Events

CHAIRPERSON

Prof Prasenjit Duara, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore

ABSTRACT

While port cities are usually associated with flow of goods, capital and people, what kind of identities have been shaped? How the identities formation was related to the governance style British colonial rulers? In other words, in port cities which were featured with “fluidity” and “cosmopolitanism”, how did the sense of belongings of colonial subjects develop? How did the British colonial officials balance the colonies’ tradition and modernity when introduced Western values and knowledge upon their ruling, which in turn constitute the context of those identities formation?  What implications can we draw for understanding characters of port cities by studying their identities formation as such? What are the prospects of former British colonial port cities, as Singapore and Hong Kong, in the so-called post-colonial era?

The political transition of Weihaiwei from British to Chinese rule after 1930 is particularly noteworthy. While under British rule (1898-1930), the rulers, especially for Stewart Lockhart, who ruled Weihaiwei for 19 years between 1902 and 1921, restrained their use of power, reinforcing Chinese conservatism as their ruling model, the KMT government adopted a more interventionist approach, triggering social dissatisfaction which was rarely seen in British rule. This contrasting ruling philosophy of British and Chinese rule is still relevant today, as it helps understand how could tripartite loyalty be developed in British colonial port cities, changes and outlook of Hong Kong, as a port city, after her handover to China in 1997.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Simon Shen is an Associate Professor of the Faculty of Social Science in the Chinese University of Hong Kong. At present he serves as the Director of Global Studies Programme, Director of Master of Global Political Economy Programme, Co-Director of the International Affairs Research Center of the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, and the Convener of the Taskforce for Enhancing International Bonding on Campus (iBond) under the University-level Internationalization Committee in the CUHK. As a prolific international relations scholar, he has published more than a dozen of articles in the SSCI-listed journals including China Quarterly, China Review, Pacific Affairs, Pacific Review and others. He has worked as visiting or senior visiting fellows of Brookings Institution, University of Warwick and National University of Singapore and is holding various adjunct academic positions in the People’s Republic of China. He is also an active member in the civil society of Hong Kong, being the Lead Writer (Global) of the Hong Kong Economic Journal, Founding Chancellor of the social science network Roundtable, Founding Chairman of the International Relations Research Association and its online new portal Glocal, Member of Board of Directors of Hong Kong Policy Research Institute and former Part-time Member of the Central Policy Unit.

REGISTRATION

Admission is free. We would greatly appreciate if you RSVP to Ms Tay Minghua via email: minghua.tay@nus.edu.sg.