Issue 3 - October 2023 Research Bulletin Editorial Board
Inauguration Ceremony cum First Forum for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance for Chinese Language Education (CHL)
The Faculty of Humanities (FHM) and the Department of Chinese Language Studies (CHL) co-hosted the inauguration ceremony for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance for Chinese Language Education (GHMU-CLE). Founded by The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), Jinan University, and Macau University of Science and Technology, the alliance now includes Chinese language education experts from 25 Greater Bay Area universities.
Esteemed guests from EdUHK, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government (LOCPG) in the HKSAR, and South China Normal University attended the ceremony. The subsequent forum, held on September 15th, focused on 'Exchange, Collaboration, and Resource Sharing,' featuring speeches from prominent academics and presentations from the winners of the GHMU-CLE Student Thesis Competition.
Dr Wang Cong Spearheads Groundbreaking International Collaboration with France (CHL)
Assistant Professor Dr Wang Cong from the Department of Chinese Language Studies (CHL) has been granted HK$1.95 million in funding for her project “Language Contact and Areal Diffusion of Sinitic Languages in the Greater Bay Area”. The project, supported by the French National Research Agency and the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, commenced with a kick-off meeting at EdUHK.
Following the meeting, two research teams began their collaborative work with an intensive three-month data collection phase in Guangxi and Hong Kong. The teams' findings will be analysed thoroughly, contributing to an international conference on the history of Chinese linguistics and education in Paris in 2024.
Initiatives in Enhancing Collaboration with GBA (ELE)
On 18 July, 2023, Department of English Language Education (ELE) hosted a meeting with Prof Gu Hongli and Prof Jin Tan from South China Normal University (SCNU) to enhance collaboration with GBA. Discussions revolved around foreign language teacher education in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao region. SCNU organised a "PhD Student Career Development Workshop" during the visit, helping EdUHK PhD students plan careers in Mainland China. This visit has promoted cooperation between the universities in foreign language teacher education. A planned application in 2024 seeks to establish the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau University Alliance for English Language Education with SCNU and University of Macau (UM).
Dr Hawk Chang on the Impact of Irish Literature on Modern China (LCS)
Dr Chang is exploring the role of translation in the cultural revitalisation of China in the early 20th century. Focusing on the Chinese translations of J. M. Synge’s plays, he is examining how these works influenced Chinese intellectuals during the May Fourth Movement. His research aims to understand how translators like Guo Moruo, Xu Xuxuan, and Tian Han leveraged cultural translation to modernise China. Invited by Prof Christopher Collins from the University of Nottingham, Dr Chang's findings will be published in the forthcoming monograph, Synge and Transnational Modernisms, in 2025/26.
Dr Andy Chin Joins the National Social Science Fund Project on the Diachronic Development of Chinese Dialects (LML, CRLLS)
Dr Andy Chin, Head of Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Studies (LML) and Director of Centre for Research on Linguistics and Language Studies (CRLLS), was invited to be a member of a collaborative project supported by The National Social Science Fund of China. The project is based at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at the Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou. This large-scale project investigates and compares the diachronic development of Chinese dialects of five major dialect groups (Yue, Min, Wu, Hakka, Mandarin) since the late Qing period. The project will also construct corpora on the data collected for the project. A kick-off meeting of the project was held at Sun Yat-sen University on 16 July 2023. The meeting was attended by nearly 70 participants.
Global Academic Consortium on Care Cultures and Ethics: Insights from ‘Theorizing Care: A Humanities Online Reading Course’
The International Research Centre for Cultural Studies (IRCCS) has successfully completed an eight-month online reading course on 'Theorizing Care' as part of the 'Comparative Cultures of Care' project. This global course explored various aspects of 'care discourse' across multiple disciplines, engaging both local and international participants in vibrant discussions. The project has set the stage for future interdisciplinary research, with the upcoming 'Hong Kong 2023 Humanities Conference on Comparative Cultures of Care' and potential international collaborations in view.
Walking on the Tai Po Literary Trail (RCCLLC)
“Tai Po Literary Trail” is sponsored by Tai Po District Office. The Project organises different activities for the public, gaining deeper understanding of the importance of Hong Kong literature from the Fall of 2022. We have published pre-virtual exhibition “Hong Kong Literature in Tai Po,” restoring the scene of Tai Po Cinema Street and showing some displayed items related to Tai Po literature in February. A Talk “Literature in-between Tai Po and Hanshin” was successfully held on 22 May, invited Prof Chan Kwok Kou Leonard and Prof Kazushige Ohigashi to discuss the sense of place between two different communities. On the other hand, Tai Po District Officer, writers, district committee members, district councillors, principles, teachers and secondary school students participated in pre-trips for the Taipo tour on 24th and 27th May. Three local tours will also be held on 16th, 30th September, and early October.
RCCLLC Team Led by Dr Yip Cheuk Wai Honored at the Hong Kong Publishing Biennial Awards 2023 (RCCLLC)
Associate Professor Dr Yip Cheuk Wai, Director at the Research Centre for Chinese Literature and Literary Culture (RCCLLC), and his research team have received the renowned Publication Award in Social Science at the Hong Kong Publishing Biennial Awards 2023. Their groundbreaking work, "When the Leaves Fall and the Blossoms Blow: A Study of Thirty Cents Novels in Hong Kong," is the first monograph on the subject, conducted by RCCLLC and sponsored by the Lord Wilson Heritage Trust. This award-winning study revives the significance of these once-iconic literary works.
PhD Student Wang Yumin’s Paper Wins the HAAL Award for the Best Journal Article Published by a Novice Scholar (LML)
Wang Yumin, a 2022 PhD graduate from the Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Studies (LML), has been honored with the Best Journal Article Published by a Novice Scholar award from the Hong Kong Association of Applied Linguistics (HAAL). Her paper, "Diagnosing EFL Undergraduates' Discourse Competence in Academic Writing," was recognised for its exceptional contribution to the field of applied linguistics. Dr Wang presented her award-winning paper at the 8th HAAL Conference, where she also attended an award presentation ceremony.
PhD Student Yan Jiahao Wins Best Paper Presentation Award at International Conference on Future Language Learning (LML)
Yan Jiahao, a PhD student from the Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Studies (LML), has received the Best Paper Presentation Award at the 2nd International Conference on Future Language Learning (ICFULL 2023), organised by the Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education. His winning paper "Introducing Corpus Technology to Hong Kong ESL Undergraduate Students as a Useful Tool for Learning, Teaching, and Research Purposes", co-authored with Dr Ma Qing Angel, explores the strategic use of corpus technology for language learning, teaching, and research. This recognition underscores the impact of integrating such technology into classroom teaching.