UROP Proceedings 2010-11

How Recent Events in the World have Transformed the Chinese NewMiddle Class?Advisor : SO Alvin Y C / SOSCStudent : MO Yee Kwan / CPGBM(UROP1000, Summer 2011)China has not escaped unscathed from the global financial tsunami in 2008. Despite Chinastill maintains its economic growth at 8% per year, many new social problems have arisen dueto the financial crisis, with inflation viewed as one more the foremost concerns. The newmiddle class in China is growing, and at the same time more pro-democracy movement aretaking place among the middle class. This project focuses on how the recent global economiccrisis and the pro-democracy movements in the Arab world have transformed the politics ofthe new middle class in China.The Making of the 21 st Century Cadre-Capitalist Class in ChinaAdvisor : SO Alvin Y C / SOSCStudent : TAN Sze Jye / FINA(UROP1000, Summer 2011)The miracle of the Chinese economic development since the 1980s was accompanied by therise of the Chinese capitalist class. At the turn of the first decade in the 21 st century, the trendof the intertwining Cadre-Capitalist class formation does have its presence. This project aimsat further examining the ongoing formation of Cadre-Capitalist class by incorporating threesignificant historical developments: 1. Jiang Zemin’s “Three Representations” in CPC; 2.Development of the Chinese legal system; and 3. the intensification of anti-corruptioncampaign in China.Anthropomorphism and Pro-environmental BehaviorsAdvisor : TAM Kevin K P / SOSCStudent : CHEN Xi / APHYS-MS(UROP1100, Fall 2010)The worldwide environmental conditions are witnessed to be deteriorating in recent decades.While environmental protection has become a hot topic, how to arouse people’s awarenessand activate pro-environmental behaviors have been discussed by many. Anthropomorphismis one of the interesting phenomena observed, that people would describe earth as “Mr Earth”,and one of the famous examples is Al Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in 2007,describing the Earth as “suffering from a fever”. This project investigates howanthropomorphism could influence pro-environmental behaviors.81