Dr Peter Lee (5th from right), Chairman of the Board of The Joseph Needham Foundation for Science and Civilisation (Hong Kong); Prof. Robin Yates (5th from left), James McGill Professor (Emeritus) of Department of East Asian Studies and Department of History and Classical Studies, McGill University; Mrs Yates (2nd from left); Prof. Gordon McQuat (3rd from left); Dr Arun Bala (3rd from right) and Mrs Bala (2nd from right); Prof. Jin-Guang Teng (6th from left), President of PolyU; Prof. Christopher Chao (4th from right), Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU; Prof. Li Ping (4th from left), Dean of PolyU Faculty of Humanities; Prof. Hang Xing (1st from left), Associate Dean (Global Engagement) of PolyU Faculty of Humanities; and Prof. Han Xiaorong (1st from right), Head of PolyU Department of Chinese History and Culture
Prof. Christopher Chao, PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation) together with Prof. Li Ping, Dean of PolyU Faculty of Humanities presented souvenirs to Prof. Robin Yates, James McGill Professor (Emeritus) of Department of East Asian Studies and Department of History and Classical Studies, McGill University, and Dr Peter LEE, Chairman of the Board of The Joseph Needham Foundation for Science and Civilisation (Hong Kong).
On behalf of the Foundation, Dr Peter Lee together with Prof. Li Ping, Dr Arun Bala and Prof. Gordon McQuat presented a souvenir to Prof. Robin Yates.
The 14th Joseph Needham Memorial Lecture Series, co-hosted by the Joseph Needham Foundation for Science & Civilisation (Hong Kong) and the Faculty of Humanities at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, was successfully held at PolyU on 12 December 2024. Prof. Robin D.S. Yates from McGill University delivered an insightful lecture titled “After Needham’s The Epic of Gunpowder,” highlighting the enduring legacy of Professor Joseph Needham.
Prof. Yates began his lecture with an in-depth analysis of the Chinese and Western scholarship on Chinese warfare before and after Needham’s work, demonstrating Needham’s profound contributions to the field. While acknowledging the continuing influence of Needham’s research on gunpowder technology, Professor Yates emphasised the importance of considering the cultural and social contexts from which this technology emerged. With a wealth of new evidence discovered in recent decades, he encouraged young scholars to explore the field of Chinese military history. During the Q&A session, Prof. Yates engaged with the audience on the “Needham Question” and the prospects for Chinese military history.
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