The 11th Fieldwork Report Competition for Secondary Schools 2024-2025, co-organized by the SSPS Department and the Caritas Chan Chun Ha Field Studies Centre (CCCHFSC), was successfully completed. Over 350 students from 47 schools participated in the competition. Each team of secondary school students conducted field research on a wide range of environmental and socio-cultural issues in Hong Kong. The students also engaged in extensive discussions with our panel members during workshops and presentations organized by the SSPS and CCCHFSC. We aim to encourage students to continue developing their awareness of public issues and to apply their field research skills in the future. Congratulations to all the awardees!
The greatness of playing is not just a leisure and joyful activity. It can be a hidden force that connects different generations in the neighborhood. Six students from the Sociology and Community Studies program used playthings as a medium to gather neighbors during a three-day exhibition in Tai Kok Tsui last month to have warm conversations with each other.
In the last few months, these students organized and invited the elderly from Tai Kok Tsui to join a one-day field trip in Tai Kok Tsui as well as workshops on dyeing, phone-case art making, and weaving. These activities were building connections between the elderly and the younger generation. Now, the students showcased their work through booths and exhibitions in Tai Kok Tsui.
The "Kok Echo Store" exhibition treated Tai Kok Tsui as a connecting echo chamber and decorated the booth as a nostalgic store to bring neighbors back to the past. Playthings that the elderly once played with were placed everywhere. People could pick one plaything, such as pogs and marbles, to immerse themselves in the elderly’s childhood experiences.
On the first day, 29 May, the booth was set up at the public space “RE: Pavilion”. Pedestrians from Tai Kok Tsui walking to the nearby shopping mall could stop by and enjoy playful moments at the students’ booth.
As bad weather was expected, the students moved their booth to the Re: TKT Co-Creation Space on the second and third days (30 May and 1 June). Neighbors could walk indoors to play with the toys.
Typically, neighbors would walk by and take a look, and suddenly, people began to gather. The incredible thing was that many parents brought their kids to play with the playthings. A lot of primary school students came in groups after school, creating an exciting vibe.
Through playing together in a moment, different generations learned about each other's playthings and how they played. This was a great opportunity for networking and enhancing social cohesion.
Dear All,
I am pleased to share with you the exciting news that Prof. Chou Keelee’s project titled “Developing and testing a machine learning enabled management of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia intervention for dementia caregivers: a hybrid experimental design study” has been awarded by the Health and Medical Research Fund in its latest funding exercise with a funded amount of HK$1,493,400.
Please join me in sending our warmest congratulations to Prof. Chou on this excellent achievement.
Cheers,
Fox
The Master of Public Policy and Management (MPPM) students recently returned from a highly successful study tour to London, UK, which took place from May 28 to June 4. This immersive experience included engaging lectures delivered by esteemed faculty from University College London (UCL) and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), as well as insights from practitioners in the medical sector.
Students participated in discussions on critical topics such as water management, business management, regulatory governance, and medical policy. The diverse array of lectures provided invaluable knowledge and sparked meaningful conversations among students.
In addition to academic sessions, students had the unique opportunity to visit renowned organisations, including Google, the British Museum, and Westminster. These visits enriched their understanding of real-world applications of policy and management principles.
Feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing that the lectures and organisational visits were not only informative but also instrumental in enhancing their educational journey. Students stated, "The experience was truly beneficial and has broadened our perspectives. We got opportunities to talk to the locals as well."
The MPPM programme is committed to providing students with opportunities that extend beyond the classroom, preparing them for impactful careers in public policy and management. The study tour to London will be infused in its 3-credit bearing elective course PPG6031 Overseas Experiential Learning in 2025/26 and onwards.
For more information, please visit www.eduhk.hk/ssps/mppm.
Sai Htong Kham, our final year PhD student, was featured in RTHK's inclusion programme. The 30 minute programme "Inclusive Hong Kong", chronicled his path from being a stranger struggling in Hong Kong to thriving in the territory and feeling it like home.
The Special Issue titled ‘Sociology of Sports in Hong Kong after COVID 19- Individual Behavior, Organizational Dynamics and Business Opportunities’ (https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/1871-2673/vol/21/iss/1) is a collaborative attempt of Dr. Lawrence Ho (SSPS) and Dr. Gary Chow (HPE) to coordinate a thematic study on the changing sporting context in Hong Kong during and after the pandemic. A total of 10 EdUHK colleagues and friends have made contributions to the issue, which collectively highlight the multifaceted impacts of COVID-19 on Hong Kong’s sports and education sectors and underscore the importance of innovative and inclusive approaches to recovery, integrating technology, holistic health and community engagement. A special feature is the scholarship from two frontline sports persons, Dr Kevin Kam, Director of School Partnership & Field Experience Office (SPFEO) of EdUHK, and Mr Tak-nang Li, senior community sports developer, who wrote the PE education and sports industry landscape development from practitioners’ angle.
Over the past two months, six students from the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sociology and Community Studies programme became connected to a group of senior residents from the Tai Kok Tsui area. A host of activities like tea gathering, dyeing art creations, board games, and mobile phone and weaving workshops were organized for the residents to bring them closer to young people and to foster cross-generational understanding. The students documented their encounters with the senior residents with an exhibition at the EdUHK campus from 9 to 11 April, allowing their fellow students and members of the EdUHK community to appreciate their impact on community inclusion. (The exhibition will also be displayed in Tai Kok Tsui in the future, so keep an eye on the instragram @kok_echoes).
This event is organized as part of a capstone project of the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) in Sociology and Community Studies programme, also supported by Specific Student Empowerment Work Scheme (Specific SEWS) 2024/2025 under the supervision of Dr. Izzy Yi JIAN.
Geopolitics is redefining the world that Hong Kong used to face and operate in. At the same time, the city is further integrated into the national development trajectory, especially within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), which opens new opportunities as well as complementarities and competitions vis-à-vis other Chinese cities. Also, both government and business now seek to strengthen economic links with Southeast Asia and the Middle East. How should Asia and GBA feature in Hong Kong’s rethinking of regionalization strategy to drive new growth?
In his major address to Hong Kong on 1 July 2022, President Xi Jinping emphasized the need to care about the young generation and expressed hope that all of Hong Kong’s young people “will devote themselves to building Hong Kong into a better home, writing a rewarding chapter of their life with impassioned youth” (投身到建設美好香港的行列中來，用火熱的青春書寫精彩的人生). Young people are the future of our society. What are their aspirations and most pressing concerns today? How can a more conducive environment be fostered to enable them to build their hope and stake in the city?
Students and teachers from the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sociology and Community Studies program went on a field trip to Guangzhou from 15 to 16 April. They visited the major attractions in the area, such as Xiguan Dawu Culture Life Hall, Liwan Museum, Yong Qing Fang, Dafo Temple and Shamian Island, and learned about the changes in the Guangzhou community. Another highlight of the trip is to visit the newly opened Baietan GBA Art Center that combines three museums into one: Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, Guangdong Literature Museum and the Guangdong Museum of Art, and acquire a deeper understanding about the culture of the Greater Bay Area. 
