The Centre for Macau Studies (CMS) at the University of Macau (UM) successfully organized a three-day ‘Intersecting Histories of the Greater Bay Area (1820-1940)’ Research Paper Workshop on 14 January, 28 January and 11 February. The event aims to guide graduate students through the process of developing original research papers, attracting many participants interested in the field.
The workshop is led by a mentoring team including CMS Director Professor Agnes Lam, Adjunct Professor Paul Van Dyke and Assistant Professor Sheyla Zandonai. Professor Lam stated that the workshop is designed to help young scholars overcome common research challenges and transform their interests into viable academic papers, injecting new vitality into the historical studies of the Greater Bay Area.
The session began with Professor Paul Van Dyke introducing the concept of ‘intersecting histories’, encouraging students to look beyond a single region and focus on the interconnected networks of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao area. Professor Sheyla Zandonai outlined the workshop’s phased structure, which will guide students from topic selection to final paper.
The first day’s goal was for each participant to identify a potential research direction for further development in one-on-one discussions with the mentors. Participants responded enthusiastically, engaging in in-depth discussions with the mentors.
In the second and third day of the workshop, students presented more developed reports on their chosen topics and draft abstracts. Through interactive discussions with their peers and feedback from the instructors, each student successfully completed a research proposal that meets academic standards, demonstrates thematic significance, and aligns with the ‘intersecting histories’ research theme.
Prof Paul Van Dyke made a concluding remark at the last session of the workshop. He recognized the students’ efforts on studying the history of the Greater Bay Area from diverse perspectives, and encouraged them to put their research proposals into practice. He invited them to present their findings at the upcoming Second Symposium on ‘Intersecting Histories of the Greater Bay Area (1820-1940)’ in May, thereby contributing new vitality to regional studies of the GBA.