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From politics to business, law and regulation, crime and unrest, culture and customs, religion and social organisation, and science – the digitisation of historical archives means that these aspects of past societies can be re-examined quantitatively. Victor and William Fung Professor Zhiwu Chen (Director of Asia Global Institute), also a Chair Professor of Finance, at the Faculty of Business and Economics (HKU Business School), together with other faculty members, has recently launched the Quantitative History Webinar Series to promote quantitative history research broadly.

The Quantitative History Webinar Series is a knowledge exchange platform for researchers and students in the field of economic history. Professor Chen’s webinar entitled Comparative Performance of Different Civilisations in the 2000-year History of the Maritime Silk Road, will be conducted in Putonghua on Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. via Zoom.

Open to the general public, the Series has evidently gained popularity, for example, HKU Professor Angela Leung’s webinar on Song and Qing Dynasty management of epidemics (conducted in Putonghua) attracted nearly 700 attendees watching live on Zoom. The Quantitative History Webinar Series webpage “https://www.asiaglobalinstitute.hku.hk/event-category/agifbe_hku-quantitative-history-webinar-series”, contains information of past and upcoming webinars.

Speaking of the implementation of quantitative history research, Professor Chen said, “there is a growing need for interdisciplinary research collaboration between historians and social scientists, who can add value by bringing together quantitative methods and analytical frameworks.”

Professor Chen added that the Webinar Series will facilitate the development of quantitative history studies and increase HKU’s visibility and influence. “Quantitative History research can generate novel insights for policymakers and practitioners in Hong Kong and beyond. We need to learn the right lessons from quantitative history research when deciding on today’s policy responses,” he said.

About the Speaker of Comparative Performance of Different Civilizations in the History of the Maritime Silk Road:

Professor Zhiwu Chen is a former Professor of Finance at Yale University (1999-2017). He is the director of AGI, Chair Professor of Finance at HKU Business School and Victor and William Fung Professor in Economics. His research covers finance theory, the sociology of finance, economic history, emerging markets, as well as China’s economy and capital markets. He is a frequent contributor to media publications in China on topics of economic policy, market development, institutional reform and historical research. His work has been widely published and regularly featured in major newspapers and magazines in the United States, Hong Kong, China and other countries.

About the Quantitative History Webinar Series:

A new knowledge exchange platform for researchers and students in the field of economic history. Our interactive Webinars help researchers, teachers and students to keep up to date with the latest research in the field. The Quantitative History Webinar Series is co-organized by the Asia Global Institute (AGI) and the Faculty of Business and Economics (HKU Business School) at HKU, and proudly supported by the International Society for Quantitative History.

Convenor: Professor Zhiwu Chen, AGI & HKU Business School

Coordinator: Dr. Chicheng Ma, HKU Business School

Media enquiries:

HKU Business School
Ms. Christina Chung, Assistant Director, Communications and Public Relations
(Tel: +852 3917 1692 / Email: chungmc@hku.hk)

Ms. Karis Yuen, Manager, Communications and Public Relations
(Tel: +852 3917 1552 / Email: ykaris@hku.hk)

Asia Global Institute
Ms. Beth Kwok, Senior Manager of Communications
(Tel: 3917 1274 / Email: kgkbeth@hku.hk)