.

April 2019
Graduate Students Newsletter – April 2019

The newsletter in PDF format can be accessed here

The newsletter is an initiative of the graduate students of the department and is published on a monthly basis. Previous issues are on the newsletter page.

March 2019
社會學就業講座 2019

日期: 2019 年 3 月 27 日
時間: 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
地點: 香港中文大學信和樓 4 樓 422 室
查詢: (852) 3943 6271 / sociology@cuhk.edu.hk

講座海報 | 網上報名

February 2019
QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2019 – Sociology

Department of Sociology of CUHK ranks 41st in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2019.

Source: QS World University Rankings by Subjects in 2019 – Sociology

November 2018
MA Information Session (for 2019’s intake)

Date: Nov 17, 2018 (Saturday)
Time: 2:30 -4:30 p.m.
Venue: Lecture Theater 9, Yasumoto International Academic Park, CUHK

For more details: Click here

September 2018
Scholarships for Internship Programme

Scholarships for Internship Programme are now open for application. Interested students should complete and submit the application form to the General Office on or before 3 October 2018 (Wednesday).

Please see below the announcement for more details. Application form can be downloaded via the link as below.

Announcement | Application Form

July 2018
2018 Best Book Award – ISA

Professor CHOI Susanne Y.P.’s book “Masculine Compromise: Migration, Family and Gender in China” received the 2018 Best Book Award from Sociology of Migration (RC31) of International Sociological Association.

May 2017
Professor CHOI Susanne Y.P. has been selected for the Vice-Chancellor’s Exemplary Teaching Award 2016.
February 2017
Professor CHOI Susanne Y.P. is awarded the Exemplary Teaching Award by the Faculty of Social Science.
December 2016
Mr. LAI Weijun, our PhD student, has just been selected to the inaugural class of JingE Fellows, with generous support from the Yifang Foundation in Beijing. Weijun is one of only 8 people chosen, out of a highly competitive pool of 228 applicants, for this major new award.

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