GHMUA for Chinese Language Education Inauguration Ceremony cum First Forum

The Faculty of Humanities (FHM) and the Department of Chinese Language Studies (CHL) of The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) hosted an inauguration ceremony on 14 September 2023, bringing together experts and scholars in Chinese language education to witness the establishment of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance (GHMUA) for Chinese Language Education.

The new alliance was jointly founded by EdUHK, Jinan University, and Macau University of Science and Technology, with the endorsement of the GHMUA Council. To date, 25 universities have joined the alliance, which is dedicated to fostering collaboration in the field of Chinese language education through promoting effective management of resources in line with the national development strategies.

Attending the ceremony were Ms Wu Cheng, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR (LOCPG); Mr Chen Yulin, Director of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the LOCPG; Professor Wu Jian, Vice President of South China Normal University; Professor May Cheng May-hung, EdUHK Vice President (Academic); Professor Chetwyn Chan Che-hin, Vice President (Research and Development); Dr Chow Man-kong, Associate Vice President (Institutional Advancement); Professor John Nguyet Erni, Dean of FHM; Professor Pamela Leung Pui-wan, Acting Head of CHL; and Dr Liang Yuan, Associate Professor of CHL and convenor of the alliance. 

Addressing the ceremony, Professor Chetwyn Chan said, "The establishment of the alliance symbolises a new chapter of exchange among universities in the area. The alliance will help nurture talent with a strong sense of national identity, along with a global perspective, capable of making a contribution to our integration into the country’s overall development."

Professor John Erni said, "Leveraging the strengths of Hong Kong in education, the alliance will actively promote high quality research that meets the country’s needs. It will also serve as a platform for students and teachers in the area to explore new opportunities in language education development."

Following the ceremony, the first forum for the ‘GHMUA for Chinese Language Education’ will be held tomorrow (15 September), focusing on the theme ‘Exchange, Collaboration, and Resource Sharing’. With the new era of artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative technologies, educators need to equip students with positive values and cultural confidence, through the learning and teaching of classical studies, while pursuing technological advances.

Tomorrow’s forum will focus on the impact of big data and AI technologies in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) on Chinese language in recent years; as well as exploring the latest developments in related curriculum and teacher training programmes. For instance, it will cover the use of AI in student writing and facial monitoring, to give teachers a better understanding of children’s psychological wellbeing and challenges when learning languages.

The forum will feature three keynote speeches delivered by Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, Chair Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Adjunct Chair Professor of CHL; Professor Cui Xiliang, former President of Beijing Language and Culture University and President of the International Communication Institute of Chinese Calligraphy; and Professor Zheng Guomin, Assistant Principal and Dean of the College of Education for the Future of Beijing Normal University. The topics will cover GBA’s language education policies, AI in international Chinese language education, and the reform of foundational Chinese language education.

Professor John Lee will provide an overview of the educational opportunities and challenges in the GBA, and analyse the characteristics of Chinese language education in the three regions. He will also discuss how Hong Kong and EdUHK can help promote the development of the subject in the area, focusing on Chinese language education, values education, and special education. This will be followed by four thematic paper presentation sessions by over 20 representatives from the alliance. 

The winners of the first ‘GHMUA for Chinese Language Education Student Thesis Competition’ will present their papers at the forum. Organised by the alliance earlier, the competition aimed to provide an academic platform for undergraduate and postgraduate students majoring in Chinese language education and related disciplines with the theme ‘Challenges and Opportunities in the GBA’s Chinese Language Education’. In the competition, over 200 papers were received, covering literature, linguistics, language teaching and other areas. Among them, 18 award-winning papers were selected.

Appendix: List of Members of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance for Chinese Language Education