Allan Pang

Allan Pang is a Researcher in the Department of History within the School of Humanities at the University of Bristol. His work focuses on transregional histories connecting Hong Kong, Chinese diaspora communities, and Southeast Asia. As a historian with expertise in decolonization, cultural policies, and history education, Dr. Pang contributes significantly to understanding the complex interplay between colonialism, Chinese identities, and postcolonial nation-building across East and Southeast Asia.

Education:

• BA, University of Hong Kong
• MPhil, University of Hong Kong
• PhD, University of Cambridge

Dr. Pang's research engages with themes such as history education, popular music, and decolonisation from a transregional perspective across East and Southeast Asia. His current book project examines the transmission of historical knowledge in Hong Kong, Malaya/Malaysia, and Singapore from the 1950s to the 1990s, analyzing how Cold War politics, decolonization processes, and Chinese politics shaped understandings of 'Chineseness' through educational systems and public historical narratives. He also investigates transregional Chinese popular music across Hong Kong and Southeast Asia since the 1950s, examining how musicians and cultural producers exerted transregional agency through the music industry amidst political transitions, with particular attention to the works of composer Joseph Koo and lyricist James Wong from Hong Kong, Xinyao from Singapore, and campus folk songs from Taiwan.

Dr. Pang's publications demonstrate a consistent focus on transregional connections between Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and Chinese diaspora communities. His work bridges historical analysis with cultural studies, examining how historical narratives are constructed and transmitted through educational systems, popular culture, and public spaces. A notable trend in his recent scholarship is the examination of how Cold War politics shaped cultural production and historical consciousness across Asian contexts, particularly in relation to Chinese identities. His research increasingly incorporates digital humanities approaches, as evidenced by his public education campaign 'Malaysia Unbound' which features a digital interactive map of transregional connections.

Scientific Awards:

• Shortlisted for the Best Article on Global Hong Kong Studies 2023, ICAS (International Convention of Asia Scholars) Book Prize for 'Stamping 'Imagination and Sensibility': Objects, Culture, and Governance in Late Colonial Hong Kong'
• Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Dr. Pang is actively involved in teaching and public engagement. In 2024-25, he is delivering lectures and seminars for a second-year unit 'Asia in Global Perspective' (team taught). Before arriving at Bristol, he taught courses on empires in maritime East Asia, twentieth-century world history, Hong Kong history, and historiography. His public outreach includes working with Imagined Malaysia, an NGO in Malaysia, on the public education campaign 'Malaysia Unbound: Transregional Histories through Documents,' which explores Malaysia's transregional connections through weekly infographics and a digital interactive map. He also contributes to public initiatives at the Hong Kong History Centre through public talks and online lecture series.