Cross-Offering Courses

Designed for graduate students engaged in original research in the field of Art History, this course offers an introduction to historiography, methods, and applied theory commensurate with graduate level research in the history, theory, and criticism of art. It draws upon the disciplinary traditions specific to art history as well as contemporary transdisciplinary approaches also found in visual and cultural studies. This background and perspective on research and writing is valuable in preparation for doctoral level research for students planning a career in academia, as well as those with plans for careers in museums and in the wider public spheres of curatorial practice and critical discourse.

HR7002          Directed Readings in Art History

This course is designed to provide graduate students with a more individualized course of reading that goes beyond existing graduate courses. The students are expected to read widely in their chosen field under the guidance of their supervisor/instructor. Students may also explore another subfield or a differing approach to art history than what has already been covered in HR7001. This course will expand the range of research possibilities for graduate students from other disciplines and schools, particularly for those who are interested in developing inter‐disciplinary methodologies and approaches taken from art history. The content and individual requirements of each directed reading course are determined by the student in consultation with his/her supervisor/instructor. The reading list, written work, and meeting times will be negotiated between the supervisor/instructor and the student. The final detailed syllabus will be subjected to the HOD’s approval, prior to the course commencement.

HC7014          A Study of Chinese-Language Film Culture

This course will analyse the camera movements and voices of Chinese-language film using the research paradigms of national cinema, transnational cinema, Sinophone cinemas, star studies, film genre, and auteur theory, in addition to their interactions with early popular culture and local history in various regions. This course also requires collation of historical files and incidents relating to film culture and language policies in different areas, and collecting records of films, film stars, and other early popular culture in old newspapers from various regions. In addition, interviews with directors, stars, or other film workers will be traced in order to examine the transnational production model and ideology of the Chinese-language film industry.

HC7101          Graduate Seminar

This course explores themes in Chinese studies in the areas of Chinese culture, literature, language, history, philosophy and/or arts. The course comprises a series of seminar presentations and discussions on selected topics or topics of special interest to the students. Topics chosen will vary from year to year, depending on student enrollment and the availability of guest speakers. Students who complete this subject will gain familiarity with academic discourse in different subject areas. The course will be conducted in Chinese but English reading materials may be included. Students are required to complete a term paper and in class oral presentation. Written project involves either an analysis or a critical review on reading materials or on particular aspect of student's research interest.

HC7888          Directed Reading

In this course students read extensively in their area of interest under the direction of a faculty member, most likely the supervisor. This course is taken by graduate students on a subject which is not otherwise offered as a course in the MA/PhD program modules in a given semester, but which accords with a member of the academic staff's research interests. The courses offer a great flexibility in adapting to the individual academic interests of the student the research interests of the teacher. Students wishing to take this course should obtain prior agreement of the teacher concerned and his/her Head of Division. Course Evaluation: Assessment is by course-work only. That is either (a) one 8,000 - 10,000 word essay delivered at the end of the semester, or (b) a series of two or more essays together amounting to 8,000 - 10,000 words produced over the period of one academic.​​​​​

HH7888         Directed Reading in History

The course is designed to provide students with a more individualized course of reading that goes beyond the existing graduate courses. In this course, students are expected to read widely in their chosen field under the guidance of their supervisor.

The content and requirements of each Directed Reading course are determined by the students in consultation with his/her supervisor. The reading list, written work and meeting times will be negotiated between the supervisor and the student. There is already a course HY7011 Directed Reading in Philosophy, but it can only be taken once for credit. At the graduate level, however, students who are interested in specific research topics that are not covered in existing graduate courses may need to do such a directed reading course more than once. This course is being proposed so that such students will be able to take a second Directed Reading course for credit.

HH7113         Advanced Directed Readings in History

This course is designed to provide a student with a more individualized course of reading that goes beyond the existing graduate courses. In this course, students are expected to read widely in their chosen field under the guidance of their supervisor/instructor. HH9016 is intended to provide students with a more advanced reading course than HH7888. Students whose research speaks to multiple audiences within and beyond history may also explore another sub-field or a differing approach to history than they examined in HH7888. The content and requirements of each directed reading course are determined by the student in consultation with his/her supervisor/instructor. The reading list, written work, and meeting times will be negotiated between the supervisor/instructor and the student. The final detailed syllabus will be subject to the approval of the Head of Division, prior to the commencement of the course.​

HH7101         Transnational History: Theories, Methods & Practices

This course will offer an introduction on major theories, ideas, methods, practices and problematics associated with the transnational turn in the historical analysis (and the humanities in general). There are 3 main components to this course. The first, a critical review on the conventional nation-state history that emerged in the 19th century and has dominated much of historiography until recently. The second part examines the emergence and characteristics of the "transnational turn" and the key themes in transnational history. The third part will uses cases from various world regions to show how transnational history has been applied to the study of globalisation, regionalisation, technological transformations and provide an alternative to national history.

