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Trafficking in human beings, also known as "irregular migration", is one of the most pressing and complex global challenges to human security today. It reaches across borders to affect most of the countries in the world and creates common concerns for security and development. Since 1979 Chinese migrants, particularly from Fujian, Zhejiang and the provinces of Northeast China, have constituted a major component of international irregular migration. In fact, China may provide the largest number of East Asian irregular migrants to the international labor market. But why are Chinese irregular immigrants mainly from Fujian, Zhejiang and Northeast China? What amalgam of factors has motivated a huge cohort of peasants, fishermen and laid-off workers to leave China illegally? What are the major patterns exhibited in China's irregular emigration? What kind of role is being played by social networks in this international migration? What are the Chinese government polices towards irregular outflow? How could people correctly understand current irregular migratory waves from China? Based on fieldwork conducted in coastal China villages and a number of Chinese migrant communities overseas, this seminar tries to answer these questions while presenting speaker's own observation and comments.

In this presentation, preliminary research results on the preferences and willingness to pay for organic foods of the consumers in Tokyo, Beijiing, Bangkok, and Manila are described. The foci of the presentation are the private- and public-good attributes of organic foods, applicable economic valuation techniques for organic food, and potential contributions of the information produced from economic valuation techniques for sustainable development policy-making. The promises and challenges of using economic valuation approaches, such as contingent valuation techniques, to measure environmental impacts in monetary terms, to predict consumers' welfare changes, and to understand future changes in organic food price, environmental quality, environmental consciousness, community development, and government intervention are discussed.

"The Walt Disney Company transformed Orlando, Florida, from a small city to the world's most popular tourist destination. In the process, they created a population boom, steady employment growth, international name recognition for Orlando, and higher planning and design standards for the surrounding area. They also brought traffic congestion, affordable housing shortages, public facility deficits, and a low-wage economy. These problems frequently accompany urban growth, but there is a complicating factor in the Disney-Orlando case. For the Disney Company got something special in coming to Orlando: their own private government, a sort of Vatican with Mouse ears, with powers and immunities that exceed those of Orlando. In its top-down control, the Disney government resembles the SAR. What kind of economic partner is Disney? How do they respond to political and governmental pressure? What might the future hold for Disney-Hong Kong?"--Abstract of lecture announcement.

This research presents the findings of a fifteen country survey relating to the environment, social responsibility and sustainable development in large listed companies in Europe, Asia and North America. Answers to the survey are used in the construction of an index measuring preparedness for sustainable development at a country level. Considerable differences are found between countries. The index is then compared with World Economics Forum rankings of business competitiveness to ascertain whether competitiveness and sustainable development preparedness are correlated.

The presentation describes Chinese environmental attitudes and values, based on a review of literature and a macro-analysis of surveys, and discusses some of the implications for China and the world. Speaker: Paul Harris (Assoicate Professor, Department of Politics and Sociology, Lingnan University)

Dr. Lin presents the information gathered and preliminary findings from his study on the topic as background information for discussion in the seminar.

Prof. Paris presents findings of his recent research on housing markets and cross-border economic integration in Ireland.

Presents information on how the Transport Department facilitates people with disabilities to use public transport services. Topics include legislations to meet transport needs of the people with disabilities and some institutional arrangements.

Introduces the concepts of logistics and the development of logistics in both Hong Kong and China.

Mr. Salkeld discusses the general value of land registration in Hong Kong; how land registration is developed in Hong Kong and its future.