I·CARE Salon, which is an iconic programme under the University Lecture on Civility, promotes reflective thinking on different topics. Through a series of seminars, participants will be able to exchange insights on significant academic, cultural and social issues.
Focused on “reading”, the I·CARE Salon of this academic year had three sessions conducted in the first term featuring different historians, philosophers and thinkers so as to pay tribute to them and to encourage participants to maintain their persistence of dialogue and rumination in the time of uncertainty. The three sessions (i.e. the 20th to 22nd sessions) of I·CARE Salon were held on the 24th of September, the 27th of October and the 23rd of November of last year respectively which altogether drew an attendance of over 600 CUHK students, staff, alumni and members of the general public. The participants had responded to the talks enthusiastically through raising inspiring questions and sharing their own views in a candid way.
The 20th session titled Homeland in Exile: Reading Professor Yu Ying Shih was presided by Prof. Rowena He* from the Department of History. She acclaimed her teacher Master Yu’s rigorous attitude towards his research on philosophical and intellectual history, as well as his enthusiasm for education which serves as an exemplar for us all. The 21st session had Prof. Cheng Chung-yi* from the Department of Philosophy to talk on Respect for Reason - Mou Zong San’s “Learning for Life”. He outlined Master Mou’s interpretation of “knowledge” and elaborated on the interconnectedness of life and learning. It was considered that only through the physical experience of life can the abstract knowledge be demonstrated. As for the 22nd session namely The Pioneer of Contemporary Chinese Philosophy - Hu Shih, the speaker was Dr. Lau Po-hei* from the Office of University General Education. He, on one hand, introduced the life of Master Hu from different perspectives, and on the other hand, delineated the key concepts of Confucianism and Chinese philosophy illustrated in Master Hu’s scholarly works.
The I·CARE Salon will continue to roll out a series of talks in the second term. Stay tuned for our announcements. For review of the previous sessions, please click here. Any enquiries could be directed to Ms. Tsui of this Centre at 3943 4702 or email to icare@cuhk.edu.hk.
* Speakers’ Biography
Prof. Rowena He received her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto and conducted her postdoctoral research at Harvard’s Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies. Her first book Tiananmen Exiles: Voices of the Struggle for Democracy in China was named one of the Top Five China Books of 2014 by the Asia Society’s China File. She has been selected to be a member of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton (2018-19). Before joining The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), she taught at Harvard University and received the Harvard University Certificate of Teaching Excellence for three consecutive years. Her op-eds have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Guardian, and the Globe and Mail. She was designated among the Top 100 Chinese Public Intellectuals of 2016.
Prof. Cheng Chung-yi received his Ph.D. from CUHK and has been a member of the Visiting Scholars Program at Harvard-Yenching Institute. He is currently Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Director of the Research Centre for Chinese Philosophy and Culture at CUHK. His research interests span Confucian thought, history of Chinese philosophy, comparative studies of Chinese and Western philosophy, etc. Prof. Cheng is the author of《儒學、哲學與現代世界》（2010） and《明清儒學轉型探析 ── 從劉蕺山到戴東原》（2000）, and the editor of 《中國哲學研究之新方向》（2014） and 《香港中文大學的當代儒者》（2006）.
Dr. Lau Po-hei received his Ph.D. from CUHK. He is currently lecturer of the Office of University General Education at CUHK. His research interests span Confucianism and comparative philosophy. Dr. Lau’s recent publications revolve around the system of thought established by modern scholars like Hu Shih, Ch’ien Mu and Mou Zongsan. He was also the host and programme planner of the TV programme Philosophy Night broadcasted by Radio Television Hong Kong, promoting philosophical thoughts to the public.