HKU Sociology

27/10/2026

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓–𝟐𝟔

The Department of Sociology at The University of Hong Kong is delighted to announce that Professor Peng Wang has received the Social Sciences Outstanding Research Output Award 2025–26 in the 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 category for his book, Extralegal Governance: The Social Order of Illegal Markets in China, published by Cambridge University Press in 2025.

The award recognises the significance of Professor Wang’s research output and its potential impact on the discipline. The Selection Committee reached its decision on the basis of recommendations from external assessment reports, alongside its consideration of the work’s scholarly significance and potential disciplinary contribution.

The Department warmly congratulates Professor Wang on this achievement and the recognition of his scholarship.

24/10/2026

Information Day Mock Lecture 1: Introduction to Criminology
📅 Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
🕑 Time: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
📍 Venue: CPD-2.37, 2/F, Centennial Campus
🗣️ Speaker: Professor Peng Wang, Associate Professor

Information Day Mock Lecture 2: Technology, Anthropologically
📅 Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
🕑 Time: 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
📍 Venue: CPD-2.37, 2/F, Centennial Campus
🗣️ Speaker: Dr. Marco Montagner, Lecturer

23/10/2026

𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫: 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐚: 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞, 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬

Drawing on more than 100 interviews, field observations, and autoethnographic research conducted between 2015 and 2025, this talk examines changes in China’s social science community over the past decade. Following the career trajectories of early-career scholars, it explores how an oversupplied academic labour market, “up-or-out” employment systems, performance metrics, competition for research funding, and professional networks shape both academic careers and knowledge production. These findings may encourage further discussion of sociological issues such as organizational dependence, career precarity, the autonomy of the academic field, and the organization of knowledge production. The talk will be of interest to students and researchers concerned with social change in China, higher education, academic labour, and knowledge production.

About the speaker:
Weishan Miao is a Professor at Renmin University of China. He has held visiting appointments at universities and research institutions across Asia, Europe, Australia, and the United States, and has a strong interest in interdisciplinary and cross-field collaboration. His main research focuses on emerging forms of inequality at the intersection of digital media, culture, and society. For more than a decade, he has also conducted research on China’s higher education system, academic labour, and knowledge production, culminating in a monograph based on this long-term work. His research has been published in leading international journals, including Journal of Communication, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, and New Media & Society, and has received several best paper awards at major international conferences.

📅 Date: 26 October 2026 (Monday)
🕑 Time: 10:00am - 11:30am
📍 Venue: CJT-9.29
🗣️ Language: English

15/10/2026

🚀𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆.

What drives human behaviour? How can we solve social challenges? What careers will shape tomorrow's world?

Discover the possibilities at 𝗛𝗞𝗨 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 with the 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀.

Join our 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀, 𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀, 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀 and 𝗹𝗮𝗯 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘀 to experience what it's like to learn, explore and make an impact at HKU.

✨ Learn about our undergraduate programmes
✨ Get insider tips on admissions and campus life

Whether you're interested in 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲, 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤, 𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲, 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲, or 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬, this is your chance to experience life at HKU Social Sciences firsthand.

📅 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟰, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 (𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆)
📍 HKU Centennial Campus

🔗 Learn more about our activities: https://www.socsc.hku.hk/hkufossadmissions/

👉 Ready to explore your future? 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟒 and experience HKU Social Sciences for yourself.

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07/10/2026

𝐃𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐚𝐤 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐔𝐍 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬

Dr Ming Tak Kalwan Kwan, Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), delivered a presentation sharing Hong Kong’s experience in prison management at the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on 1 October 2026. He joined the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) delegation at the Congress, where ICAC and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) jointly launched Integrity Behind Bars: A Guide on Corruption Risk Management in Prison Systems.

The Guide was co-launched by Mr Woo Ying-ming, ICAC Commissioner and President of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), and Ms Monica Juma, Executive Director of UNODC. Developed with international expert input, the publication provides practical guidance to help prison authorities identify corruption risks and strengthen integrity in prison governance. It covers staff recruitment and training, procurement and financial controls, reporting mechanisms, oversight and inspections, prison intelligence, and the use of technology.

During the preparation of the Guide, Dr Kwan and Dr Peng Wang, both from HKU’s Department of Sociology, were invited to contribute their expertise alongside 16 other international experts. Through exchanges of research findings, professional knowledge and experiences across different jurisdictions, they contributed to the development of practical guidance on preventing corruption in prison systems.

