EdUHK Hosts Internationalisation Flagship Event "Hong Kong Meets Kazakhstan: A Humanities Cultural Crossroads within the Belt & Road"
The Faculty of Humanities (FHM) at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) hosted its flagship internationalisation event "Hong Kong Meets Kazakhstan: A Humanities Cultural Crossroads within the Belt & Road" on 13 December to promote academic and cultural exchange between Hong Kong and Kazakhstan.
In his video address at the opening ceremony, EdUHK President Professor John Lee Chi-Kin said, “This event is more than an academic forum. It demonstrates the transformative power of educational diplomacy and cultural exchange within the Belt and Road Initiative.”
Professor John Erni, Dean of FHM at EdUHK, said in his opening remarks, “Today's flagship event marks the beginning of a sustained platform for intercultural dialogue and collaboration within the field of humanities. It is a vision which encompasses developing enduring frameworks with joint research, culture exchange and academic partnerships, that will deepen our understanding of humanities across the regional and global contexts.”
In his opening remarks, Mr Almas Seitakynov, Consul General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Hong Kong and Macao SARs, expressed his gratitude to the Kazakhstan government and EdUHK for their comprehensive support of Kazakhstani students pursuing their studies in Hong Kong.
With five keynote speeches and three parallel sessions, speakers and guests explored a variety of topics ranging from multilingual education and literature to cultural, film and media studies.
Keynote speakers attending from EdUHK were Professor Angel Lin Mei-yi, Chair Professor of Language, Literacy, and Social Semiotics in Education, as well as Professor Mette Hjort, Chair Professor of Film and Media Studies and Head of the Department of Literature and Cultural Studies. Two keynote speakers, Professor Juldyz Smagulova of KIMEP University and Dr Bridget Goodman of Nazarbayev University travelled from Kazakhstan for this event. Dr Moldiyar Yergebekov of Akhmet Yasawi International Kazakh-Turkish University gave his keynote speech online. A special guest, Dr Alima Bissenova of Nazarbayev University, participated in one of the parallel sessions.
Cultural immersion was facilitated through the arts, with notable performances including two solo pieces on the dombra, a traditional Kazakh musical instrument, played by Mr Kenneth Fang, Research Assistant in Department of Literature and Cultural Studies at EdUHK. The event also featured the screening of the Kazakhstani documentary MEN SEN EMES (Face the Music, 2019) directed by Katerina Suvorova, offering attendees a profound insight into Kazakhstan's rich heritage and contemporary societal issues.
Approximately 100 students and educators from EdUHK and other local institutions attended the event, with 80 participants from Kazakhstan joining online.
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EdUHK Hosts Internationalisation Flagship Event "Hong Kong Meets Kazakhstan: A Humanities Cultural Crossroads within the Belt & Road"
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