Posts on Charlie Harry Smith

Leaving the Civil Service

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0100

I resigned from the Civil Service last week – about a month shy of three years’ service. I’ve loved working for different governments of the day, but I’m ready for a new challenge (more on that in a future post). Before that, though, I wanted to share some reflections on my time as a senior policy advisor across two very different departments.

Presentation: Durham Philosophy Society Undergraduate Conference 2017

Fri, 09 Jun 2017 04:03:02 +0800

If you find yourself in the North-East of England this weekend at a loose end, then you should head along to the Durham Philosophy Society Undergraduate Conference. I’m delighted to be able to share that I’ll be presenting my forthcoming paper, ‘Orwellian Nationalism as the Liberal Democratic Convention’, at the conference. The paper will be published in a special proceeding of the undergraduate journal Critique shortly. The event promises to be a fantastic two-day exploration of Political Society and Morality, Truth and Logic, featuring speakers from all over the U.K.

The Sam’s Tailor Experience – Bespoke Suits in Hong Kong

Tue, 09 May 2017 11:09:20 +0800

Ask any of the businessmen nursing pints in the frenetic party district of Lang Kwai Fong what their priority is when visiting Hong Kong and you’re sure to hear about Sam’s Tailor. Crossing the harbour the next day, to the Kowloon side, take Exit B1 from Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station and prepare to be greeted by a barrage of men on street corners trying to poach your custom before you can get to Sam’s.

A (Belated) 春节 Chinese New Year in Hong Kong

Fri, 24 Mar 2017 13:23:55 +0800

Loyal readers (so, probably only my mother) I owe you an apology. Why? Because I have failed, quite comprehensively, to do anything out of the ordinary this Chinese New Year (春节 – Chūn Jié), much to my chagrin. I’ve been a boring Hong Kong tourist.

It wasn’t for lack of trying though. Promise.

We’d planned to get out of Hong Kong for the Year of the Fire Rooster 火鸡. The romantic pull of Taiwan’s festival of light or the sheer scale of Beijing and Shanghai’s celebrations called to our inquisitive little exchange student souls. I thought a three-day trip somewhere fun would make for a killer blog post, too. Reality had other ideas though: this is the time of year responsible for the single largest migration of humans in the world, so market forces meant that airfares were extortionately expensive.

Reading Week Myanmar Trip: Part II

Sat, 25 Feb 2017 07:25:47 +0800

Nearly 5 million people visited Myanmar last year, compared with just 800,000 in 2010. The rise of tourism here has been rapid here and the people are clearly still transitioning to new ways of life. American dollars (which must be crisp, unfolded and unmarked bills if they’re to be accepted!) are flooding the economy – probably for the worst. One of the positive effects of so much foreign money though is the potential for the restoration and preservation of the beautiful sites and sights of Myanmar. ‘Entry fees’ charged at the boundaries to archaeological areas, such as the 12,500 kyat we paid to enter Lake Inle (Inlay) and the surrounding land are one such way this money is being put to good use by the government.

How a Year Abroad can make you Happy

Fri, 20 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

If you’re not a philosopher, then Derren Brown’s new book, Happy: Why More or Less Everything is Absolutely Fine, may be a pleasant surprise. It’s an accessible foray into stoicism, an ancient greek philosophy that’s gaining momentum in the modern day amongst philosophers and non-philosophers alike. Returning to Hong Kong this week, one element of stoicism that he touched on seemed particularly poignant in the context of a year abroad: appreciating those things in our lives that we take for granted. I want to explore, briefly, how a year abroad can facilitate such reflexive activity.

Reading Week Myanmar Trip: Part I

Wed, 16 Nov 2016 18:35:36 +0800

Fuelled by a meal of deep-fried locusts the night we’d arrived, our second day in Myanmar (formerly Burma) was about one thing only: Schwedagon Pagoda. ‘Schweddy,’ as one friend affectionately nicknamed it, is a huge Buddhist temple adorned by 3,000 rubies, 8 tonnes of gold plate and is topped off with a 76 carat diamond at its 100m tip. It is by far the most incredible structure in Yangon, the capital.

Funding: British Council’s Scholarship for Excellence

Sat, 05 Nov 2016 15:17:18 +0800

With the British Government’s ever increasing tuition fees looking set to rise again soon, debt continues to be a problem that every student faces. Extending your degree by studying abroad for a year only adds to that debt. All is not lost, though. If you’re lucky and forward thinking, you can mitigate at least some of the cost. The British Council, in particular, offer a generous scholarship that I have benefitted greatly from.

Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong: Mooncakes and Bride Pools

Fri, 30 Sep 2016 08:05:44 +0800

This is by far the busiest that Hong Kong has been so far. Thursday the fifteenth of September saw the arrival of Hong Kong’s annual Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节). Everywhere we walked, people shared Mooncakes and lit Lanterns up and down the packed streets of Causeway Bay. We were surrounded by thousands of people making their way to Victoria Park to see the shows and nearby Incense Dragon Dance. Looking around, we knew that this was going to be one of the highlights of Chinese culture we would see during our time here.

On Food. Or, an entirely inadequate summary of culinary fun in Hong Kong.

Fri, 09 Sep 2016 06:29:00 +0800

All I had hoped for and more is true: ‘Hong Kong’ can confidently be labelled as synonymous with ‘good food’. The melting pot of cultures, styles and traditions means that you can’t walk more than a hundred metres without passing a veritable melange of international eateries. My claim – that if you want to eat well, you should be here in Hong Kong – is a big one, but I’m confident that I can justify it based on only two weeks of experience and the limitations of a student’s budget.

Touchdown: First Impressions of HKU and Hong Kong

Fri, 02 Sep 2016 09:35:52 +0800

I’m not a subscriber to the notion of fate. Despite this, I have recently noticed some poetic coincidences linking me to Hong Kong. HKU’s Latin motto, Sapientia et Virtus, translates rather grandly as ‘Wisdom and Virtue’. My subject, Philosophy, therefore has a serendipitous etymological link to HKU. The Latin roots, Philo (lover of) and Sophia (wisdom), are quite fitting for someone who is studying at an establishment dedicated to wisdom and virtue. Furthermore, the very exploration of virtue began with the philosopher Aristotle’s famous treatises.

Why the Pearl of the Orient? Choosing Hong Kong

Mon, 22 Aug 2016 16:32:11 +0800

Two weeks to go. Near the end of August, most probably bleary-eyed after the long haul flight, for the first time in my life I’ll set eyes upon the Asian continent. Specifically, I’ll be seeing the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of China, my home for the next ten months. The jetlag is sure to be intense, but I’m not worried as seeing that skyline will indubitably make up for it in spades.

Undergraduate Dissertation: Habermas & Surveillance Ethics

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 21:03:32 +0800

23rd April 2018: Link to heading

Thirty drafts and numerous rounds of feedback and editing later, I am pleased to say that I finally submitted my final-year dissertation today (a few days early!). I’m really quite proud of it.

The final title was:

‘Moral Surveillance? Democratic discourse and the Habermasian critique of untargeted mass surveillance’

If all goes well and it’s well received by the examiners, I’ll be sure to post the full document online. Either way, the entire experience has been highly rewarding and enjoyable – and less stressful than I feared!

Motion Graphics Consulting – Mvine Technology Ltd.

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 12:52:09 +0800

Mvine: a Background Link to heading

Mvine Technology Ltd. is a London-based small business that creates apps and portals for businesses. The out of the box solution can be customised and configured to solve a lot of issues that businesses of all sizes face. The possibilities are numerous, so I had to shape a marketing direction that simplified the core message and conveyed it succinctly.