![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.complit.hku.hk\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Ho-Jason-259x300.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“You understand each word within a sentence, but not the sentence itself; or, you understand none of the words and check their meanings, only to realise that you still don’t understand what the sentence means. This is Comp Lit”<\/p>\n
Dr. Jason Ho \u4f55\u5bb6\u73e9 (BA 2003; MPhil 2006; PhD 2011) is one of This is Comp Lit.\u201d the few outspoken academics in Hong Kong who has openly shared about his gay identity. A quick scroll through his Instagram page makes it clear \u2014 he proactively and critically comments on cultural, social and political issues. After spending 18 years in Comparative Literature, he now identifies himself as an educator engaging in service-learning, where he continues to make voices \u2014 his and that of the marginalised \u2014 heard.<\/p>\n
FROM “EYE-OPENING” TO “OPENING-UP”<\/strong><\/p>\n Surprisingly enough, Jason never thought about studying Comparative Literature before entering university. He randomly took a first-year course on gender studies that was then taught by Prof. Maurine Sabine. Her lively lectures on texts like Jane Campion\u2019s The Piano illuminated him, for he never knew gender could be studied using such a provocative approach. \u201cI stumbled across Comparative Literature, and got dragged into a world that is going to change me forever.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Esther Cheung\u2019s courses on Hong Kong culture, which relates theories to everyday examples, made a lasting impact on Jason\u2019s own style of teaching years later. The film courses by Prof. Mette Hjort also introduced him to his now beloved film Thelma & Louise. \u201cThis film blew my mind. It was so overwhelming to see how oppressed women stand up and revolutionise perceptions about gender roles. The shock came not from the images on screen, but the underlying ideology.\u201d<\/p>\n Studying all these texts have opened up his world, highlighting the possibilities of cultural and political changes. \u201cIf texts are in one way or another a reflection of reality, doesn\u2019t that mean there is room for change in this world we are living in?\u201d What\u2019s more important is how he has developed a deeper self-understanding through different texts and theories. \u201cI used to be bothered about my sexuality, but Comparative Literature enables me to let go of those entrapping labels. This also explains why I can stay true to myself and say what I want.\u201d<\/p>\n CREATING A SPACE FOR CHANGE<\/strong><\/p>\n When Jason started lecturing, he brought to students a change similar to what he had experienced. In \u201cCulture and Queer Theory\u201d, one of his favourite courses with tutor Siu Fung, the course materials and class discussions allowed students to unleash lesbian and gay desires that have been suppressed. \u201cImagine having a gay lecturer and a genderfluid tutor \u2014 what isn\u2019t possible to talk about?\u201d The genuine and safe space created in lectures and tutorials eventually led a few students to acknowledge their desires and embrace their sexualities. Jason finds it heartwarming to empower students to experience a change on an individual level. \u201cI would rather teach courses that impact hundreds and thousands of students than to write a book that reaches ten readers.\u201d<\/p>\n “I’M NOT YOUR TYPICAL PROFESSOR!”<\/strong><\/p>\n His dismissal of what a typical scholar would care about is also reflected in the way he presents himself. He is actively involved in different kinds of projects and theatrical performances outside academia. \u201cI\u2019m never the nerdy kind of professor, or someone who likes name-dropping. I believe in making theories or abstract ideas accessible to the community.\u201d He took the initiative to FROM “RECONNECTED” TO “RECONNECTING”<\/strong><\/p>\n One might not know that the Department\u2019s internship programme is actually an important \u201cby-product\u201d of the 20th anniversary celebration. The occasion reconnected many alumni who already held established positions in their respective fields. \u201cSeeing that Comp Lit has trained so many talents, we started to ask ourselves: why don\u2019t we offer students an internship opportunity to connect what they have learnt with the world outside?\u201d<\/p>\n Jason\u2019s current involvement in service-learning extends this spirit of experiential learning. \u201cWhat I want to see most is how students develop empathy through service-learning. It\u2019s so important to look at the world from a humanistic perspective, which has become increasingly relevant in today\u2019s society.\u201d In hindsight, Jason recognises how his genuine concern for the underrepresented has stemmed from his identification with the LGBT community. \u201cThough I have now taken up a different position, the cause I hope to work for remains the same. It might be a detour, but I\u2019m still walking along the same path.\u201d<\/p>\n It wouldn\u2019t be an overstatement to say Comparative Literature has been life-changing for Jason, both in terms of personal growth and his career. It is also a platform where he encounters all sorts of idiosyncrasies. To Jason, Comp Lit is after all an idiosyncratic discipline. It perplexes and mesmerises you simultaneously.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “You understand each word within a sentence, but not the sentence itself; or, you understand none of the words and check their meanings, only to realise that you still don’t understand what the sentence means. This is Comp Lit” Dr. Jason Ho \u4f55\u5bb6\u73e9 (BA 2003; MPhil 2006; PhD 2011) is one of This is Comp … <\/p>\n
\norganise interesting talks on a variety of topics, including LGBT community, safe sex, gender issues and stardom. \u201cCompared to academic seminars, these talks are just as important. They can communicate ideas to \u2018outsiders\u2019 and
\ndisseminate knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n