On June 26, 2026, the “Ideas in Action: Interdisciplinary Conference for Undergraduate Students in Humanities, Social Sciences & Public Policy” was successfully held at the Mei Foo campus of Gratia Christian College in Hong Kong. Four groups of undergraduates from Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU), encouraged and guided by Assistant Professor Dr. Debbie Law from the Department of Social Sciences and Associate Professor Dr. Wei Chin Wong from the Department of Communication, had their academic papers and posters accepted by the conference. 

They took the stage at this interdisciplinary research forum, which brought together over 50 undergraduate students from institutions across China, especially cities of the Greater Bay Area, discussing over 40 valuable academic papers and posters.

The conference was hosted by Gratia Christian College and co-organized by the Business, Economic and Public Policy Research Centre of the Department of Economics and Finance at Hong Kong Shue Yan University. It provided a friendly, inspiring, and professionally rigorous academic platform for undergraduate and sub-degree students. The conference featured ten panel sessions covering a wide range of topics, including family and gender dynamics, identity and social integration in marginalized contexts, mythology and narratives of power, institutional governance and legal rights, digital transformation and sustainable public policy, urban renewal and spatial justice, popular culture and social psychology, and reinterpretations of historiography and religious texts. 

The four BNBU research groups were distributed across four different panels, with research perspectives spanning sociology, cultural studies, history, and gender studies—fully demonstrating the solid outcomes of the BNBU’s transdisciplinary training.

In Panel 1, “Family, Caregiving, Gender Dynamics, and Social Power,” Amy Yang Yufei, a junior student from the Chinese Culture and Global Communication (CCGC) program, presented her research on “Reverse Socialization in Chinese Families: How Daughters Reshape Their Mothers’ Lives and Identities,” analyzing how adult daughters reconstruct their mothers’ lifestyles and self-perception. The presentations by other panel members resonated with her topic, sparking lively discussion. 

Yang Yufei noted that the professional advice from senior scholars and the diverse perspectives of her peers provided valuable inspiration for deepening her research. The interdisciplinary framework she employed—integrating communication studies, sociology, and gender studies—exemplifies the typical outcomes of BNBU’s cross-disciplinary training.

In Panel 3, “Myths, Rituals, and Narratives of Power,” Jacky Huang Haixuan, also from the CCGC program, presented the “Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance” as a case study to explore the cultural construction of Hakka identity in Hong Kong. 

This was Jacky Huang’s first time participating in a formal academic conference, and he felt that the interdisciplinary and cross-cultural exchange allowed him to realize that a seemingly singular traditional ritual could reveal richer academic dimensions when examined through the multiple lenses of history, sociology, and urbanization studies. He is grateful to the panel chair, Dr. Lau Kai Yiu from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, for his professional feedback, which provided important direction for his future research.

Panel 2 focused on “Identity, Beliefs, Human Rights, and Social Integration in Marginalized Contexts.” Pan Leqi, a sophomore student from Public Relations and Advertising (PRA), presented a poster and gave an oral report titled “Accidental Encounters Under Empire: On Cultural Acculturation in Malaysia,” analyzing the complex process of cultural fusion from historical and colonial governance perspectives. 

He noted that through this conference, he personally experienced the differences in academic discussion culture and problem-awareness between Zhuhai and Hong Kong, and reflected on the room for improvement in his own critical thinking, methodology, and academic research.

In Panel 5, “Social Support and Public Ethics,” a group of sophomore students from BNBU’s Faculty of Business and Management (FBM)— Lily Xu Lixin, Zinnia Li Zhixin, Evelyn Chu Zhongqing, and Luna Wu Xian—openly shared their experience. As the last presenting group of the morning session, they faced the challenge of audience members gradually leaving the room, yet they still gave their full effort to complete the presentation. They also recognized that their research is lacking depth in original analysis compared to others. 

However, this self-awareness became their most valued takeaway—facing their current shortcoming is the foundation and excellence that motivate them to move forward. Zinnia Li further pointed out that academic is not a mere one-way presentation, but valued listening and genuine responses. Evelyn Chu realized that a successful presentation depends not on the number of slides, but on the depth of understanding and the ability to convey content effectively. Lily Xu concluded that this experience would inspire them to raise their own voices and explore more with curiosity and rigor. “Academics is not just about presenting your own ideas, but also about wholeheartedly engaging with others’ thinking.”

Dr. Lam Ho Yin, the conference convener from Gratia Christian College, stated that the success of this conference bore witness to the unlimited potential of undergraduate students in academic research. He particularly recognized the interdisciplinary research capabilities of the BNBU student teams, believing that their performance provided compelling proof of the core value of liberal arts education, emphasizing that such an educational approach cultivates versatile, critically minded young researchers.

Authors and Photographers:

Amy Yang Yufei

Jacky Huang Haixuan

Rocky Pan Leqi

Lily Xu

Lily Xu Lixin

Zinnia Li Zhixin

Evelyn Chu Zhongqing

Luna Wu Xian

Editor: Wei Chin Wong