Event: Maritime Archaeology Training Programme and Public Presentation

Summer is the season for water. Have you thought of spend this summer on learning more about maritime archaeology? Hong Kong Maritime Museum is going to hold a Maritime Archaeology Training Programme in August. One of the speakers Dr. Bill JEFFERY is now a part-time lecturer of our department. This programme begins with two presentations to be conducted at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum at Pier 8, Central that will highlight some of the fascinating shipwreck sites and histories that can be found in China and throughout the world.

An internationally recognised training course will follow that aims to raise an awareness of the value of implementing maritime archaeology, as well as to facilitate public participation in projects to be conducted in Hong Kong and elsewhere.

Whether you just want to learn more, or perhaps you are looking for a challenging and rewarding adventure in recording the maritime heritage of Hong Kong, these courses would suit you. They are open to divers and non-divers.

Public Presentations (August 3, 2013: 16:00 – 18:00)
On August 3, 2013, two public lectures will be provided by Dr Bill JEFFERY and Dr Jun WEI.

16:00 – 16:40: Dr Bill JEFFERY, a contract maritime archaeologist with experience throughout the Asia / Pacific region and Africa will talk about ‘Maritime archaeology: current practices and sites’. In English.

17:00 – 18:00: Dr Jun WEI, Director of the Guangdong Museum and a maritime archaeologist will talk about  the Preservation and Management of Underwater Heritage – the China Perspective) in Putonghua.

The public lecture is limited to 60 people.

Introduction course (August 10, 2013: 10:00 – 18:00)
This one day course, titled Introduction to foreshore and underwater archaeology provides an opportunity for participants to be introduced to the scope of the subject, site types, basic techniques, importance of the maritime and underwater cultural heritage, social and political responsibilities, and the contributions people can make in maritime archaeology. The course is suited to anyone who would like to know more about this exciting subject.

The course is limited to 40 participants

Part 1 (August 17-18, 2013: 10:00 – 18:00)
This 2 day course, titled Certificate in foreshore & underwater archaeology has been designed to provide further, more detailed information about particular skills and techniques required in implementing maritime archaeology, in addition to the implementation of some practical skills in site mapping, assessment and documentation (on land).

The course is limited to 20 participants

Part 2 (Date, Time and Venue to be confirmed)
This is primarily a practical course complemented with research and report writing, and titled Intermediate Certificate in foreshore & underwater archaeology. It involves implementing a short field survey of a site which is either totally or partially submerged. Site surveying techniques that were initiated in Part 1 will be utilized to map a site and produce a site plan, which together with historical research that participants need to conduct, will form the basis for a survey report that they need to produce. A site(s) will be investigated and the survey implemented as part of this course. The course is open to non-divers and divers.

The course is limited to 12 participants.

Training programme diving requirements
All divers must be medically fit to dive, hold a current diving qualification to Open-water Diver level and medical insurance, and have had at least 20 logged divers of which 10 have been in the last year. Evidence of this will be required.

Speakers
Dr Bill JEFFERY, who has been involved in maritime archaeology for over 30 years and who is recognised as Senior Tutor of the Nautical Archaeology Society will lead the training programme’s tuition, which will include staff of HKMM and members of HKUHG.

Professor Jun WEI is the Director of the Guangdong Museum. He has worked in the Guangdong Provincial Institution of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, and then the Administration of Cultural Heritage of Guangdong Province since he attained his PhD in archaeology at Peking University in 2002. Dr Wei has been in charge of more than 40 underwater archaeology investigation and excavation projects, including the important project of recovery of Nanhai No. 1 shipwreck. He has been engaged in the research of underwater cultural heritage protection, underwater archaeology research, Pre-Qin archaeology as well as the origin of agriculture in the Lingnan region. He has won numerous awards, including the Best Expert of Ministry of Culture, First Prize for Science and Technology of State Administration of Cultural Heritage, and First Prize for Field Archaeology of State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

Enquiries and Registration
Please send your enquiries to Ms. Denise Chau at denisechau@hkmaritimemuseum.org or 3713-2506 or Dr Bill Jeffery at billfjeffery@gmail.com or 6604-0775.

