HKU scholars win ministry award for censorship study
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Two scholars from the University of Hong Kong were honoured in the 10th Outstanding Achievement Awards for Scientific Research in Higher Education Institutions (Humanities and Social Sciences) presented by the Ministry of Education. Law Faculty associate dean for research and knowledge exchange Francis Ho Hai-kit (吳海傑) won the popular reading award in law for his book on political censorship of media and speech during British rule in Hong Kong. Professor Chan Ka-yuk (陳嘉玉) of the Faculty of Education also received a third-class paper award in education science research for work on an AI ecology policy framework for universities. The awards, established in 1995 and later opened to Hong Kong institutions, are described as among the most prestigious and influential in China's social sciences field
Key Points
- Francis Ho Hai-kit examined declassified files, including confidential communications archived in London and Hong Kong, for his award-winning book covering 1842 to 1997
- In “Silenced: Political Censorship of the Media and Speech in British Hong Kong (1842–1997)”, he argues Hong Kong's free speech and judicial independence were products of historical circumstances and British China policy, not simply British rule-of-law tradition
- Ho said he was gratified that legal history research grounded in declassified records could be turned into a book for general readers and gain recognition
- Chan Ka-yuk used both quantitative and qualitative methods, gathering data from students, teachers and staff across disciplines at Hong Kong universities
- Her study proposed a framework spanning teaching, governance and operations to help institutions understand how artificial intelligence affects academic environments
Why It Matters
The recognition places Hong Kong scholarship within a national award system that now includes local universities, giving added visibility to research on the city's legal history and higher-education policy. For Hong Kong readers, the two projects speak directly to current debates over how the city understands its colonial past and how universities manage rapid technological change