HIST4035: History applied: Internship in historical studies [中文版] [For Students (restricted Access)]
Many businesses, organisations and associations – large and small – have stories and traditions they are proud of. To showcase their stories to the world, they employ historians to record, preserve, and tell their stories and histories to a wider audience. Why? Because they know that stories have value and convey a sense of their identity.
History is a source of cultural wealth. Showcasing your history can provide a competitive advantage: it can help to strengthen your brand and reputation, create or strengthen a sense of identity, and make you stand out amongst a sea of similar companies or organisations.
We know that not only those who are world famous have stories to tell. Every organisation, company or association has a history and a story to tell. Is it time to tell your story?
Be our Community Partners
If you are interested in telling your story, we would like to invite you to become our History Internship Community Partner. In the 2019-20 academic year the Department of History will be running a new undergraduate course called “History Internship”. In this course, Dr. Alison So will instruct and guide our final year students crafting the history of your business / organization / association. By the end of the course you will receive a free consultation session and a carefully-researched, written and edited history, free of charge.
The Project
1. Weeks 1-3: Students will conduct research visits to interview, collect sources, and to find out more about your business / organization / association
2. Weeks 3-6: After going through the primary materials, students will conduct more in-depth research, with further interviews and collection of relevant data
3. Weeks 7-10: Students will draft the writing, and they will schedule a free formal consultation session where they will present to you their preliminary results
4. Weeks 11-14: Students will submit the final project to the Department as the course assignment, and they will share their project with you
5. Outcome: Your business / organization / association can use the students’ historical writing to promote your business / organization / association on websites, or in commercial / shop space. The text will be in English, but a Chinese version may also be provided.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What would I get out of the Partnership?
A: You will receive a free consultation session, at which students will present on aspects of the history of your business / organization / association. You will also receive a carefully researched, written and edited history free of charge.
Q: What are the students going to do in those “interviews” and “consultations”? Is this going to cost me many hours?
A: You only need to spend as much time as you can spare to allow our students access to sources of information you have – for example, they might request interviews with the owner(s) / long-time employees, and examine any old documents and photos you can provide. Our students will use other library and archival sources to piece together a history of your business / organization / association in its wider historical context. If you or colleagues are unable to spare time to meet, we understand. The students will seek materials to write this history from many different sources.
Q: How can I prepare for your interviews if I don’t know what you will be asking about? What kind of documents / photos should I prepare? What if some of them are confidential?
A: No problem. If you want to, we can arrange for students to send you their interview questions before they conduct the interview. As for photos and documents, you are free to share any old documents and photos that you may have. These will be valuable materials to the students. If you are concerned about any images or information due to confidentiality, you of course do not need to share them. It is up to you how much you share. We can also work out an agreement between the students and your organization. For example, it may be clearly stated that the photos and documents will be used only in their assessed coursework submitted to the course teacher, and nothing will be distributed publicly unless partners take the initiative to disseminate it themselves.
Q: Are there any restrictions on how I can use the student writing?
A: You can use the resulting piece of history in your promotional materials (on your website, in the shop / office, or even display it on your products), or simply for your own interest. How much or how little of the final product you decide to make public is entirely up to you.
Q: I’m concerned about my business’s / organization’s / association’s information. are there any known risks to being interviewed by students and having the history of my business / organization / association written?
A: You do not need to worry: Students enrolled in this course will undergo rigorous training in ethical research before interviewing you. If you share any information with students, they are obliged to protect your confidentiality. Any information obtained as part of this course will be used for research and educational purposes only. Hence, being a partner presents no known risk.
Contact us!
Interested? Contact Us and Find Out more! Would you and your business / organization / association like to collaborate with us? Get in touch! If you have questions about the course, we are also happy to answer them. Contact us by emailing Dr. Alison So via soyamwah@hku.hk.
Why should history reach wider communities? Read More:
Business.com: “Writing a Company History”
Harvard Business Review: “Your Company’s History as a Leadership Tool”
BPlans: “How to Tell Your Company’s History in Your Business Plan”
Goldman & Associates Public Relations: “How Your Company’s History Can Build Your Business Today”
Company History Samples:
Course Coordinator
Dr. Alison So
Email: soyamwah@hku.hk