Please fill the form together with a crossed cheque or bank-in receipt and send to Hong Kong Maritime Museum. Central Pier No. 8, or email the form and bank-in receipt to info@hkmaritimemuseum.org or 2813-8033 (fax).

Useful Information: the Blog of Prof. Eugene N. Anderson

Prof. Eugene Anderson gives keynote speech.

Are you wondering how to turn your Ph.D. thesis into a book? Do you look for general advices for postgraduate students? Eugene N. Anderson, Professor Emeritus at University of California, Riverside, has generously offered much useful information on his blog for students and young scholars. Those who are interested in the anthropological studies of food and environment will also find this blog helpful. To check it out: http://www.krazykioti.com/

In January 2013, Prof. Anderson attended the International Conference on Foodways and Heritage: A Perspective of Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage co-organized by our department, and gave the keynote speech "Learning is Like Chicken Feet: Assembling the Chinese food system." To read more about this, please click here.

Call for Papers: The 6th CUHK Anthropology Postgraduate Student Forum

The 6th Annual CUHK Anthropology Postgraduate Student Forum

Asia in the World: New Horizons in Asian Anthropology

 

Time: 17-18 January 2014 
Abstract Submission: Due 30 October 2013
Website: http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/ant/pgsf6/
Email: anthforum@cuhk.edu.hk


The Department of Anthropology and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, invites graduate students in Asia and elsewhere to present their current research at the Postgraduate Student Forum. As Asia continues to become a major actor on the world stage, we hope to explore the vast range of diversity in cultures and languages that are represented by over 4.3 billion people in a land mass that covers almost 1/3 of the earth’s land surface.

Hong Kong is a global city, a major node for trade, investment, and the exchange of ideas. This year, the Postgraduate Student Forum seeks to expand our invitation to graduate students all over the globe, so we are providing a limited amount of scholarships worth up to $2,000 HKD for a select number of abstracts chosen. We hope to encourage communication among local and global young anthropologists and other social scientists to help improve their research and to promote Asian Anthropology internationally.

Funding Sources

Looking for funding? Check out The Wenner-Gren Foundation's new and improved "other funding sources" webpage listing grant-making organizations that provide funding and/or other services to support anthropological research and other academic activities. Below are some of the organizations:

 

W.F Albright Institute of Archaeological Research

The Albright provides a multitude of fellowship opportunities in the hopes of developing scholarly knowledge of the culture of the Near East from prehistory to the early Islamic period. Fellowships are open to students and scholars in Near Eastern studies from prehistory through the early Islamic period, including the fields of archaeology, anthropology, art history, Bible, epigraphy, historical geography, history, language, literature, philology and religion and related disciplines. The research period should be continuous, without frequent trips outside Israel. Residence at the Albright in Jerusalem is required.

American Association of University Women (AAUW)

The American Association of University Women has a long and distinguished history of advancing educational and professional opportunities for women in the United States and around the globe. One of the world's largest sources of funding for graduate women, the AAUW provides over 275 fellowships, grants, and special awards annually to outstanding women.

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)

The ACLS is a leading private institution supporting scholars in the humanities and related social sciences at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels. It hosts a number of domestic and international programs and competitions. One of the programs includes the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships, which provide year-long fellowships to support Ph.D. dissertation completion in humanistic disciplines.

American Councils for International Education

American Councils for International Education is an international, nonprofit organization working to advance education, research, and mutual understanding across the United States, Canada, and the nations of Southeastern Europe, Eurasia, and South Asia. The organization designs, implements, and supports innovative programs in education, professional development, and scholarly research. Grants are provided for study and research in relevant countries as well as possibilities for language training.

The American Philosophical Society (APS)

The APS promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities. The society fosters research and discovery through the various grants and fellowships it offers. Its various funding programs include grants for fieldwork (the Lewis and Clark Fund), grants towards Native American Studies (the Phillips Fund), and grants for non-commercial research (the Franklin Research Grants).

