GE2021-26
We are living in a globalised world with news circulating across the Internet in an instant. Just by tapping your smartphone, you can catch a glimpse of the latest news happening thousands of miles away. To facilitate some in-depth understanding and discussion on significant international and regional news, Global News Chat invites students from various backgrounds to share their personal views and insights on the issues that they care about.
If you want to hear and share the latest developments on the topics below and how they are related to you, please do not miss this chance, register and join us on Global News Chat! Prior knowledge about the issues is not required; come along and learn more from our peers.
▍Session #1: Looking into the cloistered side of the cities – Urban Villages in China
The problem of urban villages has long been an intricate issue in many developing countries including China which is one of the fastest developing economies. Due to incoherence in systems like law and property rights over urban and rural land, the problems derived from urban villages are becoming more urgent and critical to the fast-developing pace of the cities. A variety of voices have been made. While some support its regeneration, the others think they should be demolished. Apart from sweeping it away from the urbanised world, is it possible to keep the autonomy of these special oases in the cities?
In this session, our student hosts from Guangzhou and Hubei will share their first-hand experiences and discuss with us the current situation of urban villages all over China, together with recommendations on the policies.
Student Hosts: Kuang Yi (BA (Urban Studies) Year 1), Huang Xinyi (BA (Urban Studies) Year 1)
Language: English
Date: 18/2/2022 (Fri)
Time: 16:00 – 17:30
Mode: Online via Zoom
► Online Registration (For HKU Students ONLY) - https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?ueid=80128
▍Session #2: The impact of media stereotypes and beyond
Mass media and news reports have the power to shape how different ethnic groups are being viewed. Some of the mainstream mass media have constantly been accused of marginalis ing and labeling ethnic groups and gender minorities, which could be harmful to the image of these concerned communities. What will happen if more people have preconceived stereotypes towards different groups of people? Should the media take responsibility? And what’s next?
In this session, our student host will talk about the impact of media stereotypes on society and people from different backgrounds. She will also invite some guest speakers to share their views.
Student Host: Liu Hui, Livia (MJ Year 1)
Guest Speakers:
Ms. Medha Vernekar (Digital verification reporter at AFP Fact Check)
Mr. Kasper Forest (Award-winning Hong Kong photographer)
Language: English
Date: 25/2/2022 (Fri)
Time: 16:00 – 17:30
Mode: Online via Zoom
► Online Registration (For HKU Students ONLY) - https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?ueid=80252
▍Session #3: The Russia-Ukraine Conflict (NEW!)
World peace was once an ordinary wish made by every child, but it's now becoming precious and vulnerable. The word “War” has become one of the top rising searches on google and frequent guest of news headlines since late February. Overwhelming photos and videos of armed conflicts and bleeding are spreading all around social media. How did the history of international relationships and the judgments of heads of state set up this bloodstained conflict? What kind of changes will it lead to?
This session will focus on the build-up to the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the involvement of NATO as well as the current situation on the ground as reported. In addition, the current economic and political fallout as a result of the various sanctions and the impact it has had on the rest of the world will be discussed. We will also look into the various angles of media coverage and the ways to verify information that is available on the internet.
Student Host: Mithil Aggarwal (BEng(IELM) Year 3)
Language: English
Date: 22/3/2022 (Tue)
Time: 16:30 – 18:00
Mode: Online via Zoom
► Online Registration (For HKU Students ONLY) - https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?ueid=80778
If you want to hear and share the latest developments on the topics below and how they are related to you, please do not miss this chance, register and join us on Global News Chat! Prior knowledge about the issues is not required; come along and learn more from our peers.
▍Session #1: Looking into the cloistered side of the cities – Urban Villages in China
The problem of urban villages has long been an intricate issue in many developing countries including China which is one of the fastest developing economies. Due to incoherence in systems like law and property rights over urban and rural land, the problems derived from urban villages are becoming more urgent and critical to the fast-developing pace of the cities. A variety of voices have been made. While some support its regeneration, the others think they should be demolished. Apart from sweeping it away from the urbanised world, is it possible to keep the autonomy of these special oases in the cities?
In this session, our student hosts from Guangzhou and Hubei will share their first-hand experiences and discuss with us the current situation of urban villages all over China, together with recommendations on the policies.
