HKU Bulletin February 2013 (Vol. 14 No. 2)

News in Brief Nine months after assuming her position as Taiwan’s Minister of Culture, HKU was pleased to welcome Professor Lung Yingtai, Hung Leung Hau Ling Distinguished Fellow in Humanities, back to the University on December 1, 2012 for a talk entitled ‘My Hong Kong, My Taiwan’, co- organised by the Kwang Hwa Information and Culture Center. Loke Yew Hall was bustling that Saturday evening, with numerous guests and students arriving for the talk. The audience filled not only Loke Yew Hall, but also two adjacent classrooms, where there were live broadcasts of the event. The talk commenced with opening remarks by Vice-Chancellor Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, who said: “I can still recall back in early spring last year when we were at the Robert Black College bidding farewell to Yingtai, she promised us that if she was going to hold a public lecture again in Hong Kong, it would definitely be at HKU. Throughout her nine-year stay in Hong Kong, Yingtai was not just a visitor passing through, but had taken all the trivial things she noticed about this city and HKU to heart. We’re delighted to have Yingtai here today again to share with us her new insights.” With reference to the recent centenary of HKU, Professor Lung first mentioned the founding of HKU and the story behind Loke Yew Hall. She then explained how, since assuming her position as Minister of Culture, she had been working with her team to allocate cultural resources effectively in Taiwan, and how her time in Hong Kong had influenced her. “Being in Hong Kong gave me a new perspective on Chinese history and culture. In some ways, Hong Kong and Taiwan have many shared similarities. As long as we embrace the uniqueness and freedom we have, we can make contributions in our own way,” she noted. “My wish is that in the future we can further make use of this soft power in dealing with conflicts and facilitate communications between the two places,” she added. Her remarks were then followed by a question and answer session moderated by Professor Cheng Kai-ming, with lots of participation from enthusiastic students. M ! " ‘My Hong Kong, My Taiwan’ Writer and Culture Minister LungYingtai with New Perspectives on Culture and History Honours 26 HKU’s Honorary Graduates: All Outstanding in Their Own Way Teaching and Learning 30 New Majors Expand Arts’ Reach People 32 Texts, Tech and Changing Times Knowledge Exchange 34 Triple Bottom Line Arts and Culture 36 Finding Cultural Heritage in a Bamboo Shed Books 38 Marketing Death: Life Insurance in China 40 Cycling through Space and Time 42 A Living History News in Brief 01 Writer and Culture Minister Lung Yingtai with New Perspectives on Culture and History 02 General Education Week Brings a Range of Talent to Campus 03 Professor Paul Tam Elected Honorary Fellow of the American Surgical Association Renowned HKU Academic Achieves Further Recognition 04 Acoustic Test Concerts Held before the Grand Hall’s Official Opening Get Campus Information wherever You Are with the New HKU Mobile App 05 HKU Holds Dedication Ceremonies on the Centennial Campus Cover Story 06 Advancing China 08 Exposing the Censors 10 A Room for Debate 12 Breaking the Impasse 14 A Different Kind of Watchdog 16 When Grapevine News Meets the State Media Research 18 Harnessing the ‘Pep’ in Sichuan Peppercorns 20 Tube Worms, Oysters and the Contingency of Seawater Chemistry 22 Trade and Inequality 24 Language Across the Curriculum – Think the Gangnam-style Contents 01 February 2013