Hosted by the Department of Asian Studies, the Hong Kong Studies Initiative (HKSI) at the University of British Columbia is devoted to promoting the teaching and research of this most-improbable metropolis, both as an extraordinary Chinese city and as a spectacular international and transnational hub.
Events
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Jan 20[Screening+Conversation] AICS Spotlight Event: Drifting Petals Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema
3/F Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, 149 West Hastings Street -
Nov 9[Book Talk] Housing Unites, Housing Divides: Comparing Singapore and Hong Kong as Property States Room 120, C. K. Choi Building
1855 West Mall -
Oct 27[Screening and Conversation] The Grass is Greener on the Other Side AERL 120
Aquatic Ecosystems Research Lab, 2202 Main Mall -
Sep 5[Imagine Day 2023] Hong Kong Studies @UBC Main Event Zone 3: Academic Success Side 1
2212 Main Mall -
Jun 15[Postponed] Contemporary Hong Kong Literature in Translation: Conversation with Dorothy Tse & James Shea Dodson Room (302), Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, UBC Library
1961 East Mall
News
November 20, 2023
Check out our November Update for events and activities organized by colleagues at UBC and beyond.
November 3, 2023
// This online conference, organised by a global team of postgraduates, aims to provide a platform and community-building space for all postgraduates studying Hong Kong from around the world and a variety of disciplines. //
November 1, 2023
The UBC Cantonese Language Program to host the 4th Annual Cantonese Fun Night.
October 29, 2023
HKSI Faculty Associate Dr. Miu Chung Yan to lead a discussion on his survey findings on recent Hong Kong immigrants, especially in relation to their experiences of discrimination and racism (in Cantonese).
October 23, 2023
Check out our Update to learn about our upcoming featured events.
October 20, 2023
The UBC Library to host a screening of Unarchived (2022) and a panel discussion with directors Hayley Gray and Elad Tzadok on “Archives as Past, Present, and Future.”
October 3, 2023
HKSI Emeritus Associate Dr. David Ley (FRSC, OC) to present at the colloquium series of the Department of Geography on his latest book Housing Booms in Gateway Cities (Oxford UP, 2023), which features Hong Kong as one of its case studies.
October 2, 2023
The Department of Asian Studies to host its signature Welcome Back Night to celebrate Asian languages and cultures.
September 29, 2023
Check out our Update to learn about the newly-launched minor option for Hong Kong studies at UBC and our upcoming screening event.
September 26, 2023
The UBC Cantonese Language Program to hold a (hybrid) Cantonese teaching workshop.
FEATURED COURSES
STUDENT PROJECTS
- ASIA324 (22W): Visual Novel
- ASIA324 (22W): “The Archeology of an Imaginary UBC”
- ASIA324 (22W): “Beneath the Surface”
- ASIA325 (22W): Plush Animal Video
- ASIA324 (22W): “Urban Identity in Flux”
Featured

Drifting Petals
Join us for the North American premiere of Drifting Petals 花果飄零, to be followed by a virtual conversation with director Clara Law 羅卓瑤 and producer/writer Eddie Fong 方令正
[Newsletters] The HKSI November Update is out!
Check out our November Update for events and activities organized by colleagues at UBC and beyond.
[Media] HKSI Emeritus Associate Dr. David Ley on housing in Vancouver and other gateway cities
Postmedia (subscription)
[CFP] Hong Kong Inside Out – Hong Kong Studies Postgraduate Conference 2024
// This online conference, organised by a global team of postgraduates, aims to provide a platform and community-building space for all postgraduates studying Hong Kong from around the world and a variety of disciplines. //
[Socials] Cantonese Fun Night 2023
The UBC Cantonese Language Program to host the 4th Annual Cantonese Fun Night.
[Community] Racism as experienced by recent immigrants to Canada
HKSI Faculty Associate Dr. Miu Chung Yan to lead a discussion on his survey findings on recent Hong Kong immigrants, especially in relation to their experiences of discrimination and racism (in Cantonese).
[Newsletters] The HKSI October Update is out!
Check out our Update to learn about our upcoming featured events.
[Media] HKSI Faculty Associate Dr. Zoe Lam on the growth of popularity of the UBC Cantonese Language Program
OMNI Cantonese (in Cantonese)
[Screenings] Archives as Past, Present, and Future
The UBC Library to host a screening of Unarchived (2022) and a panel discussion with directors Hayley Gray and Elad Tzadok on “Archives as Past, Present, and Future.”
[Media] HKSI Faculty Associate Raymond Pai on the need to build more capacity for Cantonese-language teaching
OMNI Cantonese (in Cantonese)
[Colloquia] Residential Harmony, Residential Alienation: Housing Booms in Gateway Cities
HKSI Emeritus Associate Dr. David Ley (FRSC, OC) to present at the colloquium series of the Department of Geography on his latest book Housing Booms in Gateway Cities (Oxford UP, 2023), which features Hong Kong as one of its case studies.
[Socials] Asian Studies Welcome Back Night 2023
The Department of Asian Studies to host its signature Welcome Back Night to celebrate Asian languages and cultures.

