The opening of the China Europa Centre at PolyU recently is hailed as an important milestone to facilitate society-to-society dialogue between Europe and China by strengthening the role of Hong Kong as a bridge between the two poles of the Eurasian Continent.

In this issue, Dr Yu Shuo (picture on right, first from right) will share with us the mission and work of the newly established Centre.  Dr Yu, an anthropologist on transcultural studies, has moved from her base in Paris to join PolyU’s Faculty of Humanities as an Associate Professor for the worthy cause of setting up the China Europa Centre in Hong Kong. She has been serving as founder and Coordinator General of the China-Europa Forum.

1/ What is the mission of the Centre?

Jointly founded by the China-Europa Forum Foundation and PolyU Faculty of Humanities, the Centre is established with a mission to promote transcultural communication through convergence of ideas. It will seek to promote, facilitate, host and organize activities to deepen Hong Kong and China’s understanding of Europe and reciprocally.

2/ What are its plans for the future?

The Centre is committed to enhancing exchanges of experiences and traditional wisdom, jointly conducting academic researches, facilitating direct contacts between scholars, students, social actors and opinion leaders of both sides in order to explore new human relations.

It will try to be a laboratory for models of living-together in the transcultural reality of the world and to form joint efforts to tackle common challenges in the current historical transition.

With its packed schedule of academic exchange activities in the pipeline, the Centre is also expected to contribute to further internationalization of the University.

3/ What are the Centre’s recent activities? 

In collaboration with the China-Europa Forum Offices, the Centre has started a column on the European debt crisis and its reflection in the Hong Kong Economic Journal (HKEJ) Monthly.

Since its launch in February 2012, theinterview series has already covered Mr Michel Rocard, former Prime Minister of France [Click to read the article (in Chinese)] ; Mr Paul Tran Van Thinh; former delegate of EU in WTO; and influential thinkers Mr Edgar Morin and Mr Patrick Viveret.

4/ Who will be the next interviewee for the column in HKEJ Monthly?

Mr Pascal Canfin, European Parliament Member and French Minister Delegate for Development (attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), will be the next interviewee to share his views on Europe after the elections, resolution and its relation with China.