Banner Exhibit of the Chinese Wartime Science through the Lens of Joseph Needham 1943-49 at selected local secondary schools, disrupted for the last 12 months will be relaunched later this year or early next year, pending the COVID19 lockdown status.
Details and background information:
Dr. Joseph Needham made his first footprints in China beginning in 1943 -46 as the Science Counselor at the British Embassy in Chongqing (war capital) and also headed the Sino-British Cultural Council. It was this wartime experience that he eventually decided to give up his creative biochemical research at Cambridge University, and devoted over 60 years of his life to author the monumental “Science & Civilisation in China” until his death in 1995 at the age of 94.
The Needham Research Institute amassed a huge collection of wartime photos taken personally by Dr. Needham between 1943 -1946, and completed the digitization (now available at the Cambridge Digital Library) several years ago.
Keenly aware of the importance of sharing the Needham scholarly legacy that shaped his conversion from biochemistry to the study of ancient Chinese science and technology, the NRI and the Joseph Needham Foundation for Science and Civilisation organized jointly with major tertiary institutions in Hong Kong and Macau to hold the Exhibit between 2017- 2018:
27 February – 17 March 2017: The University of HK- Main Library
30 March – 12 May 2017: The HKUST- Gallery for Special Collections
8 September – 27 September 2017: University of Macau- Dept of History & Library
1 November – 30 November 2017: Poly University- Pao Yue-kong Library
4 December 2017 – 5 January 2018: City University of Hong Kong Library
22 January 2018 – 23 February 2018: Hong Kong Baptist University Library
26 March 2018 – 18 April 2018: The Chinese University of Hong Kong –Chung Chi College
16 May 2018 – 2 June 2018: Chu Hai College of Higher Education Library
2 October 2018 – 25 October 2018: Lingnan University Main Library
Details of the above exhibits can be readily downloaded from the respective university websites.
A similar Out-Reach program to the secondary school planned for 2019 – 2020 is now underway:
St. Paul’s College (69, Bonham Road) – 23 October - underway
