Hong Kong Institute on "Public Criticism and Visual Culture"

Summer, 2002

Dear friends and colleagues,

You are cordially invited to a Summer Institute on "Public Criticism and Visual Culture" sponsored by the Hong Kong Institute of Cultural Criticism (HKICC) and the Center for the Study of Globalization and Cultures at the University of Hong Kong (CSGC, HKU). Established in 2001, the HKICC is a
consortium of scholars from various universities in Hong Kong whose specialty is in cultural criticism and cultural studies research. It aims to promote inter-institutional collaboration and trans-disciplinary scholarship in cultural studies and to develop Hong Kong into an internationally recognized place for the practice of contemporary cultural studies and cultural research. This Summer Institute will be one of its important academic events this year.

The Summer Institute will be held in Hong Kong from June 3 to June 14. Two world-renowned scholars, Gayatri Spivak at Columbia University and Wu Hung at the University of Chicago, have agreed to give a series of keynote speeches and lead discussions on their own works and other selected theoretical texts. They will also be joined by a prominent roster of
scholars, critics and cultural practitioners from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, and the United States. They include: Ackbar Abbas (University of Hong Kong), Stephen Chan (Lingnan University), Ying Chan (University of Hong Kong), Fred Chiu (Baptist University), John Erni (City University of Hong Kong), Benjamin Lee (Rice University), Leo Ou-fan Lee (HKU/Harvard),
Meaghan Morris (Lingnan University), Pinghui Liao (Tsing Hua University, Taiwan), and Wang Xiaoming (Shanghai University).

In addition to the morning plenary sessions devoted to lectures and public forums, there will also be four pairs of afternoon workshops on the following topics:

1. Media and public events,

2. Urban spaces in Shanghai and Hong Kong,

3. Art and visuality,

4. Performing Visuality.

You are invited to join at least three, if not all, of these workshops, which will also involve local critics and cultural practitioners (artists, journalists, film directors and critics, etc.) to discuss issues of specific interest.

The language of the Summer Institute is English, with possibly one workshop conducted in Chinese. Young scholars and graduate students interested in cultural and area studies are especially welcome. The quota for the summer institute is 50. All activities of the institute will take place at University of Hong Kong.

Registration fee: HK$1000/ US $130 (for faculty); HK$500 /US $65 (for students). Due to budget constraint, we cannot offer any fellowships. Overseas participants who wish to inquire about accommodation in Hong Kong, please write to Ms Doreen Chan, Executive officer, Department of Comparative Literature, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road (pychand fax: 852-2857-7955, 852-2859-2772).

We will soon be sending out the detailed program, schedule and application forms for the summer institute. If you are interested in our activities and would like to be on our mailing list, please send a reply email to the following email address: csgc In your email, please give us your brief personal details: your name, institution of affiliation, email address, contact phone number, corresponding address an d your research interest.

Detailed announcement for the summer institute is also available at csgc Please send all your general enquires to the email address for the summer institute: csgc, or do not hesitate to write to the following members of the organizing committee:

Dr. Esther Cheung, Comparative Literature, University of Hong
Kong (email: esther cheung fax: 852-2857-7955, phone: 852-2859-7047)

Dr. John Erni, English and Communication, City University of Hong Kong (email: john erni phone: 852-2788-9827)

Dr. Stephen Chan, Cultural Studies, Lingnan University (email:
stephen chan phone: 852-2616-7492)