Desmond Sham
Assistant Professor in Cultural and Creative Industries, Faculty of Arts
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Biography
Prior to joining the Department of Cultural, Media and Visual Studies as an Assistant Professor in Cultural and Creative Industries in January 2024, Dr Desmond Hok-Man Sham held research and teaching positions in universities in Singapore and Taiwan, including National University of Singapore, National Tsing Hua University, and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. He obtained his PhD in Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, after receiving his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at the University of Hong Kong.
Expertise Summary
Dr Desmond Hok-Man Sham is a cultural studies and urban studies scholar specialising in cultural and creative industries and cultural heritage in the context of identity, diversity, and sustainability, with a research and teaching focus in East and Southeast Asia and the Sinophone world.
His research has three interrelated foci, namely: (a) the nuanced and interactive relationship between cultural heritage and other fields of cultural and creative industries in the context of cultural and social sustainability; (b) the politics and potential of cultural heritage, memoryscapes, museums, and the broader cultural and creative industries, in relation to identity, diversity, and decolonisation; and (c) postcolonial/decolonial studies.
He speaks English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
Teaching Summary
Dr Desmond Sham's teaching covers various aspects in cultural studies, urban culture, cultural policy, cultural and creative industries, cultural heritage and memory, identity, and… read more
Research Summary
Dr Desmond Hok-Man Sham's research has three interrelated foci, namely (a) the nuanced and interactive relationship between cultural heritage and other fields of cultural and creative industries in… read more
Selected Publications
DESMOND HOK-MAN SHAM, 2022. Beyond a racialized representation of colonial quarantine: Recollecting the Many Pasts of St. John’s Island of Singapore. In: SHU-MEI HUANG, HYUN KYUNG LEE and EDWARD VICKERS, eds., Frontiers of Memory in the Asia-Pacific: Difficult Heritage and the Crossborder Politics of Postcolonial Nationalism Hong Kong University Press. 103-123
Dr Desmond Sham's teaching covers various aspects in cultural studies, urban culture, cultural policy, cultural and creative industries, cultural heritage and memory, identity, and postcolonial/decolonial theories.
At the University of Nottingham, Desmond is teaching these PG modules in Academic Year 2023 - 204: - Cultural Policy - Technology and the Transformations of Communication
Current Research
Dr Desmond Hok-Man Sham's research has three interrelated foci, namely (a) the nuanced and interactive relationship between cultural heritage and other fields of cultural and creative industries in the context of cultural and social sustainability; (b) the politics and potential of cultural heritage, memoryscapes, museums, and the broader cultural and creative industries, in relation to identity, diversity, and decolonisation; and (c) postcolonial/decolonial studies.
Recognising cultural heritage as an integral part of cultural vitality and the significance of cultural vitality for a sustainable and inclusive future, Dr Desmond Sham works on the nuanced and interactive relationship between cultural heritage and other fields of cultural and creative industries. His research suggests that cultural and creative industries, such as design, theatrical, and music production, can contribute to preserving, revitalising, and remaking cultural heritage and craftsmanship. His work also examines how local communities collaborate with different creative practitioners to revitalise and sustain traditional festivals, folk arts, and local cultural heritage and create new festivals to showcase cultural heritage and crafts, nurture local talents, and support local cultural development. His research recommends policymakers provide institutional support and encourage long-term collaborations between heritage practitioners and other creative workers to preserve cultural heritage, support local cultural development, and enhance the social and cultural sustainability of cities and communities.
Dr Desmond Sham also works on the politics and potential of cultural heritage, memoryscapes, and museums, with established theoretical and empirical knowledge in the production and consumption of cultural heritage and memory in East and Southeast Asia, especially those related to contested, discomfort, or difficult pasts. Besides examining the local and transnational politics of heritage, he also explores the potential of cultural heritage, memoryscapes, and museums in fostering social dialogues, bringing reconciliation, and building a diverse and inclusive society.
DESMOND HOK-MAN SHAM, 2022. Beyond a racialized representation of colonial quarantine: Recollecting the Many Pasts of St. John’s Island of Singapore. In: SHU-MEI HUANG, HYUN KYUNG LEE and EDWARD VICKERS, eds., Frontiers of Memory in the Asia-Pacific: Difficult Heritage and the Crossborder Politics of Postcolonial Nationalism Hong Kong University Press. 103-123
DESMOND HOK-MAN SHAM, 2019. 港口城市 [Port City]. In: YIU-WAI CHU, ed., 香港關鍵詞：想像新未來 [Hong Kong Keywords: Imagining the New Future] Chinese University Press. 219-230
DESMOND HOK-MAN SHAM, 2017. Hong Kong as a Port City. In: YIU-WAI CHU, ed., Hong Kong Culture and Society in the New Millennium: Hong Kong as Method Springer. 91 - 110