22/10/2024 - Hong Kong: City on the Edge

WHEN: 22. October 2024, 12:00-13:20

WHERE: MUP Prague-Strašnice building, Dubečská 900/10, Prague, Room 205

SPEAKER: Markéta Moore

Markéta Moore is a Czech academic and analyst residing in Hong Kong since 1997. She has gained her Ph.D. in Chinese studies from the University of Hong Kong, and her thesis on international migration and Chinese communities in East Central Europe was recognized as the best in the field of sociology. Besides teaching at various universities, Markéta has worked as a  stringer for the BBC Czech language desk and the Czech Radio.

Hong Kong is a city with enormous drive and energy. Since 1842, it has transformed itself from a "barren rock" into one of the most shining British colonies in the Far East, eventually becoming an international financial center. Since its handover from British administration back to Chinese rule in 1997, Hong Kong’s ability to reinvent itself has been under scrutiny. Is today’s Hong Kong thriving, surviving, or dying? Or is it “dead,” as some Western media have suggested? During the talk, we will attempt to find answers to these questions by exploring Hong Kong’s complex relationship with China, with itself, and with the world. Case studies of recent changes in the legal system, social and cultural spheres, and the media will help us understand Hong Kong’s current situation and possible ways forward.