The View | Work with universities overseas to tell Hong Kong’s story to the world
- Hong Kong’s unique political system can serve as a case study for those studying policy in institutions around the world
- Collaborating with universities can foster a better understanding of our city, and China as a whole, among the policymakers of the future
One demographic that should also be included in our city’s overseas outreach campaign is the next generation of policymakers currently studying at universities around the world. Although they may be a relatively young audience, they are also an important and sophisticated one, likely to be eager to look beyond media headlines to appreciate the intricacies of policymaking in Hong Kong and mainland China.
This is where case studies can help. The case study method is an underexplored yet promising avenue for promoting an understanding of political systems that are different from those in Western countries, be they rare or novel like Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems”, or difficult for outsiders to fully comprehend, as in the case of mainland China.
A case study lays out the broad political, social, economic and historical context of a situation in an unbiased way, encouraging lively debates and discussions. Cases can complement lectures and visits by current or former government leaders, contributing to the overall effort to foster an understanding of Chinese policy and politics.
Although Harvard Business School in the US celebrated its 100th anniversary of using the case study method last year, the pedagogy on the whole remains less common at policy schools than business schools. Political leaders may have reservations about being featured as real-world protagonists facing real-world problems, as is common in case studies. As an alternative, narrative or research-based case studies that do not revolve around a single person could be considered.
