Research Project Overview and Description
This project investigates how emerging technologies—specifically XR, AI-driven tools, and gaming—can transform teaching and research methodologies within literature and cultural studies. By developing a multi-platform ecosystem featuring VR narrative experiences and custom AI applications, the initiative integrates technological experimentation with critical reflection to bridge the gap between traditional humanistic inquiry and modern digital literacies.
This project investigates how emerging technologies—specifically XR, AI-driven tools, and gaming—can transform teaching and research methodologies within literature and cultural studies. It seeks to develop a multi-platform ecosystem through four core components: VR narrative experiences exploring themes like mental health and the environment, custom AI applications to assist students in critical reading and textual analysis, the establishment of an HKU Game Lab to study narrative design in contemporary gaming, and an open-access database to host these pedagogical materials. Ultimately, the initiative integrates creative technological experimentation with critical reflection to bridge the gap between traditional humanistic inquiry and modern digital literacies.
Research Outcome
The project’s outcomes will serve as the foundation for major external grant proposals, including the General Research Fund (GRF) and potentially the HSSPFS. Academically, the research will produce at least one peer-reviewed article targeted at high-impact digital pedagogy journals. Pedagogically, the developed AI tools and VR prototypes will be directly integrated into a new HKU undergraduate course, “Japanese Literature and Environmental Studies,” and will help incubate cross-disciplinary Game Studies courses. Furthermore, the establishment of the HKU Game Lab and a public open-access digital platform will share these interactive resources with educators and the wider community, fostering long-term social impact across various public domains.
About the Researcher
Dr. Edwin Michielsen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Japanese Studies within the School of Modern Languages and Cultures at the University of Hong Kong. He holds a PhD from the University of Toronto and specializes in modern Japanese and East Asian literature and culture, with a focus on proletarian and marginalized literature. His research explores the intersections of culture, politics, and social movements across national and linguistic boundaries, specifically examining international solidarity in the Japanese empire during the 1920s and 1930s. Additionally, his work addresses contemporary issues such as ecology, mental health, and the impact of technology on labor practices.
Fund Source
Staff Seed Fund (Approved)
For enquiries
please contact at atlabhku.hk