Quantitative History Takes the Lead in Adam Smith’s Tercentenary Celebration in Hong Kong

For those who missed the Smith Around the World Lecture Series featuring our director Professor Zhiwu Chen, there is still an opportunity to catch up on Professor Chen’s keynote speech and the discussion that followed. The lecture titled “Triumph of the Market: What China’s past and present tell us” was successfully held on March 24, 2023, at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), and the full lecture replay is available on YouTube. Click here to view the video.

In his keynote speech at the Lecture, Professor Zhiwu Chen highlighted the remarkable transformation of China’s southern coastal regions, particularly Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and the larger Pearl River Delta over the past 150 years. Professor Chen shared his latest quantitative history research on the different growth paths of northern and southern China throughout its long history and explained how the growth drivers behind this transformation align with Adam Smith’s theories. He attributed the South’s distinctive pro-business culture to its Smithian growth experience, which contrasts with North China’s pro-power culture.

Joining Professor Chen were HKU Provost Professor Y.C. Richard Wong and HKU Business School Area Head of Economics Professor Xiaodong Zhu, who shared their perspectives on Adam Smith’s economic theories, particularly on Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments, and their relevance to today’s audience.

The Smith Around the World lecture series is led by the University of Glasgow. Places of learning across the globe will undertake their events to mark the 300th anniversary of the famous Scot’s birth over the course of 2023. Professor Chen’s timely presentation on China’s different regional development paths reflects the Society’s mission to promote the use of quantitative methods in historical research.