Dr. T.Y. Wang, university professor and chair of the Department of Politics and Government, served as a roundtable panelist at the Conference on Hong Kong Politics held at Princeton University, November 3-4. The conference aims to explore creative ways of promoting Hong Kong studies after the Chinese Communist government in Beijing implemented a repressive National Security Law. Hosted by Professor Emeritus Christopher Achen, the conference invited a small group of distinguished scholars specializing in Hong Kong studies.
Based on the experiences of Taiwan studies which have overcome similar challenges during the past 30 years, Wang recommends that a goal should be set to integrate Hong Kong studies with mainstream scholarship. To this end, scholars of related fields are advised to employ a comparative study approach that compares Hong Kong with other societies. The “critical case study” approach proposed by Harry Eckstein can also be adopted to verify or falsify a theoretical expectation. In addition, Wang recommends that a dedicated academic organization is needed for intellectual exchanges and networking. The organization can also serve as a platform to cultivate new Hong Kong scholars.
