本演講將集中探討明清時期中國的稻米種植和消費。糧食的主要功能，是養活人類。究竟一個人吃多少才夠？這一方面涉及營養問題，另一方面涉及習慣問題。如何能保障一個人吃夠？這裡則涉及主食和雜糧、不同品種的稻米的產出問題。如果這其中再加上對於不同品種稻米的口味選擇問題呢？圍繞這幾個問題，演講將以華中和華南的糧食種植和消費作為個案，論證稻米的商品化以及長途貿易出現的主要因素。

很多人會說「體育還體育，政治還政治」，但其實體育運動的發展，例如奧運和現代足球，本來就是政治性的。不少政府會利用體育運動達致政治目的，而體育運動歷史上亦曾影響大國外交，帶來政治衝突，以至影響民族認同和國家形象等。本講座將從體育運動的歷史發展開始，用不同事例說明體育運動與政治息息相關。

Soybean is an ancient crop that originated from China and has been deeply integrated into the food culture of East Asia. Modern soybean is an important economic crop in the world, providing 70% of global plant protein and 28% of vegetable oil for human and animal consumption. Soybean can reduce the use of chemical nitrogen fertilizers through symbiotic nitrogen fixation with rhizobia and hence is an integral component of sustainable agriculture. In China, more than 80% of the soybean need is dependent on imports, creating the “Soybean Crisis”. Through innovative science and technology, we can research, utilize, and generate soybean seed resources more effectively. In this lecture, we will discuss the topic of soybean from a scientific perspective.  

The relationship between heaven and humans has been essential in Chinese thought since ancient times. This lecture will first provide an overview of the various theories of the Pre-Qin, two Hans, and Song-Ming periods, and then analyze how contemporary Neo-Confucianism has offered creative interpretations of this by drawing on the intellectual resources of Song-Ming Confucianism to respond the challenges of modernity.

Women’s status in many countries have significantly improved since the 1960s, with more women being employed, receiving higher education, and becoming professionals. Domestic violence and gender discrimination has been made illegal in many countries, and safe birth controls have been made widely accessible. At the same time, women have continuously been underrepresented in leadership positions, and the majority of the victims of sexual and domestic violence are women. Just when feminists are frustrated at the stalled gender revolution, anti-feminist backlash and counter-movements have fueled the global surge of right-wing politics. Some argue that a war between the genders has been waged in the 21st century, both online and offline. Is this true? In this talk, I will try to answer this question and delineate the growing tension between women’s fight for gender equality and men’s growing anxiety about what this means for their roles both in the public and private spheres.

不久前，日本東京電力開始把福島第一核電站儲存的核廢水排入太平洋，引起很多國家的關注和環保團體的抗議。究竟福島在2011年3.11 大地震和海嘯引發的核災過後，是否如日本政府所言，生活已經復歸正常？抑或如環保團體揭露的危機處處，輻射的遺害仍在？災後福島的生活日常，除了食物安全之外，跟我們有什麼關係？講者自2014年第一次踏足福島，將以他的田野體驗來探討這些議題。