Book Launch "How COVID-19 Took Over the World"

Division of Public Policy Book Launch
Lessons for the Future
23/3/2023
14:00 - 16:45
G02, Shaw Auditorium, HKUST
Large

ABOUT THE BOOK TALK

 

Two perspectives arising from the wealth of socio-political revelations linked to the policies and handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in Mainland China and Hong Kong will be presented in this Book Talk. Two legal experts and authors of the chapters “Pandemic Control in China’s Gated Communities” and “Hong Kong and Greater China Response to COVID-19” will review a range of issues. These include: how the pandemic as a typical crisis case study magnified and exposed interconnected issues such as the authoritarian/ democratic political systems and people’s reaction due to social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders; the role of high-tech surveillance in a pandemic; political trust under rigid enforcement of zero-Covid policies. Rigorous censorship such as rumor-mongering punishment; grassroots urban management, and grid monitoring will also be discussed. Furthermore, by unfolding the chronicle of the pandemic in Hong Kong that is still vivid in our memory, including the vaccination controversy, divided opinions between zero Covid vs Living with Covid, and differing social contracts across Greater China, we will be able to reflect on our socio-political situation and the lessons learned.

 

 

PROGRAM RUNDOWN

 

Time

Rundown   

14:00 – 14:05

Welcome Remarks

by Prof. Alex He, HKUST

14:05 – 14:15

Introduction

by Prof. Christine Loh, HKUST

14:15 – 15:00

Author’s keynote by Prof. Hualing Fu provides a timely and compelling survey of urban responses

 

by Prof. Hualing Fu, HKU
Discussant: Prof. Xiangwei Wang 

 

15:00 – 15:30

Author’s keynote by Prof. Richard Cullen summarizes the experience in Hong Kong, with some attention to Taiwan and Singapore

 

by Prof. Richard Cullen, HKU
Discussant: Prof. Richard Fielding

 

15:30 – 16:10

Panel Discussion
Prof. Fu, Prof. Cullen, Prof. Loh, Prof. Wang, Prof. Fielding


Moderator: Prof. Naubahar Sharif, HKUST

16:10 – 16:15

Round-up

by Prof. Christine Loh, HKUST

 

16:15 – 16:45 Reception

 

Register

Prof. Hualing Fu
Warren Chan Professor of Human Rights and Responsibilities
Dean of the Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong

 

Prof. Richard Cullen
Adjunct Professor
Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong

 

Prof. Christine Loh, SBS, JP, OBE
Chief Development Strategist, Division of Environment and Sustainability, HKUST
Former Under Secretary for the Environment, HKSARG

 

 

In this book talk, a newly released book about the COVID-19 pandemic in Mainland China and Hong Kong will be presented. Two legal experts and authors of the chapters "Pandemic Control in China’s Gated Communities" and "Hong Kong and Greater China Response to COVID-19"  are invited to review a range of issues on March 23, 2023 (Thursday).

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