ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2242-1186
Scopus Author ID: 57097893300
Google Scholar Profile: 1Jcwz4wAAAAJ

Metrics for Academic and Research Impact

FRHistS, FRAS, AFHEA

ProfCert in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (University of Hong Kong)

D.Phil., University of Oxford

B.A. (with Outstanding Graduate Award), Peking University

Previous experience:

• Institute of Advanced Studies Visiting Fellow, University of Western Australia
• Postdoctoral fellow, China Biographical Database (CBDB), Harvard University
• Tutor, Faculty of Arts, University of Hong Kong
• Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science
• Visiting scholar, Peking University
• Departmental Lecturer, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford
• Doctoral Fellow, Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica
• Rhodes Scholar

Lik Hang TSUI is a scholar of Chinese history and digital humanities, and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chinese and History of the City University of Hong Kong. He has received the New Researcher Award from his College, a Teaching Excellence Award from CityU, and a Teaching Award (Early Career Faculty Members) from Hong Kong's University Grants Committee (UGC), in recognition of his research and teaching.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in History from Peking University and obtained a doctoral degree in Oriental Studies (Chinese Studies) from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Prior to joining CityU, he worked as a Departmental Lecturer in Classical Chinese at the University of Oxford, and a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University with the China Biographical Database (CBDB). He is elected a Fellow at both the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. He has also held visiting appointments and fellowships at Academia Sinica, Peking University, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, and University of Western Australia. 

He specializes in mid-imperial (or middle period/medieval, as some call it) Chinese history and culture, as well as the digital humanities. He has published over 20 scholarly articles and book chapters and over 60 articles for popular journals and newspapers. Tsui is currently writing a book on Song dynasty epistolary culture (10-13th centuries) and planning another one on digital humanities in China. His research has been funded by various fellowships and grants from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council and beyond. He was also the recipient of the New Researcher Award in his College in CityU. 

Tsui teaches imperial Chinese history, cultural history, Classical Chinese, as well as the digital humanities. He also supervises graduate students in these areas. For his teaching he was awarded Hong Kong's highest accolade for university teachers, the UGC Teaching Award as well as CityU's own Teaching Excellence Award in 2023. He serves as an ambassador promoting good teaching practices and contributes to the Hong Kong Teaching Excellence Alliance as one of its four executive committee members.

Tsui co-edits book reviews for Cultural History and serves as an associate editor for IJHAC: A Journal of Digital Humanities. He is also on the editorial boards of Bloomsbury Cultural History, Digital Humanities, Digital Transformation and Society, and China's first book series on the digital humanities. He established the Digital Society research cluster and later a Digital Learning and Literacy cluster in his College in CityU to promote interdisciplinary research. His findings and commentaries have been cited in international and local media. He and his colleagues compiled an award-winning glossary for the Education Bureau to help non-Chinese speaking students at the junior secondary level learn Chinese history.

徐力恆，現任香港城市大學中文及歷史學系副教授。徐力恆畢業於北京大學，獲歷史學學士，然後獲羅德獎學金，在牛津大學東方研究完成哲學博士學位。他加入城大任教前，曾於牛津大學擔任講師，亦曾任哈佛大學博士後研究員，參與「中國歷代人物傳記資料庫」（CBDB）計劃。徐力恆入選為英國皇家歷史學會和英國皇家亞洲文會的會士，也曾赴中央研究院、北京大學、德國Max Planck科學史研究所和西澳大學訪問研究。

徐力恆的研究方向主要包括唐宋史和數碼人文，已發表論文二十餘篇。他正在完成一部研究宋代書信文化的著作，同時籌劃另一部關於中國數碼人文的專書。他的研究曾獲不同研究基金資助，並曾獲城大人文社會科學院的新晉研究學者獎。

