Nominations for PolyU Yuen Ren Chao Prize in Language Science 2026 Open This August

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is pleased to announce that the Yuen Ren Chao Prize in Language Science (Chao Prize) 2026 will be open for nominations from 1 August until 31 October 2025. This biennial international award, now in its second edition, honours scholars and researchers worldwide who have made distinguished contributions to the field of language science. Initiated and hosted by the PolyU Faculty of Humanities, the Chao Prize is named after the late Professor Yuen Ren Chao, who is widely regarded as the father of modern Chinese language studies, with his legacy as a distinguished linguist, poet, composer, translator and educator. Two awards are presented in each cycle: the Lifetime Achievement Award, which honours long-term, internationally recognised contributions to the field, and the Early Career Contribution Award, which celebrates outstanding work by scholars or researchers aged 45 or below. The Prize also includes cash awards of US$100,000 and US$50,000, respectively. Placing significant emphasis on demonstrated leadership and impact on language science, the selection of award recipients is based solely on merit, regardless of background or affiliation. Prof. Li Ping, Dean of the PolyU Faculty of Humanities, remarked, “The Chao Prize not only celebrates excellence, but also fosters interdisciplinary dialogue, serving as a catalyst for global scholarly exchange and innovation in language science and calling the international academic and research community to engage, to reflect and to aspire. It reaffirms the Faculty’s commitment to advancing language science research with real-world impact, and embodies PolyU’s dedication to the pursuit of knowledge and its application for the benefit of mankind.” He expressed appreciation to the Prize’s patron, the iRead Foundation, for its generous support and shared vision in promoting language research. The nomination timeline and the latest details regarding the 2026 Chao Prize are available on its official website. For enquiries, please contact chao.prize@polyu.edu.hk.

PolyU and SCNU Sign MoU to Advance Talent Development and Greater Bay Area Collaboration

The Faculty of Humanities of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the International Business College of South China Normal University (SCNU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen academic collaboration. The partnership will focus on dual postgraduate programmes and talent development in AI innovation and communication. The signing ceremony was held at SCNU’s Administration Building, with Prof. Li Ping, Dean of PolyU’s Faculty of Humanities, and Prof. Qiaoyun Yun, Vice Dean of SCNU’s International Business College, representing their respective institutions. This partnership aims to foster cross-regional academic exchange and support the broader development goals of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. Both institutions will explore joint initiatives to enhance educational excellence.

FH Student Shines at PolyU 3MT Competition

Congratulations to Ms Peng Yingying, a PhD student from the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies (CBS) supervised by Faculty Dean Prof. Li Ping, for her outstanding performance at the PolyU Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition held on 2 July 2025. Representing the Faculty of Humanities—after winning the Faculty-level 3MT Competition—Yingying earned the Second Runner-Up at the university level. Her presentation topic was "To Chat with Your (AI) Teacher or Not? It Only Takes Minutes to Spark Learning". The 3MT Competition challenged participants to present their complex research projects in just three minutes, emphasising clarity, conciseness, and effective communication. The Faculty proudly celebrates Yingying’s outstanding work and dedication. Please join us in congratulating her on this achievement!

FH Student Athletes to Compete at the World University Games

Two outstanding student-athletes from the Faculty will represent Hong Kong, China, at the 32nd FISU World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, from 16 to 27 July. Chu Wing Kiu, a BALT student, will compete in both the individual and team women’s sabre events. Admitted via the Student-Athlete Learning Support and Admission (SALSA) Scheme, she has earned medals at major regional competitions and hopes to become a fencing coach. Leung Yuet Yee, a BAESP student, will participate in badminton doubles. Joining the Games for the last time before graduation, she aims to conclude her university journey with a medal. PolyU is committed to supporting student-athletes in their dual pursuits of academic and sporting excellence through initiatives such as the SALSA Scheme, providing quality university education for athletes. Click HERE for details.