Minor in Asian Language and Culture (Hong Kong)
The Department of Asian Studies is pleased to offer undergraduate students at the University of British Columbia the option to pursue a minor in Asian Language and Culture with a focus on Hong Kong
[Newsletters] The HKSI September (2023) Update is out!
Check out our Update to learn about the newly-launched minor option for Hong Kong studies at UBC and our upcoming screening event.
[Workshops] Cantonese Teaching Workshop
The UBC Cantonese Language Program to hold a (hybrid) Cantonese teaching workshop.
[Celebrations] Appointment of HKSI Faculty Associate Dr. Pitman Potter to the Order of Canada
The School of Public Policy and Global Affairs to celebrate the appointment of HKSI Emeritus Associate Dr. Pitman Potter (FRSC) to the Order of Canada with a special keynote address by Dr. Sida Liu.
[Socials] ACRE and ACAM Welcome Back Social
The Centre for Asian Canadian Research & Engagement (ACRE) and the Asian Canadian & Asian Migration Studies program (ACAM) to host a Welcome Back Social.

Welcome to the Hong Kong Studies Initiative!
An exciting endeavor at the University of British Columbia (watch our video!)
[Conferences] Songs of the Future: Cantopop Heritage Conference 未來之歌:粵語流行曲傳承研討會
HKSI Faculty Associate Raymond Pai to take part in this online conference on the past and future of Cantopop.
[Resources] Leslie Cheung 張國榮 – Hong Kong Icon (1956–2003): Bibliography
Check out this list of resources compiled by the UBC Library on Leslie Cheung, the revered Hong Kong singer, actor, performer, and queer icon.
[Awards] HKSI Faculty Associate Dr. Timothy Cheek elected to the Royal Society of Canada
Hearty congratulations to Dr. Timothy Cheek on his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
[Media] HKSI Co-Convenor Dr. Helena Wu on the increase in overseas demand for cultural experiences connected to Hong Kong
South China Morning Post (subscription)
[Symposia] 1923: Race, Empire, and Settler Colonialism Across the Pacific
HKSI Faculty Associate Dr. Henry Yu, among others, will reflect on the significance of racial exclusion during the 1920s in North America and around the world.
[Media] HKSI Faculty Associate Dr. Zoe Lam on Cantonese language learning in overseas communities
The Canadian Press | CTV News | The Globe and Mail

State of Hong Kong Studies—A Workshop
The UBC Hong Kong Studies Initiative is pleased to be hosting an international workshop on the state of Hong Kong studies on 9–11 June 2023.
[Publications] Housing Booms in Gateway Cities
Congratulations to HKSI Emeritus Associate Dr. David Ley on the publication of his latest book, which examines the housing markets in Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Vancouver, and London.
[Media] HKSI Faculty Associate Dr. Miu Chung Yan calls attention to the difficulties facing Hong Kong residents recently arrived in Canada
Check out the article published by Mingpao Daily Canada on 12 August 2023.