The Curtiss T. Brennan & Mary G. Brennan Foundation

The Curtiss T. Brennan & Mary G. Brennan Foundation provides funding for archaeological field research, emphasizing in particular those regions of the world in which early centers of complex culture or civilization originated. The Brennan Foundation views its grants as catalytic agents enabling especially significant archaeological projects to initiate or dramatically expand work and progress to the point where traditional sources of major funding may be approached. Applications must be made by the sponsoring institution through the principal investigator. Grants are not available for dissertation research.

The Bucerius Ph.D. Scholarship Program in Migration Studies

The Bucerius ZEIT-Stiftung’s Ph.D. scholarship program ‘Settling into Motion’ addresses questions such as 1) How can migrants, their countries of origin as well as the receiving countries benefit from these movements? 2) What are the challenges? 3) Which structures and processes need to be established so that diversity can bring benefits? This international scholarship program is open to Ph.D. students in the social sciences. The topical focus varies from year to year.

Chateaubriand Fellowship

The Chateaubriand Fellowship allows doctorate students enrolled in American universities and post-doctorates to conduct research in France for up to 10 months. It is a grant offered by the French Embassy in the United States.

The Cosmos Club Foundation

Cosmos Scholars are awarded small grants to meet specific research needs not covered by other supporting funds. Examples of appropriate needs are small items of equipment (ordinarily expendable), special supplies, travel to research facilities, or to attend relevant meetings, etc. Amounts range from $500 to $3,000. There is no restriction as to academic field; however, it is required that the objective of the project be that of scholarly research. Applicants must be enrolled at the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area.

The Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC)

CAORC is a federation of independent overseas research centers that promote advanced research, particularly in the humanities and social sciences, with focus on the conservation and recording of cultural heritage and the understanding and interpretation of modern societies. American overseas research centers promote international scholarly exchange, primarily through sponsorship of fellowship programs, foreign language study, and collaborative research projects. The members of CAORC have centers in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Iraq, Jordan, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Turkey, West Africa, and Yemen. They serve as a base for American scholars undertaking research in the host countries.Click here for a full list of member Centers. CAORC also administers several funding programs in collaboration with member centers and affiliated partners.Click here for a full list of administered programs.

Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR)

CLIR forges strategies to enhance research, teaching, and learning environments in collaboration with libraries, cultural institutions, and communities of higher learning. One of the several opportunities it offers is the Mellon Fellowships for Dissertation Research in Original Sources. This fellowship program is to help junior scholars in the humanities and related social-science fields gain skill and creativity in developing knowledge from original sources such as museums, archives, and libraries.

European Human Behavior & Evolution Association (EHBEA)

EHBEA administers an annual Student Research Grant competition to aid student members in funding research projects devoted to studies of the evolution of the human mind, behavior, and society. Two grants of up to 500 Euros are awarded each year. Eligible applicants are members of EHBEA who are pursuing doctoral degrees.

The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad

The goal of the Fulbright-Hays program is to deepen knowledge of areas of the world not generally included in US curricula. This fellowship funds individual doctoral students to conduct research in other countries in modern foreign languages and area studies for periods of 6 to 12 months. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents registered at a US university.

The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation

The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation places a priority on the study of urgent problems of violence and aggression in the modern world and also encourages related research projects in neuroscience, genetics, animal behavior, the social sciences, history, criminology, and the humanities which illuminate modern human problems. The Foundation provides both research grants to established scholars and dissertation fellowships to graduate students to complete the writing of a dissertation within the award year.

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation offers fellowships for the development of mid-career scholars and artists by assisting them to engage in research in any field of knowledge and creation in any of the arts. Fellowships are open to citizens and permanent residents of the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

The George A. and Eliza Howard Foundation

The George A. and Eliza Gardner Howard Foundation was established to further the personal development of promising individuals at the crucial middle stages of their careers in the liberal and creative arts. A limited number of fellowships are awarded each year for independent projects to individuals who are early mid-career and who have achieved recognition for at least one major project. Academic fields are selected annually on a rotational basis. A main goal of Howard Fellowships is to provide time for scholars and artists to complete their work.

