【Inno-Ambassadors: Innovation Observatory】From Papers to Pints: Visiting an Academic Bar

This time, stepping outside CUHK, Inno-Ambassador Ria takes us to visit two academic bars: Guangzhou’s Shuangyashan Tavern and Shenzhen’s Social Clink LAB. Once a craze on the mainland, academic bars now survive in dwindling numbers. What are the operational secrets behind these two establishments? Discover how they blend serious scholarship with bar atmospheres to spark innovative ideas.
Author: Ria, MA student in Anthropology at CUHK, passionate about fieldwork and interview documentation.  

Learning and Socialising Over Drinks  

Shuangyashan Tavern occupies the second floor of ShareU Bookstore near Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou. Its proximity to the prestigious university and bookstore lends the venue a distinctly scholarly vibe. Academic gatherings are held here every weekend. I attended October’s event, themed “Formative Mechanisms of Gendered Aesthetic Differentiation”.

The event drew a full house of over thirty attendees. Though modest in size, the venue’s arrangement of seating at varying heights, alongside calligraphy, paintings, and warm lighting, created an intimate yet relaxed atmosphere. Before events began, participants exchanged their RMB 78 tickets for drinks at the bar, where some were already chatting and sharing insights on gender and the fashion industry.  

    
Entrance to Shuangyashan Tavern in Guangzhou (left); Academic gathering at Shuangyashan Tavern (right)

As the event commenced, Associate Professor Qin Zhen, the keynote speaker, adopted a candid and humorous style, continually posing provocative questions: “Which of the four ladies/gentlemen on screen would you like to invite out for dinner?” This unconventional query ignited the venue, sparking heated debates among attendees—some torn between Fan Bingbing and Gao Yuanyuan, others between Takeshi Kaneshiro, Nicholas Tse, and Jack Ma. Through this engaging Q&A, the speaker explored aesthetic phenomena from ancient Greco-Roman times to contemporary mainland China’s ‘Lao Deng culture’*, analysing them through Saussurean semiotics, Foucault’s disciplinary theory, and Judith Butler’s gender performance theory. Through relatable everyday examples, abstract theories became unexpectedly practical and vivid.  

*Note: ‘Lao Deng culture’ is a Mainland internet slang term denoting a specific group of middle-aged men and their aesthetic preferences, including executive coats, particular suit-and-hair combinations, and a preference for ‘fair, young, and slender’ women. It reflects the acquired aesthetic values and cultural context of this demographic within a specific era.  

      
Shenzhen Social Clink LAB bar counter (left); Social Clink LAB academic drink-and-discuss event (right)

 Whereas Shuangyashan Tavern focuses on sharing humanities topics, Shenzhen’s Social Clink LAB prioritises science. I attended their late-October event themed ‘On the Eve of Life Sciences’ Explosion: Are You Prepared?’ The spacious venue, compelling topic, and distinguished speakers drew over 50 attendees.

Prior to the event, participants exchanged their RMB118 admission tickets for drinks at the bar before heading to the ‘social corner’ for introductions. Attendees ranged from computer science and human resources professionals to marketing specialists and even feng shui practitioners, creating a cross-disciplinary networking gathering.

During drinks, Dr Jiang Xiaosen guided attendees through pivotal breakthroughs in biological science that reshaped the world: from the earliest discovery of cells, through collaborations between AI and genetic testing, to future technologies enabling precision health management.

The Q&A session drew enthusiastic responses, with questions ranging from life sciences’ exploration of consciousness origins to genetic loci linked with sudden death or autism. Despite the late night, attendees lingered after the event, exchanging contact info in hopes of sustaining the connections forged that evening.  

Startup Insights: Market Positioning and Cost Control  

Last year a wave of ‘academic bars’ swept mainland China, with entrepreneurs rushing to join the trend, though most subsequently withdrew quietly. The key to the sustained operation of two such bars lies in precise market positioning and stringent cost control.

First, why do these two academic bars adopt such distinct thematic styles? The manager of Shenzhen’s Social Clink LAB explained this stems from market differences shaped by urban demand. Compared to Guangzhou’s more leisurely, humanities-oriented atmosphere, Shenzhen prioritises pragmatism with a strong demand for innovation and entrepreneurship. Those willing to pay tend to seek practical knowledge, enhance professional skills, or expand networks. While Social Clink LAB has experimented with humanities and social sciences themes, these sessions have not generated the same enthusiasm as their science-focused events. Consequently, the bar concentrates on refining one direction to build brand expertise and differentiation.  

     
The event poster for Guangzhou’s Shuangyashan Tavern (left); The display board for Shenzhen’s Social Clink LAB academic drink-and-discuss event (right)

The founding vision of Shuangyashan Tavern was to address the operational challenges faced by physical bookshops. By repurposing existing bookshop space into a wine bar, it avoids additional rental costs and excessive renovations while boosting footfall for the bookshop, creating a mutually beneficial coexistence model. Having hosted over a hundred events recently, the manager remarks with a smile: ‘We never imagined it would last this long—likely owing to our location near universities and bookshops.’ She emphasises, however: ‘The comfortable physical space and cultural atmosphere we enjoy today were cultivated through trial and error, accumulating experience event by event.’

Social Clink LAB similarly maintains strict control over venue costs: by short-term leasing commercial co-working spaces on event nights, it operates as a ‘mobile bar’ without a fixed premises. Having initially drifted across Shenzhen, it now resides in a beer town in Bao’an, drawn by the area’s transport accessibility and its positioning as a commercial district centred on youth socialising.  

     
The Guangzhou event venue at ShareU Bookstore (left); entrance to Shenzhen event venue (right)

Regarding staffing, both bars employ part-time staff. Speakers at Shuangyashan Tavern volunteer their insights primarily for networking purposes, receiving drink vouchers as remuneration. While speakers at Social Clink LAB are primarily motivated by exchange, the organisers implement a more formalised revenue-sharing arrangement to maintain commercial standardisation.

Regarding beverages, both venues uphold a philosophy of simplicity, offering only craft beer, basic cocktails, and non-alcoholic drinks. This approach eliminates the need for extensive stockpiling and reduces staffing costs for professional bartenders. Regarding beverages’ role in academic gatherings, both managers concur that offering drinks not only makes ticket prices more acceptable to consumers but also facilitates natural interaction beyond established circles. This is achieved through alcohol’s relaxing effect and the inclusivity of non-alcoholic options, encouraging more open-minded exchanges.

InnoPortInnoPort serves as CUHK’s entrepreneurial support hub, dedicated to fostering innovation and enterprise spirit among its community. Readers are warmly invited to share feedback—whether regarding the Innovation Observatory series or proposals for InnoPort to host its own ‘Startup Pub Talks’—by contacting us directly.

Email address: innoport@cuhk.edu.hk.