09/23/2026
We are delighted to invite you to the ✨9th Bernard H.K. Luk Memorial Lecture in Hong Kong Studies and the ✨2026 Workshop for Graduate Student Scholars of Hong Kong and its Diasporas, details below:
The 9th Bernard H.K. Luk Memorial Lecture in Hong Kong Studies
Wednesday, 30 September, 2026 | 3:00 p.m to 5:00 p.m. | 8/F, Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library, University of Toronto Libraries
Title: Hong Kong: A City of Law
Synopsis
Hong Kong has long been hailed as a city defined by the rule of law. This paper discusses whether recent National Security Laws have altered this fundamental characteristic. In an era dominated by escalating geopolitical tensions, states worldwide increasingly rely on legal mechanisms rather than due political processes to resolve political conflicts. When subjected to such political instrumentalization, the law—traditionally a pillar for fostering trust and facilitating collaboration—risks losing its core purpose. This presentation explores the dynamic relationship between law and society, both in Hong Kong and globally. Although the state often utilizes law as an instrument of governance, the law also plays an indispensable role in safeguarding political pluralism, protecting civil liberties, and ensuring that governance remains accountable to living communities. Ultimately, the challenges facing Hong Kong reflect a broader global trend of systemic state insecurity.
Speaker Bio
Professor Laikwan Pang received her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Washington University in St. Louis, and she has taught at CUHK since 2002. She is now the Choh‑Ming Li Professor of Cultural and Religious Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She specializes in critical theories, and her research spans a broad spectrum of issues related to culture in Modern and Contemporary China and Hong Kong. One of her central philosophical projects is the exploration of the dynamics between “many” and “one,” manifested in the intersections between culture and politics, copies and models, plurality and unity, as well as democracy and sovereignty. She is the author of a few books, and her scholarship has been recognized internationally. Creativity and Its Discontents received the Chiang King-Kuo Foundation Publication Award, The Appearing Demos received the American Library Association Choice Outstanding Academic Title, and One and All was shortlisted for the Political Studies Association W.J.M. Mackenzie Book Prize. She also received the Discovery International Award offered by the Australian Research Council, the Research Excellence Award, and the Young Research Award from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
All are welcome!
RSVP @ Eventbrite (Registration in advance is required and limited)
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-9th-bernard-hk-luk-memorial-lecture-in-hong-kong-studies-tickets-1997507798597
For more information: [email protected]
On 01 October 2026, Professor Pang will lead a workshop for graduate scholars engaged in research on Hong Kong and its diasporas on the theme of Staying in Trouble during her visit to Toronto. Learn more at this link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2026-workshop-for-graduate-student-scholars-of-hong-kong-and-its-diasporas-tickets-1998117607552
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2026 Workshop for Graduate Student Scholars of Hong Kong and its Diasporas
Thursday, 1 October, 2026 | 3:00 p.m to 5:00 p.m. | 8/F, Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library, University of Toronto Libraries
The 2026 Workshop for Graduate Student Scholars of Hong Kong and its Diasporas invites Greater Toronto Area graduate students to an in‑person session led by Professor Laikwan Pang, the keynote speaker of the 9th Bernard H. K. Luk Memorial Lecture in Hong Kong Studies. The event highlights research insights and contemporary topics in Hong Kong Studies.
Theme: Staying in Trouble
Synopsis
Hundreds of thousands of residents have left Hong Kong in the last few years due primarily to political reasons. There have been numerous scholarly discussions on the formation of this new Hong Kong Diaspora. But the position of staying is much more difficult to theorize. Worse, there is also an increasing set of tensions observed between those who choose to migrate and those who stay. We can explore the relationship, rather than antagonism, between “staying” and “leaving.” Analyzing the experiences and ontology of staying might reconnect the two groups of Hongkongers via their common search for courage and wisdom to live with dignity and responsibility.
Participants will be asked to read three required short texts before the workshop, identify connections among the texts, and generate two strong questions for discussion during the workshop.
Refreshment will follow the discussion.
RSVP @ Eventbrite
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2026-workshop-for-graduate-student-scholars-of-hong-kong-and-its-diasporas-tickets-1998117607552
Register via Eventbrite before 29 September 2026.
For more information: [email protected]
Both events are organized by the York Centre for Asian Research and the Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library.