徐力恆任教的科目涉及中國古代史、文化史、歷史文選、史學概論、數碼人文等，且是相關領域的碩、博士生導師。2023年，他獲頒香港的大學教資會傑出教學獎和城大傑出教學獎。他也參與香港高等教育卓越教學聯盟的組織工作。

徐力恆現擔任幾部國際學術期刊和叢書的編輯、副編輯或編委，包括《Cultural History》、《IJHAC: A Journal of Digital Humanities》、《Digital Transformation and Society》、《Bloomsbury Cultural History》、《數字人文》、南京大學出版社「數字人文研究叢書」等。他也是所在學院的數碼社會研究群的創辦人，推進跨學科研究，並擔任數碼學習和數碼素養研究群的共同召集人。他曾接受多家國際和本地媒體的訪問。

• Reviews Editor, Cultural History (International Society for Cultural History & Edinburgh University Press)
• Associate Editor, IJHAC: A Journal of Digital Humanities (formerly History and Computing, Edinburgh University Press)
• Editorial board member, Digital Transformation and Society (Emerald Publishing)
• Advisory board member, Computational Humanities Research (Cambridge University Press)
• Editorial advisory board member, Bloomsbury Cultural History
• Editorial board member, Digital Humanities (Zhonghua Book Company)
• Editorial board member, Digital Humanities book series, Nanjing University Press
• Co-founder and editor, 01Lab (2016- ) [1st Runner Up of Digital Humanities Awards 2019 “Best DH Blog Post or Series of Posts”]
• Co-editor, OCCT Review (Oxford Comparative Criticism and Translation, University of Oxford) (2014-2015) 

• Elected Fellow, Royal Historical Society
• Elected Fellow, Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland
• Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy, UK (aka AdvanceHE)

Funded external grants as PI or Co-PI: 

• "Hong Kong Historical Spatial Data Platform", Research Impact Fund (RIF), Research Grants Council, Hong Kong
• "Truth be Told: Information Literacy for All with History Learning Aids", UGC Teaching Award project grant, Hong Kong
• "An Analytical History of the Early Years of Digitising Chinese Historical Sources (1980-2009): The View from Five Foundational Database Projects", General Research Fund (GRF), Research Grants Council, Hong Kong
• “Letters by Men of Letters: A Multidimensional Analysis of Epistolary Manuscripts and their Networks in Song Dynasty China (960–1279) [多視角審視宋代尺牘書疏和士人網絡：以手稿和拓本為主]", Early Career Scheme (ECS), Research Grants Council, Hong Kong
• “Provision of Services for the Production of a Chinese-English Glossary of Terms Commonly Used in the Teaching of Junior Secondary Chinese History to Support Non-Chinese Speaking Students Learning Chinese History and Culture in Secondary Schools [初中中國歷史科英譯詞彙(非華語學生適用)]”, Curriculum Development Council, Education Bureau, Hong Kong
• “Digital Humanities Explorations in Pre-modern Chinese History: The Use of the China Biographical Database”, Digital Humanities Research Scheme, University Town Library of Shenzhen

Funded internal grants as PI:

• Teaching Excellence Awards project grant "Hello World, Let’s Chat: Embracing the Potential of Generative AI in History Education”, City University of Hong Kong
• Seed Money for College Research Clusters "Digital Society" (4 times), College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, City University of Hong Kong
• Strategic Research Grant, City University of Hong Kong
• “Rediscovering Chinese History through Data: Incorporating Digital Humanities Pedagogy into Data-Driven Learning of Chinese History”, Teaching Start-up Grant, Teaching Development Grants for City University of Hong Kong & University Grants Committee
• Start-up Grant for New Faculty, City University of Hong Kong