Human Paleobiomics: Hard Tissue Research Program

The Hard Tissue Research Program in Human Paleobiomics funds on a competitive basis the hard tissue dissertation research of doctoral candidates from any academic department and residing at any university in the world. Projects must emphasize a hard tissue biology approach in pursuit of knowledge and enhanced understanding of early human paleobiology and/or any element of the paleobiome in which early humans lived.

The Institute for International Education (IIE)

IIE manages undergraduate and graduate level scholarships at accredited academic institutions throughout the world. IIE implements many of the world’s most prestigious scholarship programs and manages global scholarships through a network of domestic and international offices. A wide variety of programs are sponsored by the IIE, ranging in numerous fields of study including the social sciences, science and technology, the arts, humanities, and education. In addition, a few examples of programs supported by the IIE include the David L. Boren Scholarships and Fellowships, the Fulbright Scholar Program, and the GE Foundation Scholar-Leaders Program. Further requirements are specific to each particular program and can be found by visiting the link provided.

International Resources and Exchanges Board (IREX)

IREX works to bring about positive change around the globe. It has offices and representatives in over 125 cities of Europe and Eurasia and administers programs to advance education, support independent media, promote internet development, and build civil society throughout. Fellowships are available for pre-doctoral and postdoctoral research in various countries.

The Japan Foundation

Through the Center for Global Partnership, the Japan Foundation promotes collaboration between Japan and the United States with the goal of fulfilling shared global responsibilities and contributing to improvements in the world's welfare. Programs held by the Japan Foundation fall under three major categories: Arts and Cultural Exchange, Japanese-Language Education Overseas, and Japanese Studies and Intellectual Exchange.

The Leakey Foundation

The Leakey Foundation exclusively funds research related specifically to human origins, including paleoanthropology, genetics, primate behavior, and studies of modern hunter-gatherer groups. It provides research grants to advanced doctoral students and established scientists. There are no citizenship restrictions. It also provides Franklin Mosher Baldwin Memorial Fellowships for scholars and students with citizenship in a developing country who wish to obtain an advanced degree from an institution outside the student’s home country.

The Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation

The Lindbergh Foundation works to foster scientific and technological ingenuity as a means of addressing humanity’s environmental and productivity challenges. It provides grants for individuals whose initiative and work in a wide spectrum of disciplines further the Lindberghs' vision of a balance between the advance of technology and the preservation of the natural/human environment.

The Nacey Maggioncalda Foundation (NMF)

The Nacey Maggioncalda Foundation supports global research projects in the areas of primate evolution, ecology, physiology, and behavior. NMF also supports conservation efforts that establish a lasting, positive relationship between primates and their human neighbors, in order to improve the health and welfare of both. Nacey Grants and Fellowships are awarded to doctoral students working in areas of primate paleontology, evolution, ecology, behavior and/or conservation. Goldberg Grants are awarded to established scholars. Two are awarded annually, one for a research project and one for conservation work, and recipients must have a Ph.D.

The Anthony Marchionne Foundation

The Anthony Marchionne Foundation supports research on issues of well-being and currently emphasizes aspects of life-singlehood and health, medicine, and behavior. The Foundation awards grants to organizations rather than individuals. Thus, the successful applicant must be affiliated with a research institute or four-year academic institution at which empirical research is supported. Applicants must also be affiliated with an American or Canadian organization, and must hold a Ph.D., though graduate students may be listed as co-PI.

The Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program (RSM)

The RSM Fellowships Program provides funding to help advance doctoral research work through a residency period of five to ten months at a host institution in a country other than the applicant's home country or country of residence. Fellows are expected to advance their research work mainly by using the facilities and resources provided by the host institution and by interacting with peers. Fellows must be a resident of a World Bank member country which is currently eligible to borrow.
 

