The Science, Technology and Medicine Seminar (STMS) series, co-hosted by the Medical Ethics and Humanities Unit and the Department of History at the University of Hong Kong, promotes cutting edge cross-disciplinary research that straddles the arts, sciences, and medicine. The aim is to provide a friendly forum to debate and test new ideas, papers, chapters, book projects and grant proposals, as well as topical issues and individual research.
If you are interested in joining, or participating in future seminars, please let us know. We welcome suggestions for future presentations and discussion topics.
For further information about STMS activities,
please contact Dr Ria Sinha at riasinha@hku.hk, or Dr Carol Tsang at cctsang1@hku.hk.
Upcoming seminar:
17 Nov 2025 (Monday) | 12:30-2:00 pm | Arts Faculty Lounge (4/F Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus)
Title: A nexus of Networks, Science and Empire: Hong Kong Botanical Gardens
Speakers:
Mr Vincent HO (Research Associate, Department of History, Hong Kong Baptist University)
Miss Novem Tsz Wing HO (Project Associate (Teaching & Learning), Department of History, Hong Kong Baptist University)
Abstract:
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Hong Kong Botanical Gardens was the only British-owned botanical garden in the China region. With its close connection between the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew and Colonial Office, the Gardens became, on the one hand, a space of intersection between diverse interests; on the other hand, it served as “the headquarters of investigation” for British botanical research. Under the efforts of the Superintendent, the Gardens gradually evolved into a regional centre in the Far East for botanical studies.
By investigating the early development of the Gardens, this presentation will re-examine the role and functions of Hong Kong in both the imperial and transnational scientific communities in the late19th and the early 20th century. We will also highlight how the rich collection of archives stored at Kew Gardens can enhance our understanding of Hong Kong’s position within the networks of British imperial botany that supported its informal empire in China. Furthermore, we aim to illustrate connections between the history of science and Hong Kong studies.
Bios:
Mr Vincent Ho is a Research Associate in the Department of History at Hong Kong Baptist University, while Novem Tsz Wing Ho serves as a Project Associate (Teaching & Learning) in the same department. Their research focuses on the history of science and the environment during the British colonial period in Hong Kong. They are currently collaborating on a project that examines the Hong Kong Botanical Gardens and the Forestry Department. Their most recent publication has been featured in Environment and History, the Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, and the Journal of the History of Collections.