• Institute of Advanced Studies Visiting Fellowship, University of Western Australia, 2024
• 2023 UGC Teaching Award (Early Career Faculty Members Category) (city-wide), Hong Kong
• Teaching Excellence Awards (university-wide), City University of Hong Kong, 2023
• Certificate of Merit, Excellence in Knowledge Transfer Award, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, 2020/21
• New Researcher Award, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, 2020
• 01Lab for Digital Humanities Awards 2019: 1st Runner Up for “Best DH Blog Post or Series of Posts”
• “Most Accessible and Captivating Work for the Non-Specialist Reader” Accolade for Dissertations in the Humanities, International Convention of Asia Scholars, 2017
• Digital Humanities Project Grant, University Town Library of Shenzhen
• Doctoral Fellowship, Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange
• Fellowship for Doctoral Candidates in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica
• Rhodes Scholarship
• Outstanding Graduate Award, Department of History, Peking University
• Alumni, Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education

• UGC Teaching Award citation and teaching philosophy video: https://awards.ugc.edu.hk/awardees/lik-hang-tsui
• TVB Pearl News interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D7iQtb9kIk
• RTHK interview: https://podcast.rthk.hk/podcast/item.php?pid=292&eid=184190&year=2021&list=1&lang=zh-CN 
• "The Story of China" (BBC & PBS documentary) expert interview: https://www.pbssocal.org/programs/story-of-china/power-politics-ming-dynasty-whyvf1/
• World history column on StoryStudio: https://storystudio.tw/user/tsui_lincolnhotmail-com/
• CityU TODAY feature: https://www.cityu.edu.hk/cityutoday/en/ct-70/digital-technology-ushers-new-era-humanities-research

I focus on working with a very small number of postgradaute students, but I welcome supervision enquiries for PhD & MPhil programmes. Email me if you are prepared to propose a well-designed project in the following areas (and please do not email me if you are proposing outside these areas):

• Middle period (mid-imperial) Chinese history: Tang to Ming periods
• Social and cultural history of premodern China
• Digital humanities and Chinese studies: Network analysis, biographical data, text markup, GIS
• Epistolary cultures and intellectual networks
• History of sinology

Part-time undergraduate/MA student helpers:

If you are a current CityU undergraduate/MA student and are interested in working for my research and teaching projects, please introduce yourself and email [email protected] to ask if any spots are available.

• Medieval China / Middle Period / Mid-imperial China
• Digital Humanities
• Epistolary Culture
• Urban History
• Literati Culture of China

Book Projects

Epistolary Culture in Song China (960–1279)

This book examines epistolary writing as a central social and cultural practice in Song China, situating letters at the intersection of textuality, sociability, and intellectual life. Drawing on manuscript and print sources, it reconstructs how literati used letters to negotiate status, cultivate networks, and articulate moral and political positions across time and space. By integrating close textual analysis with material approaches, the book offers a new account of how written communication shaped elite culture in mid‑imperial China.

Digital Humanities and the Study of Chinese History

This book reflects on the emergence, methods, and intellectual stakes of digital humanities in Chinese historical studies. Combining case studies from premodern Chinese history with critical discussion of data, infrastructure, and interpretation, it argues for a historically grounded and theoretically informed approach to digital methods in the humanities.

Publications

I have published over 20 scholarly articles and over 60 pieces for popular journals and newspapers. See here for a list of my publications. If you would like to read any of them, please email me and I could send you a digital copy.

I teach in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. I design, lead, teach and supervise in the following courses--

Current undergraduate level courses:

• Imperial China / Ancient Chinese History II
• Readings in Chinese History / Great Works in Chinese History (史學名著)
• Chinese Civilisation - History and Philosophy (中國文化－歷史與哲學）[GE Course - including course groups for CityU Talents Programme (HK TECH Tiger)]
• Cultural Exchange in Global Context
• Searching for Cultural Identity / Global Networks and Cultural Identity

Current postgraduate level courses, or as course/coordinator/team member: 

• Research Methods for Chinese Studies (PhD & MPhil)
• Selected Readings for Chinese Studies (PhD & MPhil)
• History and Historical Sources in a Changing World 變動中的史學與史料 (MA)
• Capstone Project in Chinese History and Cultural Heritage 中國歷史及文化遺產總整研習 - Student work: Podcast series on Dunhuang stories (2023)