The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund (MMMF)

The MMMF grant programs support the education of women from developing countries who are committed to improving the lives of women and children in their home countries. Grants are available to women from developing countries currently enrolled at United States or Canadian colleges/universities. The MMMF also sponsors grants for women from developing countries enrolled as students in South Africa (University of Pretoria or University of Cape Town) and newly-added locations in Latin America.

Mexico-North Research Network

Mexico North exists to promote research, education, and outreach focused on a more profound understanding of Mexico and the United States through international exchange and collaboration among scholars, students, institutions, and communities.

The National Academies

The National Academies bring together four organizations: the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council. Among the many fellowships and grants administered through the National Academies are the Ford Foundation Fellowship program (pre- and postdoctoral) and the National Academies Research Associateship Programs for doctoral level engineers and scientists.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)

NEH is an independent, grant-making agency of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. It offers a variety of opportunities for grants and fellowships for individuals as well as organizations.

The National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society provides grants for scientific field research and exploration within a wide spectrum of topics (including all areas of anthropology) to both students and established scholars of all nationalities. All proposed projects must be of broad scientific interest and have both a geographical dimension and relevance to other scientific fields. Relevant grant programs include the Committee for Research and Exploration (CRE), the Expeditions Council (EC), the Global Exploration Fund – Northern Europe (GEF), and the Conservation Trust (CT). National Geographic Young Explorer Grants offer opportunities to individuals between the ages of 18 and 25 to pursue research, conservation, and exploration-related projects consistent with these grant programs.

National Humanities Center

The National Humanities Center offers residential fellowships for advanced study in the humanities. Young scholars, as well as senior scholars, are encouraged to apply, but they must have a doctorate and a record of publication. The Center does not normally support the revision of a doctoral dissertation. The Center accepts individuals from the natural and social sciences, the arts, the professions, and public life who are engaged in humanistic projects.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The National Institutes of Health is the primary US federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research. The NIH has several priority areas and focal points of interest spread out among different institutes. Pre-doctoral and postdoctoral grants are provided to support research in medical and behavioral research. Programs are available to support researchers both inside and outside the US.

National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation is an independent US government agency responsible for promoting scientific progress in the United States. Research grants provide funding for doctoral students and senior scholars in cultural anthropology and biological anthropology, as well as archaeology and linguistics. There are also a number of multidisciplinary grants available.

The Reed Foundation

The Reed Foundation sponsors the Ruth Landes Memorial Research Fund for interdisciplinary research and publications on subjects that were of interest to Ruth Schlossberg Landes, Ph.D. during her professional and academic career. Grants are available to scholars and other professionally qualified individuals for work toward a doctoral dissertation, for postdoctoral work, or for independent scholarship. Research proposals must engage with any of these topics of interest which included, but were not limited to, aging, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, immigrant and minority populations, culture and education, language and identity, and religion. Eligibility is limited to United States citizens and permanent legal residents.

Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI)

The Royal Anthropological Institute seeks to combine a distinguished tradition of scholarship with the active provision of services to contemporary anthropology and anthropologists. The RAI administers a number of fellowships at the postdoctoral level in partnership with host universities and limited financial support to doctoral students of anthropology. Some programs include the Emslie Horniman Anthropological Scholarship Fund, the Radcliffe-Brown and Firth Trust Funds for Social Anthropological Research, the Ruggles-Gates Fund for Biological Anthropology, and the Royal Anthropological Institute and Anthropologists’ Fund for Urgent Anthropological Research (AFUAR).

School for Advanced Research

The School for Advanced Research supports advanced scholarship and creativity in the social sciences, the humanities, and Native American art. Its focus is primarily on senior academic scholars (Resident Scholar and Summer Scholar programs for writing in the social sciences, arts, and humanities), on Native American artists, and on its Seminar Program, which invites applications for a number of intensive seminars each year.

