Our Department strives to maintain world-class research and teaching in the field of historical studies. We attempt to make contributions of significance to the academia at local, national, and international levels. We put great emphasis on diversity and freedom in academic pursuit, student-centered education, relevance of historical knowledge to daily life, and cultivation of cross-cultural sensitivity and global-mindedness. Our Department continues to provide solid training for empirical study of national history and in-depth study of topical history; meanwhile we have been committed in developing the areas of teaching and research in comparative history and public history. These new areas underscore the unique characteristics of cosmopolitanism and public concern in Hong Kong's higher education.