Joyce Liew Chui Ha Chan Essay Prize

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.

The Joyce Liew Chui Ha Chan essay prize is awarded to the best essay on a topic on Asian women completed by a student meeting the eligibility criteria below.

Who is eligible?

Any student who is in the final year of their BA degree majoring in Cultural Anthropology or Criminology or Sociology or Study of Religion and plans to enrol in Honours in any one of these programmes, or the Master of Criminology, in the School of Social and Cultural Studies in the following year

or

Any Honours student who is completing any of these qualifications in the current year: a BA(Hons) or PGDip in Cultural Anthropology or Sociology or Criminology or Study of Religion, or any MCrim student who is completing an MCrim in the current year; or a student who has completed another relevant qualification and who intends to enrol in a MA or PhD thesis in one of these subjects in the School of Social and Cultural Studies in the following year.

Selection criteria

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 Study of Religion) in the School of Social and Cultural Studies.

How do students apply?

Entries should be emailed to:

Carol Harrington
Snr Lecturer, School of Social and Cultural Studies
carol.harrington@vuw.ac.nz
+64 4 463 7451

Value

$3,000 (subject to available funds)

Application Closing Date

17 July 2026

Selection Process

Entries are reviewed by the School Research Committee Convenor and judges appointed by the School Research Committee 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.

Additional Information

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. The prize will not be paid until the first two weeks of the academic year have passed and the recipient has provided the required enrolment information. Recipients will be asked to write a letter of thanks, which will be forwarded appropriately.