HKU Anthropology Research Network

The HKU Anthropology Research Network is a platform for anthropologists from across the University to share their work and consult on their contributions to the discipline from our perspective as cross-disciplinary anthropologists based in Hong Kong. Hosted by HKU Sociology, the Anthropology Research Network convenes a regular writing group for receiving feedback on manuscripts-in-progress, promotes anthropological events on-campus and acts as a meeting hub supporting anthropologists visiting the University.

Anthropology at HKU

While HKU does not have an independent anthropology department, the discipline has had a long presence at the University. HKU Sociology’s founding Head (1967-69), Professor Keith Hopkins, was a historian of Classical Rome who combined an anthropological interest in myth and narrative with sociological demographics to paint a dynamic picture of social change in antiquity. The second Head (1969-87), Professor Murray Groves, was an anthropologist who had conducted field research in New Guinea. Since the founding of the Department in 1966, anthropology has always been a core stream of teaching and research, in which anthropologists work closely with sociologists and criminologists. Qualitative and ethnographic methods are strongly represented in all areas of the department.

Anthropology has also always been central to the work of the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, founded by the anthropologist Helen Siu in 2001. Within the Institute, anthropologists work closely with historians and scholars of other disciplines.

More recently, the Centre for the Humanities and Medicine in the Faculty of Arts has become an important centre for medical anthropology in Hong Kong. Anthropologists also teach in the Faculty of Law and in Japanese Studies.

The HKU Anthropology Research Network, hosted by HKU Sociology, represents the latest stage in the development of anthropology within the University.

Network members

Faculty

Postdoctoral fellows

Postgraduate students

Study anthropology

Our network members teach a wide range of anthropologically-grounded courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Please see members’ personal webpages for information on the courses they teach. Some core courses in anthropology or with strong anthropological content are the following. In addition, given the strong ethnographic orientation of HKU Sociology, many sociology courses have significant overlap with anthropological themes, theories and methods.

Common Core courses

Undergraduate courses

Postgraduate courses

PhD/MPhil programmes

Individuals wishing to undertake a research postgraduate degree in anthropology are advised to approach individual Faculty members (listed above) who best match their research interests with preliminary research project proposals.

Contact

For enquires regarding the HKU Anthropology Research Network, please contact Professor David Palmer (palmer19@hku.hk).

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