Public lecture discussing heroes co-organised by Department of Cultural Studies of Lingnan

On 13 October, the Department of Cultural Studies at Lingnan University and the Department of Humanities and Creative Writing at Hong Kong Baptist University organised the Public Lecture of Vincent Woo Distinguished Visiting Scholars Programme 2023-24 at the Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District. The topic was “Heroes: Credibility, Community, and Social Aesthetics”, and it was attended by over a hundred faculty members and students.

 

Prof Meaghan Morris, Professor of Gender and Cultural Studies of The University of Sydney, and several other experts discussed the evolution of the concept of heroes in modern society with film clips and musical performances.

 

 

Prof Morris highlighted the increasingly significant importance of “ordinary heroes”, including firefighters, medical personnel, rescue workers, and cleaners, in the face of climate change and extreme conditions like the Sydney bushfires and the recent widespread flooding in Hong Kong. She also emphasised that everyone has the potential to be a hero, and there is no need to rely solely on “superheroes”.

 

Prof Meaghan Morris (second from left) encourages the appreciation of the heroes within their communities, and collective efforts to protect both local communities and the planet.