Master of Arts in Chinese Historical Studies program : its half-century journey in the University of Hong Kong = 香港大學"中國歷史研究"文科碩士課程的半世紀歷程

Abstract

Established in 1974, the Master of Arts in Chinese Historical Studies (MACHS) is a long-standing program, unique to Hong Kong, that has been running for decades. The curriculum offers a comprehensive study of Chinese history in addition to systematic training for independent research. Students who take this degree are largely secondary school Chinese history teachers seeking for enhancement in the subject knowledge. While some with no access to Chinese element in their first degree approach the course with a desire to focus their previous training on China. Others are retired professionals or government officials who enjoy historical studies as a lifelong learning. Since the 2018—2019 academic year, secondary schools in Hong Kong have made Chinese History a separate compulsory subject at the junior secondary level. The Master of Arts in Chinese Historical Studies Program helps educators improve their teaching effectiveness. In 1970, Professor Ma Meng, former head of the Chinese Department, proposed the establishment of this program. In 1974, this program welcomed the first class of students. Since then, the program has overcome the challenges of its early years and ran smoothly under the leadership of Professor Chiu Ling Yeong, former head of the Chinese Department and Dean of the Faculty of Arts, for 20 years. In the new century, the program underwent a series of transformations to reach its current scale. This year, 2024, marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Master of Arts in Chinese Historical Studies, and this dissertation mainly focuses on a review of the program’s changes in administration, staffing and syllabus over the past 50 years, to provide a reference for the future development plans for this program.