From Text to Tech at DHOxSS 2025

Mar Lorence Gamboa Ticao,

MPhil in History, Year 2

Attending the Oxford Digital Humanities Summer School, 4-8 August 2025, was an intense but rewarding experience. I joined the From Text to Tech track, which was structured with three lectures and a tutorial each day. The sessions were well-paced, and I appreciated how generous and approachable our instructors were—always ready to offer guidance and answer questions. Their energy and openness made the packed week of learning much more enjoyable.

I was also able to apply what we learned to my own research on historical newspapers from colonial-era Manila. The course gave me practical tools for processing historical texts using Python and pandas, and introduced me to resources I can use to develop future digital outputs that visualize textual and spatial patterns in historical narratives. Learning more about large language models also helped me better understand the potential and limitations of digital approaches in humanities research.

While the schedule left little room for visiting Oxford’s many museums and libraries, evenings offered time to explore the city’s streets, gardens, and architecture with other participants. On the final day, I even found a peaceful nature trail along the Castle Mill Stream and Oxford Canal.

I’m grateful to the Research Institute for the Humanities at CUHK for making this opportunity possible through their Digital Humanities Initiatives. Their continued support enables students to explore emerging tools, connect with international scholars, and engage in conversations that push the boundaries of interdisciplinary humanities studies.

Applied Data Analysis at DHOxSS 2025

Colin Lam Hoi Sing
MPhil in History, Year 1

The DHox Summer School was a highly fruitful experience in my MPhil studies. While the stunning city of Oxford and its academic atmosphere were wonderful, the people and the memories created were the true highlights.

I chose the Applied Data Analysis strand, which offered small class sizes, intensive coding practice, and the opportunity to develop my own project. Initially, it was quite challenging. However, with the help of our course instructors, Paul and Ellen, I successfully completed this advanced course. The data analysis skills I learned, such as those related to Pandas and Geopandas, have been a great help in applying them to my master’s project, which explores the planning and governance of public space in Hong Kong and Macau.

At the end of the class, I presented my project, which I developed during that week, and received a rubber duck, marking the course’s completion. This was a personal highlight because the word “duck” sounds like “得” in Cantonese. It felt like all the participants felt “得” after the intensive week of training. (Photo 1)

I also enjoyed all the insightful conversations and the many funny moments both in and outside the classroom. I discovered unexpected opportunities for collaboration and formed valuable friendships here. (Photo 2, 3, 4, and 5) Finally, I am grateful to the Research Institute for the Humanities at CUHK for providing this valuable opportunity to further explore Digital Humanities and connect with the global community.