Can a better understanding of the interrelationships between science and religion enrich academic research in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong holds a key position in Asia. A regional leader in science and technology, it wields tremendous influence over what research is pursued and what ideas are discussed. With strong cultural and linguistic connections to the West, it is also a locus for the international exchange of ideas. 

The Faith and Science Collaborative Research Forum (FaSCoRe) seeks to foster fruitful interactions between science and religion within Hong Kong academia. Funded by Templeton World Charity Foundation, the original FaSCoRe project established groups of academics eager to make such connections and gave them the tools to do so. The follow-up project, directed by Samson Shu Ki Tse, expands on this work. By effecting a shift in individual and institutional thinking, the project expects to establish engagement with the interrelations between science and religion as a regular and self-sustaining practice in Hong Kong academic culture.

FaSCoRe will work with faculty members, from both the University of Hong Kong and other institutions across the region, who are engaged in science and engineering or in theological and philosophical work relating to science and engineering. The team will work with them as individuals, as members of a broader academic community, and as change agents within institutions. The project will host public lectures, interdisciplinary seminars, and other events aimed at deepening participants’ understanding of the interrelationships between science and religion. Outputs will include academic conferences, peer-reviewed papers, books, and fellowships to attend courses at the Faraday Institute (Cambridge).

Through this work, FaSCoRe will pave the way for a sustained and sustainable institutional basis for ongoing science and religion work in Hong Kong and, ultimately, across East and South East Asia​.