At the Congress, Dr Kwan shared Hong Kong’s experience in prison management, while ICAC Principal Investigator Ms Bonnie Wong Kar-man discussed law enforcement experiences in combating prison corruption. Their contributions brought perspectives on prison governance and anti-corruption enforcement to the international discussion.

The participation of Dr Kwan and Dr Wang in the Guide’s development highlights the Department of Sociology’s engagement with international organisations and practitioners on prison governance and anti-corruption. It also illustrates how academic knowledge and professional expertise can contribute to the development of guidance for addressing challenges in correctional institutions.

06/10/2026

[𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟕/𝟐𝟖]

Our Master of Social Sciences programme in the field of Sociology [MSocSc(Sociology)] provides an innovative, problem-based approach to sociology that highlights the vital role of sociology in understanding and responding to society’s most pressing challenges. We offer comprehensive training in research design, methods and implementation. Our unique broad-based programme structure features courses that encompass the Department of Sociology’s four key strengths: sociology, criminology, media & cultural studies, and population & policy analysis.

Our programme is ideally suited for those wanting to:​
- attain research and analytical skills to advance their professional careers in the public sector or private industry
- receive advanced training in sociology to prepare for application for further doctoral studies

In this programme, we aim to provide you with:
- the ability to critically analyze social phenomena, apply theoretical frameworks, and utilize appropriate research methods to investigate complex social issues
- advanced research skills, including the ability to design and conduct empirical studies, collect and analyze data, and interpret findings to contribute to the field of sociology
- the ability to effectively communicate sociological concepts and research findings to both academic and non-academic audiences through written reports, presentations, and other forms of communication
- an understanding of ethical principles in sociological research and practice, and be equipped to address social inequalities and advocate for social justice within your work
- a capacity for independent and critical thinking, enabling you to identify and address social issues, propose innovative solutions, and contribute to the development of sociological knowledge and practice

𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞:
- Full Time (one year, with classes on evenings, occasional weekends and optionally during daytime)
- Part Time (two years, with classes on evenings and occasional weekends and optionally during daytime)

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:
September 2027

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞:
Monday, March 1, 2027, 12noon HKT
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, early application is strongly advised.
More details: https://sociology.hku.hk/taught-postgraduate/tpg-sociology

𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫:
Thursday, October 22, 2026, 4-5pm HKT
Registration: https://hku.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d1lGj4F67C8uWOi?hkufoss=xT7k2P

06/10/2026

[𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟕/𝟐𝟖]

The Master of Social Sciences in the field of Criminology [MSocSc(Crim)] is the first and long-established postgraduate criminology programme in Hong Kong. It offers a professional qualification for practitioners in criminal justice and related fields, and provides a foundation for advanced research degree studies in the discipline.

Offered since 1986, the programme is designed for people:

- Who intend to start or already have a career in the police, the law, corrections, non-governmental organisations and related agencies;
- Who want to complement their skills through the academic study of crime and criminal justice;
- Who work in government, commerce, security and risk management, journalism, teaching, and other areas where a knowledge of criminology would be professionally helpful;
- Who wish to increase their technical and conceptual skills through an advanced university education;
- Who wish to pursue research studies in criminology.

On completion of the programme, students should:

- Be able to apply a social-sciences approach to the study of crime and deviance;
- Be able to understand a variety of contemporary developments in criminology and related social-policy issues;
- Have possessed professional knowledge of the role of social sciences, including law and psychiatry, in understanding crime and criminal justice;
- Be equipped with the theoretical and practical skills to investigate these core areas within criminology.

𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞:
Full Time (one year)
Part Time (two years)

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:
September 2027

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬:
Main round: 12:00 noon (GMT +8), 13 November, 2026
1st Clearing round: 12:00 noon (GMT +8), 15 January, 2027
2nd Clearing round: 12:00 noon (GMT +8), 1 March, 2027
More details: https://sociology.hku.hk/taught-postgraduate/tpg-criminology

𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫: Tuesday, October 20, 4-5pm
Registration: https://hku.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d1lGj4F67C8uWOi?hkufoss=xT7k2P

30/09/2026

𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐬: 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭

