Our Research identity is profoundly marked by established strength in East-West Humanities. What is distinctive about our approach to research is that our disciplines are all generally informed by ‘comparison,’ such as a regional perspective of how Asian cultures compare to one another, or a globally comparative view of how Asian cultures interact with Western ones. We have particular strength in research balancing national and transnational perspectives, as well as cosmopolitan and postcolonial ones. While upholding our traditional emphasis upon breadth in our programmes and research, we distinguish ourselves through our excellence in certain ‘pillars of strength’ such as linguistics, literatures, history, visual art and musicology.
Central to our vision is the integration of research in the Arts and humanities with AI. Artificial intelligence presents a transformative opportunity for the humanities, reshaping not only our research methodologies but also the very questions we ask and the way we educate future generations. As a faculty, we are committed to establishing ourselves as global leaders in integrating, researching, and teaching AI within the humanities.
We have established one of the world's leading research centers focused on humanistic AI, fostering cutting-edge exploration at the intersection of technology and human values. We have also launched one of the first and most successful MA programmes in AI, Ethics and Society, addressing crucial ethical considerations in AI development and application, and a pioneering BA in AI & Humanity & BEng in AI & Data Science double-degree programme, one of the first of its kind, designed to prepare students for the future of technology-infused disciplines. Supporting all of this activity is our new Arts Technology Lab (ATL), with its own tech team tasked with initiating, building, and supporting AI and digital research platforms.
The Faculty of Arts helps to distinguish HKU from other top-ranking universities in China and makes the University the perfect vantage point to reflect on China’s rise in relation to the world from humanities perspectives. For decades of its history HKU served as a source of information on the Arts and letters imported into China, and a space in which Chinese humanistic studies interacted with equivalents from outside. Arts at HKU is a place for intercultural research.
Our international perspective on Asia is a starting point for research about the wider world from the unique vantage point of Hong Kong and China’s regional and global roles past and present.
