This is the twelfth installment of The Cocoon Goes Global, a series that gives a sense of what the philosophy profession looks like outside of the Anglophone West. This is a guest contribution by Chris (C.J.) Atkinson, Visiting Scholar at Lingnan University and part-time Lecturer at the University of Hong Kong:
A Philosopher in Hong Kong
It wouldn’t be quite right to start an entry about life as a philosopher in Hong Kong without mentioning the ongoing protests. Originally known as the ‘summer of discontent’, the movement has now continued on well into the winter, and it’s not at all clear when (or how) it will end. Since the protests began on the 9th of June, millions of people have taken to the streets to stand, in broad strokes, against the ever-increasing influence of Beijing in Hong Kong. As the situation has unfolded, many people have been affected in one way or another, not least university students and academics. Indeed, the students of Hong Kong have, on the whole, been the heart of the movement. Because of this, all universities were forced to close for the final weeks of the autumn term, with two in particular—the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University—becoming epicentres of clashes between protestors and police. It is these incidents, along with many others around the city, that have generated the widely shared images that have recently put Hong Kong on the forefront of the international conscience. Images of large-scale protests, clashes between protestors and police, gang attacks, petrol bombs, and tear gas.
However, as important as these events are for the future of Hong Kong, this is not the city I want to talk to you about here. I would much rather introduce you to the city that I have come to know over the majority of my five years here as a philosopher; both as a student and a full-time academic. And to the city that, I hope, Hong Kong will continue to be. For many, I expect that Hong Kong is not the most obvious choice for pursuing a philosophy career (it certainly wasn’t for me when, as a master’s student in the U.K., I first saw an email advertising the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme—more on that in a minute); but there are in fact many opportunities here for philosophers working at all levels. My aim, then, is to give you a broad overview of what these opportunities are, while also giving you an insight into what it is like to be a philosopher in this unique—and ordinarily very peaceful—city.
Philosophy in the City
There are eight government funded universities in Hong Kong. Of which, five have dedicated philosophy departments offering full-time philosophy courses (from undergraduate level up). Between these universities, a wide range of major areas in philosophy are represented, perhaps more than is usually so in any given university city. To give you a rough idea, Lingnan University and the University of Hong Kong have philosophers working in analytic and eastern philosophy; the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Baptist University maintain a focus on continental philosophy, eastern philosophy, and comparative philosophy, with Baptist University also specialising in religious traditions; and the City University of Hong Kong is home to the specialist ‘Centre for East Asian and Comparative Philosophy’. For anyone interested in being a philosopher in Hong Kong, this means that there is a good chance that you can find like-minded philosophers working in the same (or closely related) areas. Moreover, there are many opportunities for funding philosophical research in Hong Kong, which I would like to make more people aware of, both for students and professor alike.
Research Masters (MPhils)
At the master’s level, all of the above universities have funding available (fees and/or maintenance) for students who are accepted onto their MPhil courses. I want to draw attention to this because it is, to my mind, one of the best opportunities for pursuing a research master’s in the world. The stipends, depending on the department, are in the region of HKD100,000–180,000 (approx. USD12,800-23,100) per annum, and are typically awarded for two years.[1]
Anyone interested in doing a research master’s in philosophy should really be aware of this opportunity (and professors too—let your students know!) It is a great chance for students to get some idea of what a life of philosophical research is really like—without being as broke as a typical postgraduate student. Studying an MPhil in Hong Kong can also be a valuable step up the academic ladder. In recent years, MPhil students from Lingnan University (my home institution) have gone on to pursue PhDs at places such as the University of Manchester in the UK, and the University of California, San Diego. I wish I’d known about this before I took out a huge loan to do my own master’s in the U.K.!
PhD Fellowships
Doing a PhD in Hong Kong is also a very attractive option. The Research Grants Council (RGC), which is the central academic funding body in Hong Kong, is currently making a serious effort to attract the ‘best and brightest students from all over the world’ to undertake doctoral degrees. In 2009, the RGC established the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS). This scheme has provided in the region of 200+ new students funding every year to carry out PhDs (across all subjects). The funding covers three years of research, and provides the awardee with a yearly stipend of HKD309,600 (approx. USD39,000) plus an additional HKD12,900 (approx. USD1,700) for research related activities (field work, conferences, etc.). This has to be one of the most generous PhD scholarships available. Plus, some universities offer their own incentives to PhD students, such as funding for an extra year and tuition fee waivers. (For more information, see the HKPFS website: https://cerg1.ugc.edu.hk/hkpfs/index.html.)
