About Us

Welcome to the School of Humanities Website. The School has over 50 lecturers, involved in teaching and cutting–edge research. You may wish to have a look at a sample of our publications and the thesis titles of some of our PhD students to have a taste of our multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary work. But for now, let me take this opportunity to give you a general introduction to the School of Humanities – what we do, why we teach and who we are.

What We Do

The School of Humanities is devoted to critical and creative thought through the study of what makes us uniquely human. The way we think and communicate, the objects we make and enjoy, our investment in events and institutions, our cultural practices and social values – all these things constitute the subject of our teaching and research.

Our programmes teach you to ‘read’ the world we make, whether in the past or the present or across different cultures: the aim is not so much to collect data about this world as to tease out its underlying values through the in-depth study of , say, a Hong Kong film, a Beethoven score, a Song Dynasty painting, a text by Aristotle , or even an everyday conversation.

Why We Teach

Many people today are well trained in their profession but are not well educated: they may slot into the system, doing their job dutifully, but their experience of the world outside their profession is diminished by a lack of knowledge and engagement. Of course, many of the analytical, critical and communicative skills we teach will be invaluable to your future profession, but as a school we aim to provide you with an education for life rather than simply a vocation in society. To be creative and critical is an outlook that will enrich your experience of the things we value and the way you live. As a student, you have a rare opportunity – perhaps your only opportunity – to benefit from such an education. But there is twist to this. Employers are increasingly looking for graduates with the kind of independent and flexible thinking we nurture; they want people who can make informed judgments, who can evaluate facts, who can detect hidden agendas or reveal underlying causes, and who can present their ideas creatively. So in educating you for life, we end up equipping you with the skills that will enable you to take advantage of the job opportunities that are opening up in China and the rest of the world.

The School is committed to the principles of inclusive language and asks all students to follow these Guidelines – SOH Inclusive Language.

Who We Are

The School comprises of seven distinct programs: Philosophy, Linguistics, History, Comparative Literature, Art History, Music, and Gender Studies. Each program is committed to providing students with a solid grounding in their own discipline, as well as encourage interdisciplinary engagement within the School and beyond. To find out more details about our programs and our lecturers, click on the program links. Happy browsing!