HL7113          Graduate Seminar in Postcolonial Literature & Theory

This course explores the field of postcolonial studies through a detailed engagement with representative works of postcolonial literature and theory. We will be discussing literature from throughout the postcolonial world, and focusing on some of the major social, historical and political issues this literature addresses. The course will also trace the development of postcolonial theory, from the anti-colonial writings of Frantz Fanon and Aim'e Ce'saire to the work of more recent postcolonial critics such as Edward Said, Homi Bhabha, and Gayatri Spivak. Finally, we will be subjecting "postcolonial studies" itself to critical scrutiny, addressing some of the key debates and controversies within the field.

HL7114          Graduate Seminar in Cultural Studies

Cultural studies is a broad phenomenon. This historically oriented seminar specifically explores cultural criticism, which examines the relationship of artistic culture to larger socio-political and economic developments. It begins with ‘culture’ during a machine-industrial era, with older notions of literary and artistic creation as realms of high culture that explored ultimate human meaning separate from the supposed debased values of industrial-capitalist society. We proceed to mass culture and the culture industry during this industrial era and the post-Second World War mass society linked to rapid communication and a new mass consumption. We also reflect on how the modernity associated with the colonial West affected the creation of modern culture in East Asia. The module concludes with culture in a post-industrial era, when services and finance capital add more ‘value’ than making things, and capitalism increasingly becomes globalised: capitalism, then, is not only about producing serialised mass products but is a zone of ‘creative’ industries. We also ask: is the burst of an inter-Asian pop culture in the wake of an increasing regional middle class linked to this globalised capitalism? What is the nature of culture and the time we live in now?

HL7201          Graduate Seminar in Creative Writing: Directed Study

In this course students will have the opportunity to engage in independent research related to their proposed dissertation/thesis and to produce an appropriate example of written work arising from this. The content and requirements of each Directed Study module are to be determined by the student in conjunction with the appointed supervisor/ thesis committee and the Head of Division.

HL7888          Directed Study in Literature

This course will provide graduate students with an opportunity to engage in independent research related to their proposed dissertation/thesis and to produce an appropriate example of written work arising from this. The content and requirements of each Directed Study module are to be determined by the student in conjunction with the appointed supervisor/ thesis committee and the Programme Head.

Note: This course is reserved for PhD  students.  Exceptions can be made for MA students who have compelling reason to take on directed studies, and is subject to the approval of the graduate studies committee. 

HY7008          Special Topics in Philosophy

This course focuses on selected topics in philosophy, from ancient to contemporary, and in any sub-field of philosophy. Topics may vary depending on instructors. It may cover specialized subjects that are not covered in other courses, which may include, but is not limited to, metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, logic, aesthetics, and history of philosophy. Students will conduct in-depth reading of selected material and become familiar with related subjects. A final paper is required.

HY7011          Directed Reading in Philosophy

This course is designed to provide students with an individualized course of reading that goes beyond the existing graduate courses. Specific contents of the course may vary depending on student needs and instructors. In this course, students are expected to read assigned material thoroughly under the guidance of their supervisor and to develop research projects.

HY7012          Independent Study for Thesis Preparation

This course provides students with an opportunity to engage in independent research related to their proposed thesis. The content and requirements of each Independent Study module are determined by the appointed supervisor and the student, depending on their area of interests. In this course, students are expected to develop a reading list under the guidance of their supervisor, to read widely both primary and secondary material, and to write a thesis outline as preparation for the thesis.

HY7013          Independent Study on Special Topics

This course allows students to engage in in-depth study of a philosophical subject chosen by the teaching faculty member. Assessment of this course include reading reports, face-to-face discussion, and research papers.

HY7021          Directed Reading in Philosophy II

The Division of Philosophy proposes HY7021 Directed Reading in Philosophy II for our MA and PhD programme in Philosophy. The main purpose of this course is for graduate students to focus on a set of individualized readings on an advanced topic in philosophy. These readings will go beyond any existing graduate courses. Specific contents of the course may vary depending upon student needs and faculty areas of specialty. The secondary goal is for students to gain experience with independent research. Students will conduct readings on their own with support from faculty, and write up a significant research paper based upon those readings.

There is already a course HY7011 Directed Reading in Philosophy, but it can only be taken once for credit. At the graduate level, however, students who are interested in specific research topics that are not covered in existing graduate courses may need to do such a directed reading course more than once. This course is being proposed so that such students will be able to take a second Directed Reading course for credit.

HE7002         Econometrics I

This course builds on the earlier Principles of Econometrics by considering further inferential methods related to the multiple regression model using matrix algebra, and other methods widely used in empirical research. Large sample asymptotic theory is also introduced. Topics covered include maximum likelihood estimation, LR, Wald and LM test principles, instrumental variables and GMM estimation and model selection.