Building Connections: HKU hosts Inaugural Hong Kong Economic History Workshop

Bringing together scholars from HKU, CUHK, HKUST and HKBU, the event marked the beginning of a new local academic exchange platform for economic historians.

The Centre for Quantitative History (CQH) successfully held the first Hong Kong Economic History Workshop on October 17, 2025, at May Hall, The University of Hong Kong.

As the inaugural event of this new workshop series, the meeting brought together scholars from leading local institutions — HKU, CUHK, HKUST and HKBU — to strengthen the research network among economic historians in Hong Kong and promote deeper academic exchange in the field of economic history (EH).

Speakers included Professors Ying Bai (CUHK), Sijie Hu (HKU), Yu-Hsiang Lei (HKUST), Yuqi Chen (HKU),Ting Chen (HKBU), Chun-Fung Tong (HKU), Jinlin Wei (HKUST), Sangyoon Park (HKUST), and Mark Hup (CUHK). The well-attended workshop featured thought-provoking discussions on topics such as institutional development, economic growth, and historical networks in East Asia.

Reflecting on the lively event, Professor Chicheng Ma, Associate Director of our Centre and organiser of the workshop, remarked:

“We were delighted to host this first gathering of local economic historians. The workshop provided an excellent platform for exchanging ideas and building a stronger research community in Hong Kong. We hope this will become a regular tradition that nurtures collaboration across institutions.”

The Centre extends its heartfelt thanks to the invited session chairs — Mark Hup (CUHK), Carol Shiue (HKUST and University of Colorado) and Yiming Cao (HKU) — for their support and moderation. We would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to all colleagues, students and friends who enriched the discussions through their thoughtful questions and lively participation. Last but not least, we thank the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences for providing the beautiful May Hall as the workshop venue and for offering logistical support.

We look forward to building on this positive momentum and reconnecting with everyone at future EH events.

Workshop photos are now available on our Flickr gallery.

For more information about this 2025 workshop, please visit: Hong Kong Economic History Workshop – Centre for Quantitative History

The 11^th HKU Quarterly Forum on Chinese Economy, hosted by HKU Business School’s Institute of China Economy (ICE), in partnership with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Hong Kong Alumni Association, was held on 31 July, at HKU iCube in Central, Hong Kong. Amid intensifying global technology competition, and widening K-shaped economic divergence, this year's forum focused on the theme “Technological Innovation, Opening-up, and New Logic of Economic Growth” and brought together a distinguished group of renowned scholars and experts to exchange insights. The forum attracted more than 400 registrations from business leaders, academics, alumni, and students, and more than 10,000 online participants.

Press Release

Building Connections: HKU hosts Inaugural Hong Kong Economic History Workshop