Dr Heim, Otto
Before coming to HKU in February 2001, I taught at several universities in Switzerland, where I also received my PhD, at the University of Basel, with a dissertation on Māori fiction in English. My main research interest, in the field of postcolonial studies, has evolved from this and currently focuses on writing from the Pacific region, or Oceania, specifically poetry and theatre. My second research interest is in American studies, especially its transnational and cross-cultural dimensions, and the critique of imperialism. I am particularly interested in studying the role of literary practices in globalized cultural and political contexts and their relationship with popular traditions and cultural memory. I am currently working on a book-length study of the theatrical work of Samoan playwright John Kneubuhl, supported by a grant from the General Research Fund. I am also collaborating with colleagues on a research project on “practices of literary culture” and, as a member of the Island Cities and Urban Archipelagos research network, co-organizing the second ICUA conference at HKU in March 2016.
At HKU I have served on multiple committees and boards in various capacities and was an Associate Dean and Chairman of the Board of Examiners in the Faculty of Arts from 2006 to 2010 and Head of the School of English from 2010 to 2013. I am currently the Undergraduate Coordinator for English Studies.
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