Social Science Research Council (SSRC)

The SSRC is an international organization whose mission is to nurture new generations of social scientists, foster innovative research, and mobilize necessary knowledge on important public issues. It has over 30 fellowship and grant programs, many of interest to anthropologists. In particular, the International Dissertation Research Fellowship supports dissertation research conducted, in whole or in part, outside the United States, about non-US topics and is open to graduate students in the humanities and social sciences – regardless of citizenship – enrolled in Ph.D. programs in the United States.

The Spencer Foundation

The Spencer Foundation supports research that promises to yield new knowledge about education in the United States or abroad and how it can be improved. The Foundation's Research programs support work that shows promise of contributing new knowledge or understanding that may contribute to improvement of educational thought or practice. Spencer Fellowship programs support educational researchers at different stages of their professional careers, providing resources to both beginning and senior researchers to pursue concentrated intellectual activity.

SRI Foundation

The SRI Foundation is dedicated to cultural resource management (CRM). The Foundation has two $10,000 Dissertation Research Grants for advanced doctoral candidates in historic preservation. The Foundation also runs a summer institute for professional development in CRM.

The Systematics Research Fund (SRF)

The SRF is a joint fund of the Linnean Society and the Systematics Association which administers grants annually for small-scale research projects in the field of systematics and taxonomy. Contributions are typically made towards fieldwork expenditure, the purchase of scientific equipment or expertise, specimen preparation, and publication costs. Projects of a more general or educational nature will also be considered, provided that they include a strong systematics component.

The Toyota Foundation

The Toyota Foundation seeks to contribute to the development of better societies that will foster rich relationships among people and between people and nature. It provides a variety of funding opportunities, most significantly the International Grant Program, the Research Grant Program, and Grant Program for Community Activities in Japan.

United States Institute of Peace

The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan institution whose mission is to strengthen the nation's capacity to promote the peaceful resolution of international conflict. The Jennings Randolph Peace Scholarship program supports doctoral dissertations that explore the sources and nature of international conflict, and strategies to prevent conflict and/or sustain peace. The Jennings Randolph Senior Fellowship program permits scholars to be in residence at the Institute in Washington D.C. for up to 10 months. The Institute offers other fellowship opportunities including the Trans-Atlantic Post-Doc Fellowship for Institutional Relations and Security (TAPIR).

Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation prepares the nation’s best minds to meet its most important challenges, working through education. It administers fellowships for doctoral students and faculty members that are divided into specific program areas. In addition, the foundation provides dissertation grants for research dealing in ethics, religious questions, and women's issues.

World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) - Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program

WWF established the Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program to provide financial support to proven and potential conservation leaders in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to gain the needed knowledge and skills to address the conservation issues in their home countries. The program offers four initiatives as a means of raising awareness for worldwide conservation: Russell E. Train Fellowships, EFN Professional Development Grants, EFN Conservation Workshop Grants, and EFN Alumni Grants.

Department Newsletter- Summer 2013

The summer issue of the Department Newsletter has just been published! Besides highlights of our events in the season, there are also updates on the alumni. Click here to read and catch up with us!

Event: Field Trip- Cultural Inheritors of Japan

In late March, the cherry blossom season, Prof. Sidney Cheung led a group of 20 students to Nagoya, Japan to learn about the preservation of traditional Japanese culture, in particular, the role of cultural inheritors. Our student Allie Kwong shares her experiences during the trip.

於三月二十九日至四月五日，二十位人類學同學跟隨張展鴻教授到日本名古屋進行田野考察，主題爲文化傳承。旅程中，同學參觀了有四百年歷史的名古屋城和德川博物館，參與了香道的活動及欣賞了日本傳統戲劇狂言，其中香道的示範及狂言最令同學印象深刻。兩個活動皆於香道志野流的家元蜂谷先生家中舉行。在考察前，人類學系曾邀請蜂谷先生來港介紹香道，這次在名古屋，同學更深入地了解香道的歷史和作法。大家在作香道的特別房間一起欣賞香的味道，並互相分享感受。對同學來說，這是一次十分有趣、以嗅覺爲主導的體驗。其後蜂谷先生分享了他作爲這種傳統藝術繼承人的矛盾和創新精神。這次活動中，蜂谷先生也解釋了日本房間的佈局，人與大自然和季節的連繫。狂言對同學亦是嶄新的體驗。當天幾位名古屋大學的同學亦一起參與。狂言師生動有趣的解說令同學十分投入，示範完畢候同學皆覺意猶未盡。

              Mr. Hachiya demonstrates kodo and shows the agargwood inherited by his family.

