A part-time Master of Arts programme offers professionals the opportunity to take part in an intellectually stimulating and academically challenging experience
As Hong Kong increasingly becomes a centre for the arts in Asia, more professionals in the cultural field are demanding advanced training to top up their skills.
In response, a part-time Master of Arts (MA) in cultural management was launched at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) in 2000. So far, 60 students have graduated from the two-year programme.
'It offers students opportunities critically to think through issues around culture and cultural management from multidisciplinary perspectives,' says Amy Chan, MA programme convener for the university's department of modern languages and intercultural studies.
'Armed with an open, flexible and theoretically grounded attitude, graduates will be able to meet the challenging demands of a growing cultural industry closely linked to business and politics, as well as everyday life. This programme promises an intellectually stimulating and academically challenging experience for students.'
Core courses are aimed at introducing students to cultural concepts such as postmodernism, globalisation, theme parks, consumer culture, ecology and what Dr Chan refers to as 'McDisneyisation'.
There are also three management courses: general management and human resources management, managing business function, and IT applications in management.
Courses in cultural industry include visual arts administration, print and electronic publishing, performing arts administration, and museum and archives studies.
Students are required to select four electives, including at least two courses from the management module and one from the cultural industries module.
'We usually get senior and experienced teachers from our department to conduct the core courses,' Dr Chan says.
'Experts in the field are invited to conduct the courses in the cultural industries module.'
The managing director and chief editor of The Commercial Press, Chan Man-hung, is teaching the course in publishing this academic year.
The former secretary-general of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Tseng Sun-man, is taking two courses: performing arts administration, and general management and human resources management.
Oscar Ho Hing-kay, senior research officer at the Home Affairs Bureau, will lecture in visual arts administration.
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum's former chief curator Yim Shui-yuen is teaching museum and archives studies.
'These people are all very well known in their field,' Dr Chan says. 'Students are very happy to take their courses.'
The programme is targeted at mature students, and many are experienced teachers and principals at primary and secondary schools. Other students include journalists, drama group directors, conductors, and staff of museums, the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
Dr Chan says the programme is unsuited to fresh graduates as the lecturers assume participants are already experienced in their fields.