International Virtual Student Seminar 2023

This international seminar provides an exchange platform for Hong Kong students from College of International Education of Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, and Kazakhstani students from KIMEP University and Yessenov University to present their research projects and share ideas on areas, such as how individuals construct their understanding of the “reality” while facing different ideologies; how different information is used and constructed for a particular “truth”; the deviance and the conformity to accepted norms or values that are legitimised by specific organisations; the discursive practices of participants facing different settings; the management of category memberships and “differences”.

Theme: Differences
“Difference” is often defined as dissimilarity, a disagreement of thoughts, attitude, interests, and perceptions. When there is the incompatibility of goals and values, struggles arise not only between individuals, among different parties but also within oneself. During the process of struggling for meaning, individuals are managed and framed by different concepts and views which shape their thoughts, actions, interactions. The struggle may involve the issues of the intergroup relations, power dynamics, legitimacy and differentiation. Different ideologies can be constructive in the sense that they offer versions of meanings out of pre-determined practices, commonly held normative beliefs pertaining to “reality”.