HKCAL Kick-off Moderated Conversation
Saturday, 7 February 2026 | Online
17.00–18.30 (UK time)
We are pleased to host Researching Hong Kong from Afar as the official online kick-off event of the HKCAL Research Network for 2026.
About the event
We bring together HKCAL’s international network collaborators based in North America for a moderated conversation reflecting on the experience of researching Hong Kong across distance. Rather than formal research presentations, we have designed this session as a reflective exchange, focusing on questions of positionality, location, and research practice in work on Hong Kong.
Drawing on different disciplinary backgrounds and research trajectories, our speakers will share perspectives shaped by their own routes into Hong Kong–related research and by working across geographical contexts and research environments. The conversation will be followed by time for audience questions and discussion.
Speakers
- Zoe Lam (University of British Columbia)
A linguist and language instructor whose research focuses on Cantonese, language variation, and heritage language communities in Hong Kong and the global Cantosphere. - Genevieve Leung (University of San Francisco)
A linguist whose work examines Cantonese in relation to language, culture, and identity, with particular attention to Hong Kong-related cultural expression in diasporic and transnational contexts. - Jean-François Dupré (Université TÉLUQ)
A political scientist whose research engages with Hong Kong from comparative and transnational perspectives, including the experience of researching Hong Kong from a distance.
Moderator
- Michael Tsang (Birkbeck, University of London)
Who should attend?
The event is open to:
- researchers working on Hong Kong across disciplines
- postgraduate and early-career researchers
- anyone interested in questions of distance, positionality, and research practice in Hong Kong–related work
No prior affiliation with HKCAL is required.
Registration
The event is free, but registration is required.
Registration closes on Wednesday, 4 February 2026.