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The securitisation of education in contemporary China - insights from Hong Kong and beyond
09 March 2022, 4:00 pm–5:30 pm
In this seminar, Edward Vickers, Steve Tsang and Tejendra Pherali will discuss politics of education in China and Hong Kong.
This event is free.
Event Information
Open to
- All
Availability
- Yes
Cost
- Free
Organiser
-
Tejendra Pherali
Location
-
Room: W3.08IOE20 Bedford WayLondonWC1H 0ALUnited Kingdom
The implications of Hong Kong’s National Security Law (NSL), which came into force in July 2020, are still being worked out in many spheres - not least education.
During the protests of 2019-2020, schools and universities were widely blamed by 'patriots' for fomenting sedition among Hong Kong youth. In the aftermath of those protests, the NSL mandated an educational overhaul designed to ensure the inculcation of loyalty to China’s Communist regime.
In this event, we will discuss various measures introduced under the auspices of the NSL, and how these have been justified by the authorities and by 'patriotic' voices locally and on the mainland.
We will argue that Hong Kong’s cultural distinctiveness has in fact never been acknowledged by Beijing, and that this partly explains the tensions bedevilling Hong Kong-mainland relations.
This event will be particularly useful for those interested in politics of education, China, and education in conflict-affected contexts.
Education in Conflict and Emergencies: Seminar series
This seminar is part of this series. These seminars are designed to create an opportunity for critical debates in the subfield of education, conflict and peacebuilding and promote a critical understanding of the interactions between education, conflict and international development. We focus on theorisation of the education and conflict subfield, inequalities and armed conflicts, gender issues in conflict zones, refugee education and the role of education in post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding.
Related links
- Centre for Education and International Development (CEID)
- Department of Education, Practice and Society
Covid-19 measures
To minimise Covid-related risks for in-person attendees at our events we will facilitate social distancing where possible. In-person attendees will require a ticket to gain entry to the event. We strongly encourage attendees to wear a mask while in our buildings. We ask that those registered for our events do not attend in-person if they are showing respiratory symptoms. Thank you for your co-operation.
About the Speakers
Professor Edward Vickers
Professor of Comparative Education at Kyushu University (Japan)
Professor Vickers holds the UNESCO Chair on Education for Peace, Social Justice and Global Citizenship. He researches the history and politics of education in contemporary East Asia, especially in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland People's Republic of China (PRC), as well as the relationship between heritage and identity politics in East Asian societies. He is author (with Zeng Xiaodong) of Education and Society in Post-Mao China (2017), and co-editor of Remembering Asia's World War Two (2019). He is currently President of the Comparative Education Society of Asia.
Professor Steve Tsang
Director of SOAS China at SOAS, University of London
Professor Tsang is a frequent commentator for the BBC, including for programmes like Newsnight, BBC One News, BBC News Channel, Today, BBC World Service's various programmes such as Newshour and World Tonight. He has also appeared on Sky News, Channel 4 News, Channel 5 News, Voice of America, France 24, Channel News Asia, CNBC, Al Jazeera and Russia Today
His research interests focus on Twentieth-century Chinese history; Chinese foreign policy; China's 'peaceful rise' strategy; China's rising military might; China's soft power; China-UK relations; China-EU relations; China-US relations; China-Taiwan relations; China-Asia relations; Chinese politics; nature of political system in China; the Chinese Communist Party and democracy; human rights in China; Taiwan politics; Taiwan's external relations; Taiwan's democratisation; Taiwan's security; US-Taiwan relations; Hong Kong politics; Hong Kong's relations with mainland China; colonial history of Hong Kong.
Dr Tejendra Pherali
Associate Professor in Education and International Development at IOE
Tejendra currently leads the research theme on Education, Conflict and Peacebuilding within the Centre for Education and International Development and is the Programme Leader for the MA Education and International Development: Conflict, Emergencies and Peace.
He is involved in research projects that focus on access to and quality of learning in conflict-affected and humanitarian situations, including Afghanistan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand. He is the Chair of British Association for International and Comparative Education (BAICE) and the Editorial Board of Compare. He is also the editor of Education and Conflict Review.