December 2014 – Information to opinion

We live in a world full of information and we have never had so many channels through which to receive that information. In this...

Open Information, Open Minds?

Does free information flow change political opinions of Mainlanders in Hong Kong? by Yan Li & Brian Wong Hui Kei, a 29-year-old freelance writer from Zhejiang...

The Shifting Middle

Opinion polls consistently show that support for the Umbrella Movement is highest among young people who are more likely to get their news and information from social media. But what about older people? Varsity talks to some parents and working people about their views on the movement and how they get informed about it.

Information and Disinformation

Activists complain rumours distract and damage movement By Kanis Leung &  Jeffrey Loa Hong Kong is a city with one of the highest smartphone penetration rates...

November 2014 – Democracy in China’s Shadow

Protesters have occupied sections of streets in Admiralty, Mong Kok and Causeway Bay to demand free and open elections in the 2017 vote for Chief Executive. Varsity asks protesters, scholars and figures like Occupy Central co-founder Chan Kin-man and LegCo president Tsang Yok-shing about political reform after Occupy. Apart from Hong Kong, we also look at Macau and Taiwan, Chinese societies whose democratic development are affected to varying degrees by their relationship with mainland China.

Hong Kong after Occupy

More than a month after police teargas at protesters and tens of thousands of people took part in the occupation of areas in Admiralty, Mong Kok and Causeway Bay, the number of occupiers has fallen but many are still holding out to express their demand for what they see as true universal suffrage. Hong Kong's democratic journey did not begin with the Occupy Movement and it is unlikely to end once the occupiers have left the streets. Varsity asks how that journey will proceed after Occupy.

Against all odds: Macau’s democratic awakening

Long famed as a gambling and entertainment paradise, Macau is not exactly known as a place for political activism. Yet, in the past year, thousands of Macanese have taken to the streets to protest against an unpopular government policy, for labour rights and even in support of Hong Kong's Occupy Movement. Does this herald an awakening of Macau's civil society?

Today Hong Kong, Tomorrow Taiwan?

When students in Taiwan occupied the Legislative Yuan - in what became known as the Sunflower Movement - earlier this year to protest against a proposed trade pact with the Mainland, "Today Hong Kong, Tomorrow Taiwan" was a common refrain. Varsity looks at the lessons and insights that activists in the two places gain from looking at developments in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

April 2014 – Hong Kong’s China Fix?

In recent years, Hong Kong's government and business sector have increasingly looked to greater integration with the Mainland for development and growth. It cannot...

Learning the Mainland Way

Since 2009, Hong Kong students have been able to enjoy a fast-track to study at selected mainland universities. Now, the trend of Hong Kong youngsters seeking further education in the Mainland has been given another boost - in the form of cash allowances. As Varsity finds out, critics question what kind of education young Hong Kongers will receive in the Mainland and whether it is a good use of resources?