yswong@hsu.edu.hk – School of Humanities and Social Science

“Hans Christian Andersen: Life and Afterlife” International Conference

The year 2025 marks the 150th anniversary of the passing of the world-renowned Danish fairy tale writer, Hans Christian Andersen. In commemoration of this, the “Hans Christian Andersen: Life and Afterlife” International Conference was successfully held from 22 to 24 May 2025.

The conference was jointly organised by the School of Humanities and Social Science, the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK), and the Hans Christian Andersen Centre, University of Southern Denmark (SDU), with collaborating institutions include Hong Kong Shue Yan University and Hong Kong Baptist University College of International Education. Nearly 30 renowned scholars from various countries attended the conference to share their insights on Andersen’s global impact through literature, film, cultural studies and digital humanities.

Creative Humanities Fest 2025

Creative Humanities Fest 2025 was successfully held from 18 to 25 March 2025 at the Creative Humanities Hub with over 800 participants participated in the event. During the event, each academic programme arranged various engaging activities, including exhibition, music performance, drama show, seminars and workshops. These activities showcased the talents of the staff and students of SHSS, as well as the creative orientations in its educational programmes.

The theme of this year‘s Fest is inspired by the Chinese character 意 (yi), which carries multiple meanings, or half-meanings with the other half to be explored. Being incomplete and unfinished is the source of energy for completion. Creative impulse arising from human incompleteness, perhaps, is the underlying philosophy in Plato’s The Symposium. To be creative, in some sense, is to be disruptive.

For post-event photos, please click here.

Drama Performance : Our Jing Ke

Date: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Time: 4:00pm-6:00pm
Venue: 4/F, College Hall, M Building, HSUHK

Drama Performance : Our Jing Ke

Date: Saturday, 22 March 2025

Time: 4:00pm-6:00pm
Venue: 4/F, College Hall, M Building, HSUHK

Women de jingke (我們的荊軻), written by Mo Yan (Nobel Prize Laureate of literature in 2012), is inspired by the Chinese classical text Shiji 《史記》’s story “Jing Ke Assassinating King Qin”(荊軻刺秦王), but it interprets this famous story under a contemporary perspective. In the script, Mo Yan abandons describing once again the political struggle featured in Shiji, he rather concentrates on the eagerness of seeking fame and quick success of the main characters in the story.

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Life and Death: Movie Sharing and Discussion

Date: Monday, 24 March 2025
Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm
Venue: 1/F, N102 Lecture Theatre, N Building, HSUHK

Life and Death: Movie Sharing and Discussion

Date: Saturday, 22 March 2025

Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm
Venue: 1/F, N102 Lecture Theatre, N Building, HSUHK

The movie “Along with the Gods” (《與神同行》) will be featured in the activity. Following the screening, there will be a post-viewing analysis and discussion. (Due to copyright issues, only selected video clips will be shared.) The main focus of the analysis and discussion will be on perspectives of life and death within Korean culture. In relation to the core value of our theme “意yi”, the speaker will explore how the film creatively presents traditional Korean religious culture. Participants can expect to gain a deeper understanding of Korean culture through this activity, particularly regarding the concepts of inheritance, creativity, and breakthrough.

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The Year of Hans Christian Andersen: Lunch Seminar

Date: Saturday, 22 March 2025
Time: 12:30pm-1:30pm
Venue: 1/F, CR103 The Gallery, Creative Humanities Hub, HSUHK

The Year of Hans Christian Andersen: Lunch Seminar

Date: Saturday, 22 March 2025

Time: 12:30pm-1:30pm

Venue: 1/F, CR103 The Gallery, Creative Humanities Hub, HSUHK

Join Professor Tam, Dr. Miriam Lau from Hong Kong Baptist University, and Dr. Anna Tso for an engaging lunch seminar on March 22, 2025, from 12:30pm to 1:30 pm at CR103. The session will be divided into three parts. Professor Tam will explore “Andersen’s legacy,” offering a unique perspective on the enduring influence of the renowned author. Dr. Miriam Lau will compare “Andersen’s fairytales in the children’s books of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan,” shedding light on the adaptation of Andersen’s works in the Chinese context.

Dr. Anna Tso will lead “Rereading Andersen in 2025: The making of a radio program on Andersen,” which offers a contemporary perspective on Andersen’s tales and the innovative process of creating a radio program dedicated to his legacy, with additional insights from invited colleagues. Don’t miss this enlightening event for fresh perspectives and lively discussions on the enduring relevance of Andersen’s fairytales and legacy.

