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Hong Kong University doctoral candidate selected to conduct ecocritical research in the U.S.

2012 July 24

The Research Grants Council and Fulbright Hong Kong Scholars Awards 2012/2013 have been awarded to four doctoral research students of the University of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Wenweipo (文報) reports a recent announcement by RGC-Fulbright Hong Kong Scholars Program of four winning PhD candidates from the University of Hong Kong, to undertake 6 to 10 months academic research in the United States with a monthly grant of HK$12,000. CHU Kiu-wai, one of the winning candidates, is a second year doctoral student from the university’s School of Comparative Literature. His research in the U.S. will focus on aspects of ecocriticism in contemporary Chinese visual culture. He hopes to promote Chinese visual culture, particularly Chinese cinema, to academic circles in the west through which to increase their understanding of Chinese visual culture.

Promotion of Chinese Cinema to the West

CHU Kiu-wai is happy about his award as a junior Fulbright Scholar and will conduct his 10-month research from September at the University of Idaho. “I completed my master degree studies at Cambridge in England, have been undertaking doctoral research in Hong Kong and am looking forward to continuing my research studies in Idaho where both the university and the town are situated in a natural scenic environment from which I may gain new experience and understandings in the study of culture.”

A central focus of Chu’s research concerns aspects of Chinese visual arts under the impact of globalization. He suggests that social and drastic environmental changes, such as damages to the urban fabric and pollution in China, have been the subjects of Chinese cinema and visual arts in recent years. He hopes to expand the application of ecocritical theories and analyses from its deep-rooted [focus in English literary works], to [a broader coverage in] recent Chinese cinema and arts. He also sees the course of his Fulbright tenure as an opportunity for him to promote the diversity of Chinese cinema.

Link to the original news article:
http://paper.wenweipo.com/2012/06/25/ED1206250008.htm

2 Responses leave one →
  1. srust permalink*
    July 25, 2012

    The University of Idaho is a great choice. Jennifer Ladino teaches there in the English Dept. and they’ve just rehired Russell Meeuf to teach film courses on a long term basis. Russ’s work focuses on transnational stardom and action films which pairs nicely with Jenn’s work on ecocriticism. I’m sure Chu will find talented folks all over the Northwest to work with. Here at U Oregon Chu may be interested in attending the Cinema Pacific festival in April. The purpose of the festival is to develop deeper ties between Asian and US cinema.

    Good luck!

    • Kiu-wai Chu permalink
      August 1, 2012

      Thanks for posting this up Pietari.
      And thanks also for the useful information you supplied, Stephen!
      I’m happy to go to Moscow, Idaho with Scott Slovic as my project supervisor. He has only just moved there to a new post in UoI. I looking forward to meeting Jennifer Ladino, Russell Meeuf and others, and you in U Oregon.
      Being new to USA, I’m interested in meeting anyone in the field and will be keeping my eyes open for any academic programs, talks and events related to ecocriticism or Asian studies, or any film festivals in the Northwest. Please keep in touch and keep me posted.

      Kiu-wai (kiuwaichu@gmail.com)

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