About the Talk Professor Sautman will discuss his book, which examines international discourses about China-in-Africa using as a focus the 2011 Human Rights Watch (HRW) study of labor abuses at copper mining firms in Zambia (parent owned the (SOE) China Nonferrous Metal Mining Co.). He will also cover common myths about China role in Africa and share some experiences on conducting China-Africa research on-site.About the AuthorBoth a political scientist (PhD, Columbia University) and a lawyer (JD, UCLA; LLM NYU), Professor Sautman has taught at HKUST since 1993. His classes have covered the subjects of international law, China/US relations, contemporary China, and ethnicity and nationalismTwo of his main research areas are ethnic politics in China, and China-Africa links (political economy, labor rights, migration and interactions between Chinese and Africans, representations and perceptions of China and Chinese in Africa, etc.).For enquiries, please contact Victoria Caplan at 2358-6756.

About the TalkThe research on footwear is multidisplinary. In his book, The Science of Footwear, Prof. Goonetilleke brings together high-quality contributions from designers, biomechanists, ergonomists, engineers, podiatrists, and scientists from industry and academia. It provides a holistic view of this topic which is intriguing, yet closely relating to our everyday life. In this talk, Professor Goonetilleke will use non-technical language to discuss the importance of the design and matching of footwear in promoting people’s well-being.The Science of Footwear is available from the Library as print book as well as electronic book (call number: TS990 .S334 2013).About the AuthorProf. Goonetilleke of HKUST’s IELM department is an expert on ergonomics. He invented the first intelligent seat. As a consultant, he worked with companies like Procter and Gamble, GM, Dow, Motorola, Honeywell and many more in establishing ergonomic controls. He was also a developer of the first PC based human modelling package, Mannequin, and led the Human Factors research group at Nike in Oregon to develop high-performance footwear.For enquiry, please contact Gabi Wong at 2358-6782. 

About the TalkAfter the 1949 revolution, Chairman Mao famously proclaimed that "women hold up half the sky". During the early years of the PRC, the Communist Party worked to transform gender relations. However, some of women's past gains are being eroded in China's post-socialist era. Using the example of the recently popular trope in the media of "Leftover Women" ( 剩女) Dr. Hong Fincher shows how there has been a roll-back in women's rights relative to men; and at the same time, how this relates to how many women have not been able to benefit from the recent economic gains (especially in real estate) resulting from "reform and opening".The book has been featured in the New York Times, The Economist, The Guardian, Financial Times, Publishers Weekly, LA Review of Books, Wall Street Journal, and more media outlets.It is available in the Library (HQ 1237.5 .C5 H66 2014) About the Author Dr. Hong Fincher received her B.A. from Harvard with high honors in East Asian Languages and Civilizations. After receiving her M.A. from Stanford, she worked as a journalist on Chinese and Asian affairs (receiving many awards for her broadcast and video reporting). She is the first American to receive a Ph.D. from Tsinghua University’s Department of Sociology (July 2014). She works here at HKUST, in the Division of Social Science.For enquiries, please contact Victoria Caplan at 2358-6756.