On August 5, 2026, the Faculty of Business and Management (FBM) at Beijing Normal - Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU), Zhuhai, hosted the Historical Port-City Dynamics Workshop at the BNBU London Centre, Westminster. This event brought together leading scholars to explore the complex interactions between historic port cities and their maritime environments.
The workshop commenced with an official welcome by Professor Adolf K.Y. Ng, Director of the BNBU London Centre and Dean of FBM. The first panel, chaired by Dr Matthew Heaslip from the University of Portsmouth, delved into the theme of ‘Ships, Shipwrecks, and Coastal Transformations’. Presentations included Dr C. Nathan Kwan’s (University of Macau) analysis of Macao's pivotal role during the South China piracy crisis and Ms Jinyi Liang’s (Hong Kong Maritime Museum) study on Qing Dynasty port regulations and their influence on Chinese export paintings. Then, Dr Daisy Turnbull (Centre for Port Cities and Maritime Cultures, University of Portsmouth) provided insights into the moral geography of shipwreck plundering, while Dr Ka Chai Tam (Hong Kong Baptist University) discussed the Canton-Kowloon Railway's impact on Hong Kong's rise as a major port.
After a networking lunch, the second panel, ‘Evolving Port Cities as Maritime Communities’, chaired by Dr Cameron Campbell-Stanway from the University of Portsmouth, examined the transformation of port cities into hubs of global connections. Dr Sophie Quintin (Centre for Blue Governance, University of Portsmouth) highlighted Dakar's evolution from a colonial coaling station to a blue economy hub, and Ms Sarah Mott (Lloyd’s Register Foundation) presented the SHE_SEES project, which seeks to rewrite women into maritime history. Dr Charlotte Steffen (BNBU) concluded by providing updates on the 1+1+1 Joint Research Collaboration Scheme and reconstructing Macau's harbour expansion in the 1920s, highlighting its unintended consequences and lasting impacts. Each presentation was followed by questions, providing a stimulating conversation around each subject matter.
The event concluded with a roundtable discussion, led by Dr Ka Chai Tam (Hong Kong Baptist University), on future research directions and collaborations. Finally, the workshop underscored the significance of historic port cities in shaping global maritime history and provided a platform for new scholarly insights and interdisciplinary collaboration.
