“I grew up in a world which seemed to be divided between capitalism and communism between east and west. These divisions were thought to have disappeared by the 1990s. Most of the world did sign up to open markets and the rule of law. My own experiences in public life have been partly focussed on clashes between narrow identities from Northern Ireland to the Balkans to Asia. How much of a threat does this all pose for international co-operation in the 21st century,” says Chris Patten.
The event is co-organised with Penguin Random House UK, and supported by Swindon Book Co. Ltd. Chris Patten’s new book First Confession: A Sort of Memoir will be available for purchase. The book signing will immediately follow the talk, and Chris Patten will sign his new book for those who attended the talk.
Date: Thu, September 21, 2017
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Venue: Loke Yew Hall
Medium: English
Speaker: Chris Patten
Registration :
For HKU students and staff
For alumni and public
Chris Patten is currently Chancellor of Oxford University. As a British MP (1979-92) he served as Minister for Overseas Development, Secretary of State for the Environment and Chairman of the Conservative Party, being described afterwards as ‘the best Tory Prime Minister we never had’ (Observer). He is well known for being the last Governor of Hong Kong (1992-7), about which he wrote in East and West (1998). Both that and his most recent book, Not Quite the Diplomat: Home Truths about World Affairs (2005), were No. 1 international bestsellers. In 2008 he wrote What Next? Surviving the Twenty-First Century. He was made a Companion of Honour in 1998 and a life peer in 2005.
Programme by HKU General Education Unit
