(This event is hosted by the Friends of the RASHK, and is not an RASHK event, but will be of significant interest to our RASHK membership).

Murray MacLehose, the 25th Governor of Hong Kong, was the longest-serving Governor in the history of the colony, holding the post for four successive terms from 1971 to 1982. He proposed and implemented a series of policies that brought significant reforms to Hong Kong. These included housing, transport, anti-corruption, welfare, and education. The reforms not only improved people's living standards, but also created for Hong Kong people a sense of belonging to the colony. While the mainstream of Hong Kong society regarded MacLehose as a respected governor, was his tenure in actual fact praiseworthy? This lecture will revisit Murray MacLehose's governorship and show that he was less than perfect. As he tried to balance local and British interests within the colony, he resisted some reforms, particularly political, anti-corruption and social security. He indeed worked hard to perform his duty and defended well Hong Kong's interests during his governorship.

The Speaker

Andrew Yu is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society and currently teaches social science at the University of Edinburgh. He has published some papers on Hong Kong society, and they can be seen in Asian Affairs, Human Affairs, and Archnet-IJAR. Apart from social science, Andrew is also a professional bagpiper. He is currently researching Scottish Highland bagpiping culture and Scottish diasporas in former British colonies in the Far East.

Time: 10.30am UK time / 17.30 HK time

Venue: Online over Zoom

Admission: Free to RASHK members

Booking: Please email membership@royalasiaticsociety.org.hk in advance to register your attendance