Liberal democracies are divided—and increasingly so. Yet precisely what divides them remains a matter of ongoing dispute. According to Hunter’s classic “Culture War” thesis, the core cleavage is that between secular modernists and religious traditionalists. Norris and Inglehart, by contrast, stress the split between highly educated, younger post-materialists and less educated, older cultural conservatives. While Goodhart frames the conflict as pitting “Anywhere” cosmopolitans and “Somewhere” communitarians. In this presentation I offer a cultural sociological account of the cultural-cum-moral landscape, which integrates and builds upon the insights of these accounts, while at the same time departing from them. I argue the “Culture War” that characterizes liberal democracies in the twenty-first century, far from being dualistic, is best conceived as triadic in nature. What is more, many of today’s most heated cultural conflicts derive less from the clash of incommensurable moral visions, than from a clash of distinct iterations of the selfsame cultural-cum-moral tradition—romantic expressivism. Specifically, I maintain that the fault lines track the differences between a liberal romanticism, a left-wing radical romanticism, and a right-wing reactionary romanticism. Leveraging the tools of cultural sociology, this article seeks to bring to light the remarkable extent to which romantic expressivism suffuses the cultural imaginary of twenty-first century liberal democracies.

About the speaker:
Galen Watts is Assistant Professor in the sociology and legal studies department at the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on cultural and institutional change in liberal democracies since the 1960s—with a focus on the spheres of religion, morality, work, and politics. His first book, The Spiritual Turn: The Religion of the Heart and the Making of Romantic Liberal Modernity, published in 2022 with Oxford University Press, won the 2023 Society for the Scientific Study of Religion’s Distinguished Book Award, as well as an Honorable Mention for the 2023 Best Book Award from the American Sociological Association’s Section on Altruism, Morality and Social Solidarity. In 2026, he won the Canadian Sociological Association’s Early Investigator Award. You can find out more about him and his work at his website: www.galenwatts.ca.

📅 Date: 22 October 2026 (Thursday)
🕑 Time: 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
📍 Venue: Room 9.29, 9/F, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU
🗣️ Language: English
🔗 https://sociology.hku.hk/events/477952b6-6dd3-446a-8b20-54f1576919d2

HKU Sociology The University of Hong Kong HKU Social Sciences

16/09/2026

Prospective students interested in applying for the PhD/MPhil programme under the Department of Sociology are welcome to attend the “Admission Talk for the Faculty of Social Sciences and School of Future Media” during HKU’s PhD & MPhil Info Day, from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm on October 12, 2026 (Monday).

Thinking about a PhD or MPhil at HKU? 🎓✨

Wondering how to kickstart the next chapter of your academic journey? Or just simply curious about the lives of PhD and MPhil students?

Join the HKU PhD & MPhil Info Day 2026 to find out more about postgraduate research studies at HKU. Learn more about our programmes and funding opportunities, and connect with academics, students and fellow researchers.

Whether you already have a research topic in mind or are still discovering where your interests may lead, this is your opportunity to ask questions, gain practical insights and take the next step with confidence.

Register at https://gradsch.hku.hk/infoday2026 and stay tuned for more information!

📅 12 Oct 2026 (Mon)
🕒 3:30 - 6:30 pm (GMT+8)
📍 Centennial Campus, HKU or via Zoom
🗣️ All sessions will be conducted in English

08/09/2026

The Department of Sociology is pleased to announce the recipients of the inaugural 2025/2026 Sociology Teaching Awards. Established to recognize excellence in teaching and learning, the awards honour outstanding contributions by teaching staff in the Department.

𝐋𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝
𝐃𝐫. 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐠
Dr. Tong is recognized for her outstanding contributions to teaching and learning, including innovative curriculum development, engaging pedagogical practices, and dedicated mentorship of students. Through her commitment to high-quality teaching and student learning, she has made a significant contribution to the Department's educational mission and enriched the learning experiences of students across a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝
𝐌𝐬. 𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐮𝐤 𝐊𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐥𝐞
Ms. Wong is recognized for her student-centred approach to teaching, her ability to foster inclusive and engaging learning environments, and her dedication to supporting students' academic development. Her thoughtful facilitation of tutorials, commitment to constructive feedback, and exceptional care for student learning have earned high praise from both students and teaching staff.

The Department congratulates Dr. Tong and Ms. Wong on this well-deserved recognition and thanks all applicants for their commitment to teaching excellence and student learning. The high quality of submissions received this year reflects the Department's strong culture of teaching and learning excellence.

Prof. Tarani Chandola
Head of Department

https://sociology.hku.hk/news/97