The daughters of Joyce Liew Chui Ha Chan dedicate this prize in her honour in deepest gratitude for the sacrifices she made to enable her children to have the life that they enjoy today. At 18 years of age, and with a rudimentary education, she came to New Zealand to be married - to join a family she had never met, to live in a country without any friends or relatives, and without knowing a single word of English. Joyce had six children in seven years, working throughout this time night and day. Her experience is part of the Chinese immigrant story - overlaid with the traditional role (and strictures) of being a daughter-in-law, wife and mother in a fiercely patriarchal family. She was a woman of uncommon strength, fortitude and tremendous forbearance.

Who can submit an essay?

Any student who is completing their BA in the current year and plans to enrol in Honours in any of the programmes (Cultural Anthropology, Sociology, Criminology, or Religious Studies) in the School of Social and Cultural Studies in the following year

or

Any Honours student who is completing a BA(Hons) in Cultural Anthropology or Sociology or Criminology or Religious Studies in the current year and who intends enrolling in a MA or PhD thesis in one of these subjects in the following year.

Essays should be between 2,000 and 2,500 words and may be an essay written for a course or written specially to submit for this award.

Decision makers

Entries are reviewed by the SRC Convenor and judges appointed by the SRC in conjunction with the Head of School. The panel will review applications together and provide a shortlist and recommendation to Yvonne Chan who will make the final decision.

What conditions are attached to the acceptance of this award?

The successful applicant must be planning to enrol in Honours or Masters next year in any one of the programmes (Cultural Anthropology, Sociology, Criminology, or Religious Studies) in the School of Social and Cultural Studies.

The prize will not be paid until the first two weeks of the academic year have passed and the recipient has provided the required information.

Recipients will be asked to write a letter of thanks, which will be forwarded appropriately.

How to apply

Entries should be emailed to:

Rhonda Shaw
Associate Professor, School of Social and Cultural Studies
rhonda.shaw@vuw.ac.nz
04 463 6134

$3,000 (subject to available funds)

31-Oct-24

The Joyce Liew Chui Ha Chan essay prize is awarded to the best essay on a topic on Asian women completed by either a student in the final year of their BA degree majoring in Cultural Anthropology or Criminology or Sociology or Religious Studies, or an Honours student in Cultural Anthropology or Criminology or Sociology or Religious Studies.