Media

Renowned playwright David Henry Hwang to open - The Summer Institute in the Arts & Humanities, HKU

13 Jul 2009

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) launched the Summer Institute in the Arts & Humanities in an inauguration ceremony today. It was officiated by renowned Chinese-American playwright David Henry Hwang along with HKU Dean of Arts Professor Kam Louie. Head of School of Humanities Prof. Daniel Chua and various guests attended the ceremony.

Chinese-American playwright David Henry Hwang expressed that the Summer Institute is a place to explore what it means to be human. The arts and the humanities are about live people connecting with other live people. He said in his speech at the inauguration ceremony, "Arts serve as a tool for communication, for Performance-based arts, where live artists share their work with live audience members. And in a way, this person-to-person experience becomes even more valuable and precious." He also shared his experience with the students where he studied at the Padua Hills Playwrights Festival, "It took art to show me how I really felt, what I really believed. You've discovered something about yourself, your own life experience in life, and the way you see the world." He also encouraged the students as he said, "Making art is about taking risks. And you're not taking enough risks unless you fail from time to time, or even often. Because success and failure are two sides of the same coin. Both are necessary for life and exploration to continue." He welcomed all the students to explore themselves and to treasure this special learning opportunity.

Presented by the Faculty of Arts, the Summer Institute is designed to reach out to the community in order to enrich the cultural life of the region and to promote critical and creative thought through innovative and dynamic programming. The theme of this year is ‘China-West', which runs during the summer from 13 July to 14 August, and will involve both local and internationally renowned scholars and artists.

The Summer Institute celebrates human culture in all its diversity through a series of scholarly and creative events, including conferences, seminars, workshops, forums, performances, public lectures, and academic courses. These events are designed for secondary school students, university students and the general public. 

For media enquiries, please contact:
Trinni Choy (Assistant Director (Media), Communications and Public Affairs Office) Tel: 2859 2606 Email: pychoy@hku.hk