Supervisor of PhD, MPhil, MA student theses 博士生導師、碩士生導師

Advisor of BA final year dissertations (CAH4399)

Previously taught/co-taught courses:

• Premodern East Asia (Lectures)
• Chinese History and Civilization (Tutorials)
• Classical Chinese Texts [various levels] (Classes)
• City and Environment in Chinese History (Tutorials)
• Digital Humanities: Skills and Methods (Seminars - Postgraduate)
• Dunhuang and the Silk Road (Tutorials)

Workshops on digital humanities and digital tools:

• Gave numerous workshop sessions internationally and locally at Boston College, Chinese University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, Harvard University, Peking University, Trinity College Dublin, South Central University for Nationalities, Sungkyunkwan University, etc.

Emergency remote teaching in the COVID-19 pandemic:

• I compiled this list of teaching resources in 2020: Teaching in the Time of COVID-19: Resources and Tips. Feel free to share it with teachers who might find it useful!

Current:

• Associate Director, Talent and Education Development Office
• Interim Research Degree Coordinator (for MPhil and PhD programmes), Department of Chinese and History
• Organizing Committee Member, The Middle without Boundaries? The Fourth Middle-Period China Humanities Conference  (無垠之中? 第四屆中古中國人文會議) (May 2026), City University of Hong Kong
• Member, Task Force of Digital Learning, CityU
• Affiliated researcher, CityU Shenzhen Research Institute & CityU Chengdu Research Institute
• Various other university/college/departmental duties

Past:

• Co-convenor of Digital Learning and Literacy Cluster, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (2024)
• Convenor of Digital Society Research Cluster, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (2020-2024)
• Member, Digital Learning Advisory Group, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• College Board, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• e-Learning (Digital Learning) Coordinator, Department of Chinese and History
• Various other departmental/college duties

Member, Intangible Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee and Sub-committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage Funding Scheme, Hong Kong

非物質文化遺產諮詢委員會、非遺資助計劃委員會成員

Executive Committee Member, Hong Kong Teaching Excellence Alliance

香港高等教育卓越教學聯盟委員

Member, Hong Kong Association for Digital Humanities

Conferences & workshops organized/co-organized:

• Reframing the Past: Transforming Research and Teaching in Chinese History with Digital Tools (Dublin, 2025)
• Applying Digital Humanities Techniques in Historical Learning in an Age of Digitization and Artificial Intelligence (Perth, 2024)
• 數碼歷史工作坊—智能科技時代學習中國歷史必備的資訊素養和思維技巧 (Hong Kong, 2024)
• DH Asia Webinar Series (co-organized) (Online, 2023- )
• 2023 CityU & YZU 麗澤論壇 (co-organized) (Hong Kong, 2023)
• When Big Data Meets Sociological Imagination: Transdisciplinary Approaches and Infrastructures for Computational Social Science (co-hosted) (Online, 2022)
• Rethinking the Datafication of Culture in the Chinese World: An Online Workshop on the Digital Humanities (Hong Kong, 2021)
• Digital Tools for Chinese Studies: The China Biographical Database (CBDB) and More (Hong Kong, 2017)
• Training in the Technologies of the Digital Humanities (Boston, 2017)
• Crossing Boundaries and Engaging Communities: Digital Humanities in A Global Perspective: 1^st Digital Humanities Forum (Beijiing, 2016)
• New Approaches in Chinese Digital Humanities: CBDB and Digging into Data Workshop (Beijing, 2016)
• Computational Methods for Chinese History: A "Digging into Data Challenge" Training Workshop (Cambridge MA, 2015)

As reviewer:

• I sometimes review books and articles for research funding agencies, publishers, journals, and conferences. Please send all peer review invitations to my email address.