Given that the HKPFS is available across all subject areas, it can be very competitive. Nonetheless, they are being awarded to philosophers, which is having a noticeable effect on the postgraduate community. My own time in Hong Kong began with one of these fellowships in 2014, and since then the number of philosophy PhD students at Lingnan alone has increased threefold. Also, given the close proximity of the universities in Hong Kong, there is always the chance to interact with postgraduates working in other departments. Events to this end are, in fact, occasionally organised directly by the RGC in their efforts to encourage networking.
Postdoctoral Fellowships
A final research opportunity—before we reach permanent positions—is the recently announced Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme (PDFS), which will have its first intake of postdoctoral researchers in 2020. This is again run by the RGC, and like the PhD fellowships, the purpose is to attract international researchers working across all subjects, including philosophy. With only 50 of these fellowships currently available per year, they are set to be very competitive. However, for the support they provide, it is well worth making the effort to apply. Once again, for the career stage, the awards are considerable. For a period of three years the PDFS offer HKD396,000 (approx. USD50,800) per annum, which includes some financial support designated for research related activities. No doubt as time goes on these fellowships will only further help to strengthen Hong Kong’s philosophical community. (For more information, see the PDFS website: https://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/pdfs.html.)
Careers
That brings us to permanent academic positions—positions which young philosophers like me view from a distance with a feeling of lustful desire. As with most places, academic positions at the level of assistant professor and above are incredibly competitive. From my experience, in Hong Kong, these positions have typically attracted young academics who are just finishing PhDs or postdocs, and who already have excellent publication records.
For philosophers who do get a permanent position in Hong Kong, there are both pros and cons to consider. On the plus side, there is a good philosophical community which, as I have mentioned, spans across a number of universities. The RGC is willing to support philosophy projects, so in addition to the programmes mentioned above, funding is available for research and academic activities. The teaching load is a fairly typical 2/2. There are regular seminars by local and visiting academics during term time. For instance, both Lingnan University and the University of Hong Kong have (almost) weekly seminars, usually followed by a meal and drinks—the schedules for which can be found on the respective philosophy department websites. And there are also a number of international conferences that regularly take place. In the last few years, at Lingnan University, there have been conferences on Methodology (2015),[2] Expressivism (2016),[3] the Ontology of Art (2018),[4] and Structural Realism (2019),[5] each of which has attracted renowned international speakers.
On the down side, working in Hong Kong can be extremely intense. This is the same for philosophers as it is for anyone else. The universities here are pushing to be (and to remain) among the best in the world, with a particular interest in achieving high positions in the university rankings. This results in extremely high expectations for philosophers, and there is a clear ‘publish or perish’ culture. This can be tough for some, especially non-tenured professors. Philosophy in Hong Kong is, like other professions, very much a part of the rat race.
Life in Hong Kong
That gives you some idea of the opportunities and activities that are available for philosophers in Hong Kong. Finally, I just want to say a few general things about what life is like here. As with academic life itself, there are both pros and cons to living in Hong Kong. For me, by far the greatest disadvantage to living here is the cost of living. For a small one bedroom flat, you’d be lucky to find anything for less than HKD10,000 (approx. USD1,280) per month—and that is really at the extremely low end. Maintaining a social life can also be expensive, with beer prices at HKD70-80+ (USD9-10+) and a coffee often costing around HKD50 (USD6.4). Now, for full-time professors, who are on a good salary in Hong Kong, this concern is minimised; and there are ways of avoiding these problems for people on lower salaries (or studentships)—such as by finding a flat-share and drinking less… beer). But this is something to keep in mind because it can make living in Hong Kong less than ideal.
Nevertheless, to experience living in Hong Kong for a few years is definitely still worth it. As the old selling point goes, Hong Kong is the perfect mix of East and West. This truly does make for a unique city, one of stark contrasts. From street food to fine-dining, from the skyscrapers of Victoria Harbour to the nature trails of Sai Kung, from the museums and parks to the dodgy back alleys of Wan Chai, there is so much to experience here. Of course, not all of these contrasts are good, and there is a lot that could be improved in Hong Kong, but what really matters is that, for any philosopher who gets the chance to live and work here, their life is sure to be enriched by what Hong Kong has to offer.
So, while the situation in Hong Kong remains uncertain, this should not put anyone off taking the chance to further pursue their philosophy careers here. If peaceful resolutions can be found to the protests—as we must hope they will—and if the general interest in improving and supporting universities continues, then there is every reason to be optimistic about the future of academic philosophy in Hong Kong.
[1] For precise details about MPhils, it’s best to contact the relevant philosophy departments or potential supervisors directly.
[2] https://www.ln.edu.hk/philoso/?page_id=1590
[3] https://www.ln.edu.hk/philoso/seminar/info/news_1516_2nd_conference2016.html
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