Dr. Scott Laderman, professor of history, is the recipient of a 2015-2016 Fulbright U.S. Scholar grant. “I am delighted and honored to have been given this opportunity,” Laderman said.
“Much of my research and teaching addresses how Americans have historically engaged with the rest of the world. To be able to venture out into that world while teaching about the United States is a great privilege,” he added.
Laderman is using the award to teach at the University of Hong Kong for 10 months. In the fall, Laderman taught American Studies classes on youth culture and popular culture, and he is currently teaching a seminar on Vietnam and America.
In an interview with CLArion, Laderman discussed how teaching at the University of Hong Kong is similar to and different than teaching at UMD: “The University of Hong Kong, or HKU, is a world-class institution that values the expertise of its faculty and provides them with the resources and time they need to succeed. I have been very impressed, moreover, with the importance HKU attaches to the liberal arts. At a time when the humanities and social sciences are under attack in the United States, they remain valued and are thriving in Hong Kong. This has been a refreshing change, to say the least.”
“Having said that, HKU is experiencing serious concerns about academic freedom. This is in large part a function of Hong Kong’s complicated relationship with the mainland, where academic freedom in any meaningful sense does not exist.”
Although teaching abroad does present challenges, Laderman finds the experience thrilling and rewarding. “The experience has been wonderful. As you might imagine, Hong Kong is quite cosmopolitan, and the University of Hong Kong reflects this. Most of my students are from Hong Kong and mainland China, but I have also had students from Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan, Germany, Britain, the United States, and Romania, among other places. This has made for some terrific classroom discussions,” he said.
“I find myself sometimes forced outside my comfort zone—but overcoming these challenges has made me a better instructor, I believe.”