July 2022 – CSGC

Thinking China and Circulation:
Beyond Borders / In Translation / Across Adaptation

Abstract submission: September 1, 2022
Paper submission: October 3, 2022

Dates of Workshop: October 20-22, 2022 (Thu-Sat)
Venue: Zoom

Circulations are at the core of globalization and speak to all fields, periods, and regions. They can be political, economic, cultural, geographical, social, communal, familial, or personal. They may involve the relocation of objects and images; translation, adaptation, and appropriation of texts; or trajectories of individuals. They may be influenced by diverse forms of media. They may be imposed and experienced by individuals, groups, or institutions. They may take place on an equal footing or reinforce power relationships. They may bring about understanding, transformations, creativities, or else misunderstanding, prejudice, and defiance. Circulations also entail a historical process of images, texts, and ideas changing over time.

This historical moment – global pandemic, changing geopolitics, the threat of economic sanctions, and renewed racism against the Chinese diaspora – is a good time to reflect on real-life and virtual circulations in the context of China.

The Department of Comparative Literature and the Centre for the Study of Globalisation and Cultures at the University of Hong Kong invite graduate students working on China and the Sinophone world of the twentieth century to submit paper abstracts on the theme of “CIRCULATION”. We encourage people to interpret the theme in the broadest possible terms. We particularly welcome proposals that discuss circulations in relation to China in/and the world (in any language or across multiple languages). We hope to bring together early-career scholars working across disciplines, including literature, history, philosophy, film and media studies, etc.

Please submit your abstract (up to 250 words) with a working title, and your CV to conf.complit.hku@gmail.com by September 1, 2022. Selected participants will be notified of their acceptance by September 5 and should submit the full paper by October 3. There are no fees to attend the workshop.

The graduate workshop will be held on Zoom October 20-22 HKT. Papers will be circulated in advance among all the participants. Attendees are expected to read the papers of their panel before the workshop and give feedback during the panels. Participants in Hong Kong are welcome for a dinner after the workshop.

Three faculty members will also give advice on each paper during the three-day workshop:

David Der-wei Wang is Edward C. Henderson Professor in Chinese Literature and Comparative Literature at Harvard University. Wang’s specialties are Modern and Contemporary Chinese and Sinophone Literature, Late Qing fiction and drama, and Comparative Literary Theory.

Alvin K. Wong is Assistant Professor in Comparative Literature at the University of Hong Kong. His research spans across the fields of Hong Kong literature and cinema, Chinese literary and cultural studies, Sinophone studies, queer theory, transnational feminism, and the environmental humanities.

Peng Hsiao-yen is research fellow at the Institute of Chinese Literature and Philosophy, Academia Sinica. Her publications include Dandyism and Transcultural Modernity: The Dandy, the Flâneur, and the Translator in 1930s Shanghai, Tokyo, and Paris (Routledge, 2010).

If you have any queries, please kindly email Junlin Ma (jlma@connect.hku.hk), Ying Xing (yi ngxing@connect.hku.hk), or J. Daniel Elam (jdelam@hku.hk).

This conference is organized by Junlin Ma, Ying Xing, and J. Daniel Elam under the auspices of the Department of Comparative Literature and the Centre for the Study of Globalization and Cultures at HKU.

For updates on future events hosted by the Center for the Study of Globalization and Cultures, please visit https://csgchku.wordpress.com/

Colleagues, former students and friends from the Department of Comparative Literature got together online on July 4, 2022, to thank Professor Gina Marchetti for her important contributions to the Faculty, University, and Hong Kong film community. Gina is departing HKU to take up a new position as Chair of Humanities and Media Studies at Pratt Institute in New York, with effect from August 1, 2022.

Professor Nicole Huang, who recently stepped down after five years as Chair of the Department, started with a brief overview of Gina’s nineteen years of service to the University. During her time with the Department, Gina published four monographs, four co-edited volumes, and over sixty articles and book chapters. As Director of the Center for the Study of Globalization and Cultures (CSGC), she further encouraged the global circulation of ideas and research. Through her chairing of the Faculty’s Gender Task Force and Committee on Gender Equality and Diversity, she has been at the forefront of efforts to eliminate bias and enhance the visibility of gender and diversity concerns on campus. Nicole also praised Gina’s dedication to her students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, and her groundbreaking efforts for the University’s Common Core, which led to her receiving both the University’s and the University Grants Council’s Team Teaching Awards in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Gina’s research has had a significant impact on the work of Hong Kong filmmakers, particularly Hong Kong women filmmakers, and has raised awareness of the importance of Hong Kong film both locally and internationally. Her most recent project on filmmakers and transnational China in the twenty-first century resulted in the creation of a website that features biographical information and other materials on over two hundred women. Together with Dr. Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park and Dr. Stacilee Ford, Gina pioneered the world’s first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Hong Kong cinema: Hong Kong Cinema Through a Global Lens.

Tributes followed from some of the many people whose lives have been touched by Gina’s incredible commitment to her work and to fostering an inclusive environment in which all feel welcomed and valued. Speakers shared their experiences of Gina as a mentor, leader, teacher, and role model. They praised her encyclopedic film knowledge, intellectual courage, commitment to social justice, and willingness to embrace new technologies in teaching and learning. Colleagues from the Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative (TELI) celebrated Gina’s inspiring work on the MOOC with the creation of her very own avatar. Former students fondly remembered their lunches with Gina during which they discussed new ideas and connected with film professionals and scholars. Colleagues thanked her for her support and invaluable guidance in their career development. Everyone was unanimous in their appreciation of her warmth and kindness, and ability to inspire people to give their best.

Gina will remain connected with the Department in her capacity as Honorary Professor and we look forward to exploring new opportunities for collaboration. We wish her all the best as she embarks on the next chapter of her career and thank her again for all she has done for the Department, Faculty, University, and the Hong Kong film community.

For updates on future events hosted by the Center for the Study of Globalization and Cultures, please visit https://csgchku.wordpress.com/

Month: July 2022

Call for Papers: HKU Graduate Writing Workshop

HKU Department of Comparative Literature Holds ‘Thank You’ Celebration for Professor Gina Marchetti

Archives

Categories