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The Year of Hans Christian Andersen: Paper Cutting Workshop

Date: Saturday, 22 March 2025
Time: 11:00am-12:30pm
Venue: 2/F, CR219 Function Room, Creative Humanities Hub, HSUHK

The Year of Hans Christian Andersen: Paper Cutting Workshop

Date: Saturday, 22 March 2025

Time: 11:00am-12:30pm
Venue: 2/F, CR219 Function Room, Creative Humanities Hub, HSUHK

Uncover Hans Christian Andersen’s hidden artistic legacy! Join us for a captivating paper-cutting workshop that brings the enchanting world of Hans Christian Andersen to life through the art of paper-cutting. Discover the beauty of Andersen’s paper-cut artwork and learn essential techniques to create your own stunning pieces. Space is limited – unlock the magic that lies within a simple sheet of paper!

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The Year of Hans Christian Andersen: Creative Writing, Art Exhibition, & Video Story-telling Competitions Award Presentation Ceremony

Date: Saturday, 22 March 2025
Time: 10:00am-2:00pm
Venue: G/F, CR002 Lecture Hall, G/F, CR001 Martin Ka Shing Lee Innovation Lab, 1/F, CR103 The Gallery, 2/F, CR219 Function Room, Creative Humanities Hub, HSUHK

The Year of Hans Christian Andersen: Creative Writing, Art Exhibition, & Video Story-telling Competitions Award Presentation Ceremony

Date: Saturday, 22 March 2025

Time: 10:00am-2:00pm

Venue: G/F, CR002 Lecture Hall, G/F, CR001 Martin Ka Shing Lee Innovation Lab, 1/F, CR103 The Gallery, 2/F, CR219 Function Room, Creative Humanities Hub, HSUHK

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the passing of Hans Christian Andersen (2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875), renowned for his fairy tales such as The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid, and The Little Match Girl, the Department of English of The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong is launching a series of creative competitions, including the short story writing competition, poetry writing competition, art illustration competition, and video storytelling competition.

Selected finalists are invited to participate in the final Q & A session, followed by an Award Presentation Ceremony, at the School of Humanities & Social Science (SHSS) Creative Humanities Fest, scheduled for the morning of 22nd March 2025.

The whole event is open not only to the participants, but also to their teachers, parents, families, and peers, who are welcome to celebrate the triumphant moments with the winners, and join the lunch seminar on H.C. Andersen and paper cutting workshop on the day of the event!

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Music Performance: Voices of the Silver Screen

Date: Friday, 21 March 2025
Time: 4:30pm-6:00pm
Venue: 2/F, D201 Auditorium, D Building, HSUHK

Music Performance: Voices of the Silver Screen

Date: Friday, 21 March 2025

Time: 4:30pm-6:00pm
Venue: 2/F, D201 Auditorium, D Building, HSUHK

Join us for Voices of the Silver Screen! Enjoy live music performances by the Band Society of HSUHK and the talented winners of our music video competition. Engage in interactive activities and explore the fascinating connection between language, music, and films. Celebrate emerging artists and discover how film music can enrich your English learning journey!

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Youth Matters in a Hong Kong Movie

Date: Friday, 21 March 2025
Time: 1:30pm-3:00pm
Venue: G/F, Space for All @ Library, A Building, HSUHK

Youth Matters in a Hong Kong Movie

Date: Friday, 21 March 2025

Time: 1:30pm-3:00pm

Venue: G/F, Space for All @ Library, A Building, HSUHK

The mental health issues of students in Hong Kong have drawn significant attention and sparked discussions in recent years. This is a matter of great importance to parents, teachers, authorities, and the students themselves. 《年少日記》Time Still Turns the Pages (2023) is a Hong Kong drama movie directed by Nick Cheuk that responds to this issue. For this event, we are delighted to welcome Nick Cheuk to join our PPE teachers in a discussion, exploring the philosophical questions surrounding education and the social responsibilities of artistic creation.

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Public Lecture : Fashion as Culture and Performing Arts

Date: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Time: 2:00pm-3:15pm
Venue: G/F, CR002 Lecture Hall, Creative Humanities Hub, HSUHK

Public Lecture : Fashion as Culture and Performing Arts

Date: Thursday, 20 March 2025

Time: 2:00pm-3:15pm

Venue: G/F, CR002 Lecture Hall, Creative Humanities Hub, HSUHK

Professor Karen Ka-yin Chan, JP, is a fashion designer, as well as the Executive Director of German Pool, an electric appliance name brand in Hong Kong.

Her Sparkle Collection is internationally noted for blending Chinese and international elements in Cheongsam design.

She holds fashion shows annually in Paris, New York, London, Milan, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

She is an Adjunct Professor of the School of Humanities and Social Science at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. In her lecture “Fashion as Culture and Performing Arts”, she will give examples to illustrate her ideas of design as manifestation of culture and art. She will show images and videos to contextualize fashion as an art of body performance.