The discipline of geography seeks to understand the earth holistically, as the home of mankind. In particular it analyses people’s interactions with both their physical and human environments, and explains a vast range of spatial patterns and processes. The synthesizing role of the discipline, however, remains its central task, constituting its core, and ensuring its unique contribution to knowledge.

The Department of Geography places special emphasis on the application of geographical knowledge in public policy analysis, the study of Hong Kong and mainland China in a world context, and the command of geographical methodology and transferable skills, including geographical information systems (GIS), quantitative methods and field techniques. The Department has a well-equipped geoinformatics laboratory and laboratories for physical and environmental geography. Fieldwork is central to geographical studies. Each year the Department organizes an annual overseas Field Camp, which is required for all Year III students, a mentoring field trip, which is held for all incoming students, and many course-specific field trips.