Introduction

The Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (IHSS) at Lingnan University was established in September 2001 with the aim of promoting inter- and multi-disciplinary research, academic discourse, and international dialogue across the various disciplines in the arts and social sciences.  The IHSS encompasses a number of research centres: the Asia-Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies (APIAS), the Centre for Asian Pacific Studies (CAPS), the Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS), and the Environmental Studies Programme (ESP) in the social science areas; and the Centre for Humanities Research (CHR) and the Kwan Fong Cultural Research and Development Programme (KFCRD) in the humanities areas.  

The IHSS is dedicated to promoting local and international research activities that encompass the interests of different disciplines in the arts and social sciences.  The activities and projects of IHSS are of three major kinds: first, projects that cut across the boundaries between the humanities and social sciences; second, theme conferences and seminars that facilitate the exchange and cross-fertilisation of ideas and insights from various disciplines; and, thirdly, academic undertakings that may, in time, contribute to the formulation of a major or minor interdisciplinary programme, consistent with the philosophy of liberal arts education.

The establishment of the IHSS helps further to enhance the status of Lingnan University as a liberal arts institution as well as encouraging synergy between research and teaching, and among the research units under its auspices.