Programme at the forefront of research into local history

Title of Case Study: Knowing our history and heritage: Working with community and fostering public engagement

 

The Hong Kong and South China Historical Research Programme (HKSCHRP), created by the History Department of Lingnan University, stands at the forefront of research into Hong Kong’s local history. The research of Professor Lau Chi-pang had considerable impact on local communities and on Hong Kong’s primary and secondary education systems, and has been used as the basis for a variety of lectures, publications, online resources, and collaborative projects with governmental cultural bodies to promote the community’s engagement with their local history and heritage. The research impacted primary and secondary education, the public understanding of Hong Kong’s history, and regional collaboration.

 

Creating teaching kits

 

The HKSCHRP leads the research into Hong Kong’s local history. A donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust was used to establish the “Jockey Club Hong Kong History Learning Programme” in 2015. This three-year programme worked with about 60 primary and secondary schools on the implementation of related teaching and learning activities that examined Hong Kong’s history, supporting the key learning area of"Personal, Social and Humanities Education". 

 

The programme’s key output was the creation of tailor-made teaching kits which were trialed, reviewed and refined through thematic seminars, study tours, oral history workshops and mobile exhibitions. A majority of the 22 participating teachers said that these teaching kits would increase students’ interest in learning history.

 

Community cohesion

Compiling local records is helpful for the public understanding of their own society and for the enhancement of community cohesion. The HKSCHRP is committed to research in this area, and its work resulted in the publication of the first-ever village gazetteer in Hong Kong, which focused on Lin Ma Hang village, located on the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border.

 

The HKSCHRP is committed to preserving the local history of Hong Kong through collaboration with local governmental bodies. The chief beneficiaries are the residents of local communities.

 

 

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