三月尾四月初正是櫻花盛開之時，處處是好風光，同學們紛紛趁自由時間賞櫻！這次考察令同學更了解文化遺產如名古屋城的保育及傳統技藝的傳承，亦對日本加深了認識，獲益良多。同學將於暑假時以傳承人爲題，各自再進行考察。 

Kyogen demonstration

                                                    (Photo: 劉嘉雯)                            Noh Mask (Photo: 劉嘉雯)
                               

Students appreciate cherry blossom and cherry flower ice cream

Group photo in front of Mr. Hachiya's home

Information on 2013 Summer Schools in China

Below is information on some summer school programs in humanities and social sciences in China taking place in the summer of 2013. All of these programs recruit students from Hong Kong.


2013 ICSCC-Fudan University Summer Program on Buddhism and Chinese Religions
复旦中华文明国际研修班第一期 “佛教与中国文化”
English: http://www.douban.com/group/topic/39194386/
Chinese: http://www.douban.com/group/topic/39238846/

Summer 2013 China Multigenerational Panel Dataset Workshop at SJTU
上海交通大学2013年中国多代人口数据库暑期学校
http://camerondcampbell.me/blog/2013/04/summer-2013-china-multigenerational-panel-dataset-class-at-sjtu-english-announcement/




第五届（2013年）云南大学民族学/人类学研究生暑期田野调查学校:全球化与人口流动
http://www.douban.com/group/topic/39244606/

2013年中山大学海域的社会与文化研究生暑期学校
http://www.cnanthropology.com/article-961-1.html

新史料·新方法：中国当代史档案研读班招生启事（上海交通大学历史系）
http://history.sjtu.edu.cn/show.asp?id=240

吉首大学第一届两岸三地中国西南民族学与历史学研究生研习营
http://www.douban.com/group/topic/37871766/

Publication: Anthropological Detective Novel

《神功戲殺人事件》, a detective novel with anthropological elements written by our alumnus Joe Tsui (徐焯賢), was recently voted second in the 10 Best Books for School Children Reading (小學生書叢榜十本好書獎項).

Joe Tsui, now a writer and an editor, did both his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in our department. His M.Phil thesis is about Cantonese opera troupe organization, which is the inspiration of the recent book. He makes use of cultural knowledge of local traditions such as religious festivals, Cantonese opera, family and lineage, as well as symbolisms such as five colors for different elements. His aim is to apply anthropological perspectives to his work and to promote the subject among young people. 

In the Press: Prof. Mathews Criticizes Hong Kong's Policies on Asylum Seekers

Banging African drums and chanting words such as “justice,” hundreds of asylum seekers and torture claimants marched from Central to the Immigration Tower in Wan Chai on 28 April 2013 to protest against what is deemed unjust screening procedures of UNHCR and the government.（To see the full report of the protest, please visit South China Morning Post.）Prof. Gordon Mathews and Prof. Sea-ling Cheng joined and supported the protest. 

Prof. Mathews supported the protest.

"The Hong Kong government, in its treatment of asylum seekers, is apparently trying to be humane. However, the effect of its policy is the exact opposite of what it intends, rewarding those who are most undeserving, and harming those who are most deserving." Prof Mathews diagnoses the problems of the current  system in the article Open and Shut Cases, written for South China Morning Post.

According to him, Hong Kong's policies appear to be reasonable, and they could become a model of effective, humane government, if comprehensive refugee policies were implemented, and the process was speeded up.

Prof. Sea-ling Cheng marched with asylum seekers.

