Sustainable Arts and Humanities
Research Statement
What does it mean for the arts and humanities to be sustainable — and for sustainability to be artistic and humanistic? The Sustainable Arts and Humanities cluster pursues both questions at once. It examines how humanities scholarship, arts practice, and cultural institutions can contribute to sustainable futures; and it experiments with sustainable models for humanities research itself: collaborative, publicly engaged, and connected to the institutions where culture is made, kept, and shared.
The cluster's work spans art–science collaboration, cultures of care and repair, sustainability in museums, galleries, and the wider cultural sector, and curatorial and digital practice as modes of humanities research. It hosts the Centre's flagship funded project in this area and its principal public programme, the Sustainability in Humanities Speakers' Series, and it anchors the Centre's engagement with Hong Kong's cultural institutions, including those of the West Kowloon Cultural District. Through its events, publications, and the Centre's Working Paper Series, the cluster serves as a meeting point for established scholars, early-career researchers, artists, and cultural practitioners.
Art, Science, and Culture: The Sustainable Humanities Project (SUSHUM) (2024–2027).
The Centre's flagship funded project in this area, comprising research, publications, public programmes, and community initiatives across the arts, sciences, and humanities. Funded by the Central Reserve Allocation Committee (CRAC), The Education University of Hong Kong. Principal Investigator: Dr. Bidisha Banerjee (since 31 July 2026; previously Prof. John Nguyet Erni)Research Statement: Rooted in Cultural Studies, Environmental Humanities, and Social Justice Studies, Sustainable Humanities: Meeting the Challenges (SUSHUM) responds to the intertwined ecological, social, and cultural challenges of the Anthropocene. The project brings together practice-based research and community engagement to explore how humanities scholarship can contribute to sustainability, biodiversity conservation, and social inclusion in Hong Kong and beyond. Ongoing sub-projects include research on biodiversity in South Lantau, minority ethnic food culture and heritage, and the development of a Sustainable Humanities MOOC and interactive learning toolkit, culminating in a public showcase and conference.
Sustainability in Humanities Speakers' Series (2026–2027).
A dedicated speaker and research series funded by the Faculty Development Fund, led by Dr Jamie Wang (Assistant Professor, Literature and Cultural Studies) and Dr Dongyang Li (Post-doctoral Fellow, Literature and Cultural Studies) , extending the Centre's public programming on sustainability in the humanities.
International Conference, May 2027
Convened by Dr. Bidisha Banerjee and Dr. Zoran Poposki, the Centre’s flagship international symposium will open for registration soon. Complete details will be made available on the events page in due course.
Sustainability and the cultural sector.
A developing strand on sustainability in museums, galleries, archives, and cultural institutions, connecting the Centre's research to curatorial and digital practice in Hong Kong and internationally.
Partners: Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG); School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK); Department of Humanities & Creative Writing, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU); Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University; University of Oulu, Finland; Sichuan Fine Art Institute; Rachel Carson Centre, LMU Munich; Lingnan University; The Hill Workshop; Notre Dame College; The School of Everyday Life (生活書院); Yan Oi Tong Tin Ka Ping Primary School; School of Life Sciences, CUHK; Urban Mushroom Farm (香城遺菇 / Fantastic Fungi); Art on Heart HK (放心藝術); Island Studies Network (Hong Kong); School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong (HKU); Greenpeace; School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong; Frigate Films; Green Hub; Beetales; So Yuen Apiary; R-Farm; HK Farm