Student Hosts: Kuang Yi (BA (Urban Studies) Year 1), Huang Xinyi (BA (Urban Studies) Year 1)
Language: English
Date: 18/2/2022 (Fri)
Time: 16:00 – 17:30
Mode: Online via Zoom
► Online Registration (For HKU Students ONLY) - https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?ueid=80128
▍Session #2: The impact of media stereotypes and beyond
Mass media and news reports have the power to shape how different ethnic groups are being viewed. Some of the mainstream mass media have constantly been accused of marginalis ing and labeling ethnic groups and gender minorities, which could be harmful to the image of these concerned communities. What will happen if more people have preconceived stereotypes towards different groups of people? Should the media take responsibility? And what’s next?
In this session, our student host will talk about the impact of media stereotypes on society and people from different backgrounds. She will also invite some guest speakers to share their views.
Student Host: Liu Hui, Livia (MJ Year 1)
Guest Speakers:
Ms. Medha Vernekar (Digital verification reporter at AFP Fact Check)
Mr. Kasper Forest (Award-winning Hong Kong photographer)
Language: English
Date: 25/2/2022 (Fri)
Time: 16:00 – 17:30
Mode: Online via Zoom
► Online Registration (For HKU Students ONLY) - https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?ueid=80252
▍Session #3: The Russia-Ukraine Conflict (NEW!)
World peace was once an ordinary wish made by every child, but it's now becoming precious and vulnerable. The word “War” has become one of the top rising searches on google and frequent guest of news headlines since late February. Overwhelming photos and videos of armed conflicts and bleeding are spreading all around social media. How did the history of international relationships and the judgments of heads of state set up this bloodstained conflict? What kind of changes will it lead to?
This session will focus on the build-up to the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the involvement of NATO as well as the current situation on the ground as reported. In addition, the current economic and political fallout as a result of the various sanctions and the impact it has had on the rest of the world will be discussed. We will also look into the various angles of media coverage and the ways to verify information that is available on the internet.
Student Host: Mithil Aggarwal (BEng(IELM) Year 3)
Language: English
Date: 22/3/2022 (Tue)
Time: 16:30 – 18:00
Mode: Online via Zoom
► Online Registration (For HKU Students ONLY) - https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?ueid=80778
Schedule:
| Date | Time | Venue |
| 18 Feb 2022 | 16:00 - 17:30 | Online via Zoom |
| 25 Feb 2022 | 16:00 - 17:30 | Online via Zoom |
| 22 Mar 2022 | 16:30 - 18:00 | Online via Zoom |
Bio of Instructor(s) 導師簡介:
Student Hosts:
Kuang Yi, Lily (BA (Urban Studies) Year 1)
“I’m a freshman studying Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies. I am from Guangzhou, a city with thousands of years’ history. I enjoy travelling around the cities and discovering different cultures and characteristics of the cities.”
Huang Xinyi, Joyce (BA (Urban Studies) Year 1)
“I come from Wuhan in Hubei Province, which is famous for its accessibility, diverse delicious dishes, warm-hearted characteristics, and resilience, as shown during the COVID pandemic. I love travelling and reading, as well as being passionate about promoting social welfare through human-scale urban planning methods.”
Liu Hui, Livia (MJ Year 1)
“I am a student studying Master of Journalism and also a journalist based in Hong Kong. I am interested in finding a third voice to report. I like to communicate with people from different backgrounds and reflect on current media coverage in the polaris ed society.”
Mithil Aggarwal (BEng(IELM) Year 3)
"I am a third-year engineering student majoring in Industrial Engineering and Logistics Management. I am minoring in Journalism and is currently an intern at NBC News reporting on the invasion since it began. I have written numerous pieces on the current situation, speaking with residents on the ground who have been at the centre of the war."
Guest speakers:
Medha Vernekar is currently working as a freelance digital verification reporter for Australia at AFP Fact Check. She is also studying media and communications at the University of Melbourne, with an interest in Australian politics. Medha previously worked in social media verification and curation at Storyful.
Kasper Forest is an award-winning Hong Kong photographer who started becoming obsessed with this medium since 2011, and got taken by street photography in 2016. In the same year he started a 10 years documentary - #ConflictHongKong, for which he captures the minorities living in the city.
More about Kasper: https://kasperforest.com/about/