DESCRIPTION OF COURSES
(DEGREE PROGRAMME)
Hist. 110 Introduction to Chinese History
1 Term; 3 Credits
This course seeks to stimulate students' interest in Chinese history by alerting them to the uniqueness of their own heritage. It introduces selected features and themes of Chinese political, social, intellectual and economical traditions. Alongside largely chronological discussions, the examination of each of the selected issues focuses on the "source and development" of its main features, followed by a review of the challenges it faces nowdays.
Hist. 120 General Chinese History
1 Terms; 3 Credits
This first year required course seeks to help students understand concisely development of major cultural centres and regions of the world as background preparation to understanding the shaping of the modern world dominated by peoples from Europe. Alongside largely chronological discussions, the organization of the course is centred on one macro-theme, i.e., the rise and fall of civilizations/empires, complemented by an examination on selected issues on the varied attitudes and patterns of iteractions among the major cultural regions.
Hist. 130 Introduction to Historical Theories & Methods
1 Term; 3 Credits
This subject introduces to students the nature, basic concepts, theories of History as an academic discipline, as well as its special challenges and expectations. The course places a special emphasis on training students in basic research skills and methods for historical investigations and presentation of findings.
Hist. 210 History of Qin-Han-Wei-Jin Dynasties
1 Terms; 3 Credits
The subject examines the development of Qin, Han and Wei, Jin Dynasties through lectures and tutorials. Coverage includes important themes in politics, military, institutions, peronalities, ideologies, culture and international relations etc. in this period of Chinese History. It also aims at preparing students to do future research.
Hist. 211 History of Sui and Tang Dynasties
1 Terms; 3 Credits
The subjects examines the development of Sui and Tang Dynasties through lectures and tutorials. Coverage includes important themes in politics, military, institutions, perionalities, ideologies, culture and international relation etc. in this period of Chinese History. The subject also aims at preparing students to undertake research on these particular dynasties.
1 Terms; 3 Credits
This second year required course explores the bith and unfolding of the modern world after 1500 A.D. It examines how European nationsl expanded to dominate most of other continents and the development of transoceanic, global system of colonial empires. In addition to major political, diplomatic and military developments, attention will be given to socio-economic, scientific, intellectual and cultural changes to explain Europe's rise. Attempts will be made to include responses, consequences and comments on such dramatic expansion and dominance from non European perspectives to prevent an overly Western-centred or Eurocentric approach to world history. (Note: This course is supplemented by Hist 251 China and Europe in the Making of the Modern World which examines in more depth interactions on different fronts between China and Europe)
Hist. 230 Study of Historical Sources & Materials
1 Term; 3 Credits
This second year course familiarizes students to two major categories of Chinese source materials: archaeological discoveries and historical documents. It introduces students to crucial latest archaeological finds in China and their contributions to the understanding of Chinese history, especially of the earlier dynasties. Secondly, it examines key official and unofficial documents bequeathed to us in long historiographical tradition of Chinese scholars of past dynasties.
Hist. 240 History of Hong Kong
1 Term; 3 Credits
This is an introduction to the development of Hong Kong from a fishing outpost on the south China coast into an international metropolis of over 6 million inhabitants. The focus is on the political, social, cultural and economic transformation of Hong Kong under a century and a half of British colonial rule up to the 1980s, when the Sino-British agreement ushered in a period leading to the resumption of sovereignty by the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997. The first part of the course is a chronological survey of the major developments of colonial Hong Kong, whereas the second part adopts a thematic approach to delineate the historical forces behind those developments.
Hist. 241 From Colony to SAR: Reunification & Challenges in Contemporary Hong Kong
1 Term; 3 Credits
The course examines problems and challenges confronting Hong Kong, including political, social, economic and other issues arising from its evolution from a British colony to a Chinese special administrative region under the "One Country, Two Systems" principle. The course seeks to stimulate among students an awaremess of crucial issues affecting their motherland particularly since Hong Kong's return to China and an interest in examining them to develop a basic, comprehensive understanding of major issues affecting the deveoplment of Hong Kong. In addition to historical sources, students will examine contemporary reports and analyses of selected major issues in this course.
Hist. 251 China & Europe in the Making of the Modern World
1 Term; 3 Credits
This course is a "sequence" elective to Hist. 220 The Modern World with a specific focus on the interaction between the West and the "Sinicized" East Asia represented by China. A thematic approach is adopted to examine major social, political, cultural and economic developments affecting the interaction of the two sides, to explore contributing factors to the "Rise of the West" versus the "Decline of China" over this past half century, which had helped shape the modern world.
1 Term; 3 Credits
The subject alerts students to important imprints Sino-American relations has left on the making of contemporary China, and acquaints them with major controversial and contentious issues between the two nations which could seriously affect their respective development paths now and in the foreseeable future. A brief review on the history of their interactions is followed by discussion on selected themes/issues, including conflicting assumptions, goals, actions/intervention and responses of the two, particularly those highly controversial, contentious and recurrent in nature to assess their national , regional or wider ramifications. In sum, the subject urges our future leaders to study the most important external factor affecting China, provides them with background data and introduces them to main isses/arguments they need to learn to tackle.
DESCRIPTION OF COURSES
(HONOURS DIPLOMA PROGRAMME AND SERVICE COURSES)
Hist. 100 General Chinese History (service course)
1 Term; 3 Credits
The objectives of this course is to help students be aware of their heritage from the past for better understanding of the present. Extracts from relevant historical materials and works of modern historians are studied. Topics in the course will cover various major aspects of Chinese history and tradition including the birth and spread of the Chinese traditional political , legal, social, economic, intellectual values and systems as well as their major historical changes.
Hist. 180 Introduction to the Study of the PRC (service course)
1 Term; 3 Credits
The course introduces major aspects of development in China since 1949. After a brief chronological introduction to the establishment of the present government, the course will offer four required core topics on historical, political, econom and social issues of contemporary China. In addition, elective topics on our country's culture, national defense and foreign relations will also be offered.
Hist. 440 Modern Economic History of China
1 Term; 3 Credits
The current state of China's modern economy has its origin in the mid-19th century when the impact of western imperialism and industrialism helped to bring about the beginning of China's economic transformation. The course aims at tracing and explaining the evolution of a traditional agrarian economy into a capitalist and then socialist industrial economy. Macroeconomic indictors such as GDP, per capita income, industrial structure and the like as well as agricultural, industrial, financial and service sectors of economic activities will be examined in the context of historical development from the 1860s to the present day.
2 Terms; 6 Credits
With a view to developing students' ability to assimilate what they have learnt in separate subjects over the past 4 academic years, final year students of this department will be required to submit a thesis relevant to their field of study. This course covers areas on historical research methodology, the writing of an academic thesis, its requirements, choice of topics and outline, the revision of its first draft, its final version etc., Thesis Supervisors will ensure the standard of the thesis for graduation. The course will be conducted in individual tutorials in addition to lectures.
Note: For the descriptions of courses not listed under the Department of History, please refer to their respective Departments for details.