One of the major problems is that the screening procedures of UNHCR and the government are inadequate, sometimes giving the undeserving refugee status, while denying the most deserving. They can also be unbelievably lengthy, taking five or more years to complete

He further points out how the current system serves for Hong Kong economy:

"The current system allows the Hong Kong government to deny permanent settlement to people it deems lack the skills to contribute to society, while providing the means to closely monitor the illegal population needed for the profit of many Hong Kong businesses.

If this is indeed the case, then it may be that the present shortcomings in policy towards asylum seekers in Hong Kong are not only matters of unforeseen consequences, but a matter of entirely foreseen intent. Could it be that the Hong Kong government actively seeks for its policy towards asylum seekers to fail?"

The current system provides the means to closely monitor the illegal population needed for the profit of many Hong Kong businesses.

Invited Seminar: Gendered State Gymnastics

WU Kaming 
Associate Professor, Department of Cultural and Religious Studies, CUHK 
"Gendered State Gymnastics: Ceremonial Usherettes, Hyper Femininity and Post-socialist China"
19 Apr 2013


The speaker talked about her research on ceremonial female usherettes. These women exist in many contexts, such as the signing ceremonies for businesses, but Wu focused only on the group of women who serve at national occasions, such as the Beijing Olympics in 2008. These ceremonial usherettes wear uniforms and have healthy bodies and beautiful faces. Their appearance manifests the cultural standard of beauty recognized by the Chinese government. They usually do not get paid. Even though it is a voluntary temporary job, these women are selected carefully. They are given a certificate after national events.

Recently, ceremonial usherettes have been under the spotlight. They appear on the news. The mass media in China creates a collective desire towards a certain female body. It reflects how a nation makes use of the female image as a symbol of China’s modernity and development. In the contemporary era, women have more opportunities to enter the economic and political realms. While it seems that women’s liberation can now be seen, the female body has also become a site of debating nation’s progress.

Women have always been seen as sex objects. They are gazed and consumed under the patriarchal order. The training of ceremonial usherettes in China is seen as hyper feminine cultivation. There was specific formula for calculating the face ratio. In one of the trainings, women were asked to practice the way of smiling. For instance, they needed to put a chopstick in between their teeth. When they smiled, they should only expose 4 to 6 teeth. They were required to practice this for an hour. Women were asked to correct each other on the number of teeth exposed. There was also training on the way ceremonial usherettes walked. A book was put on women’s heads. They were also asked to keep some distance between the arm and the waist when they were holding a tray of medals. They needed to represent the “oriental beauty” of the modern China. The training for ceremonial usherettes usually contained military elements. The women needed to learn the military style of standing and jogging. While these women acquired the prefect feminine qualities and extraordinary bodies, they also had to acquire physical skills. These women were tall, all between 165 and 178 cm.

Through the embodied practices, it showed that there was a uniformity of body shape of ceremonial usherettes. The speaker emphasized that the collectivity and uniformity of usherettes’ appearance was important in a country like China, which upheld socialist ideology. As no class difference should be seen, variations in women’s appearances and individuality should be eliminated.

The speaker then traced the history of gymnastics. During the Second World War period, gymnastics was seen as the symbol of the Nazis and the German spirit. It also represented the national culture and symbolized the patriarchal order of control of men over women. For the communist countries, gymnastics was seen as new revolutionary practice. New socialist men were created by the engagement in keeping the uniformity of the idealized body shape. The Communist party promoted gymnastics after 1949. Under the market economy, the state responds to the market’s need to “sexualize” women’s bodies. Women’s bodies have always been sites for re-inventing, debating, negotiating the meanings of “Chineseness” and Chinese femininity. Under the discourse of the state, the making process of idealized young female bodies is the “natural” way to show the traditional “Oriental” beauty of China.

In conclusion, the state displays its national power and the patriarchal order through the bodies of ceremonial usherettes. Feminists see this as a commodification and objectification of the female body. Through the selection, training and disciplining on ceremonial usherettes, these female bodies show the most desirable elegance in Chinese women. The talk in general has shown the complicated relationship between gender and the building of the nation-state.


Candy YU
M.Phil. Candidade