Program Overview

Introduction to the Bachelor of Arts & Bachelor of Laws Programme

The Bachelor of Arts & Bachelor of Laws programme at The University of Hong Kong offers students an exciting and empowered future. This programme combines the study of arts and law, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of both fields.

Programme Structure

The programme includes a range of courses that cover various aspects of law and arts. Some of the courses offered include:

• Introduction to Law and Literary Studies
• Law and Literature
• Law, Meaning and Interpretation
• Language and the Law
• Law and Film
• Legal Fictions: United States Citizenship and the Right to Write in America
• Advanced Legal Theory
• Sovereignty in Law, Theory and Culture
• Language Rights and Linguistic Justice
• The Beginnings of English Law and Literature

Sovereignty in Law, Theory and Culture

Sovereignty is a centrally important concept for both law and politics. This course assesses the meaning and significance of sovereignty by drawing on resources from across the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Students will read and discuss materials from law, political theory, philosophy, urban studies, literature, and the visual arts to answer questions about the concept of sovereignty.

Course Objectives

The course aims to provide students with a broad historical sweep of the concept of sovereignty, from early-modern conceptions to the present day. Students will explore key theorists of sovereignty, such as Thomas Hobbes, Carl Schmitt, and Giorgio Agamben, as well as thinkers who are trying to imagine law and politics without sovereignty.

Interdisciplinary Approach

The course takes an interdisciplinary approach, supplementing theoretical and legal debates with insights from literature and the visual arts. Students will analyze plays by William Shakespeare, poetry written by inmates within the Guantanamo detention centers, 17th-century emblems and images, and an early-twentieth-century novel to understand the meaning of sovereignty and explore possibilities for its critique.

Student Experience

The programme is designed to broaden the scholarly horizons of students by bringing together students from different disciplinary backgrounds. The course provides participants with valuable cross-disciplinary reading, rhetorical, and evaluative skills.

Faculty

The programme is led by a team of experienced faculty members, including:

• Dr. Anya Adair (Director – Arts)
• Professor Christopher Hutton
• Professor Kendall Johnson
• Dr. Nick Luke (Deputy Director – Arts)
• Dr. Michael Ng
• Professor Scott Veitch
• Professor Marco Wan (Director – Law)
• Dr. John Wong

Programme Benefits

The Bachelor of Arts & Bachelor of Laws programme at The University of Hong Kong offers students a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of law and arts. The programme provides students with a comprehensive understanding of both fields, as well as valuable cross-disciplinary skills that can be applied in a variety of careers.