PolyU and EDB Co-Organise International Summit on the Use of AI in Learning and Teaching Languages and Other Subjects, Drawing Over 4,500 Participants

The University hosts the International Summit on the Use of AI in Learning and Teaching Languages and Other Subjects (AIinLT Summit) from 4 to 7 July. Organised by the PolyU Department of English and Communication, in collaboration with the Education Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR), and Hong Kong Education City (EdCity), the AIinLT Summit brings together leading scholars, educators and researchers from around the world to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising education. Attracting over 4,500 participants, the Summit featured keynote speeches from five top experts in AI education during the first two days. The following two days included 11 workshops, offering participants hands-on experience with various AI educational tools and opportunities for in-depth discussions on ethical issues related to AI literacy and applications. In addition, 20 exhibiting organisations and technology companies took part in the technology showcase, presenting cutting-edge tools and software that demonstrated the potential of AI in the teaching and learning of languages and other subjects. Click HERE to read the full press release of the University. The opening ceremony of the AIinLT Summit, the first keynote speech and panel discussion were held in the Jockey Club Auditorium at PolyU on 4 July, attracting nearly 1,000 attendees.

Special Issue Published in the Journal of Chinese Language Education, Featuring Papers from ISLS Organised by FH

A special issue titled “Chinese Language Education and Assessment” has been published in the Journal of Chinese Language Education (華文學刊), a CSSCI (overseas) indexed journal published by the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language, Nanyang Technological University. This special issue features selected papers presented at the International Symposium on Language Sciences (ISLS): Interdisciplinary Research and the Legacy of Yuen Ren Chao, organised by the Faculty in May 2024. The symposium brought together scholars from diverse disciplines to explore the intersections of language sciences and the legacy of Yuen Ren Chao. This publication highlights the Faculty’s commitment to fostering interdisciplinary research and promoting international scholarly exchange.

FH Achieves New Heights with 25 GRF and ECS Projects Funded, Securing Over HK$16M in Funding

The Faculty has reached another significant milestone this year, with 25 projects successfully funded under the General Research Fund (GRF) and the Early Career Scheme (ECS). This record-breaking achievement reflects the Faculty’s continued commitment to research excellence and innovation. The 21 GRF-funded projects span across our Departments, with ten from CBS, five from CHC, and six from ENGL. In addition, four ECS projects have been awarded—three from CBS and one from CHC.  Under the Research Grants Council, GRF aims to supplement universities’ research support to researchers who have achieved or have the potential to achieve excellence. The ECS, introduced in 2012/13, is intended to nurture junior academics and prepare them for a career in education and research. The assessment criteria include the scientific and scholarly merit of the proposal, originality, potential for social, cultural or economic application, and more. FH members have received a total of $16M in GRF and ECS this year, along with $4M funded through the Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) also under RGC.

BAEAL Student Wins Innovation and Technology Scholarship 2025

Kristen Leung, a first-year student in the BA (Hons) in English and Applied Linguistics programme, has been named one of the 25 awardees of the Innovation and Technology Scholarship 2025. Kristen is working to create a metaverse-based gaming world designed to help children learn through play. Inspired by the challenges faced by children growing up during the pandemic—particularly in communication—her project aims to foster problem-solving, creative thinking, and teamwork through interactive, AI-generated scenarios. Now in its 15th year, the Innovation and Technology Scholarship is a joint initiative by the Innovation and Technology Commission, HSBC, and the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, the I&T Scholarship. To date, it has supported 375 young talents in pursuing their aspirations in science, technology, and innovation.

CBS Students Triumph in 3rd FH Three Minute Thesis Competition

The Faculty hosted its 3rd Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition on 18 June 2025, showcasing the research prowess of our PhD students. The event challenged participants to present their complex research projects in just three minutes, emphasising clarity, conciseness, and effective communication. The winners are as follows: Champion: PENG Yingying (CBS) First runner-up: SRIVASTAVA Vasundhara (CBS) Second runner-up: LI Xinrui (ENGL) The 3MT Competition, developed by the University of Queensland, is an academic competition that challenges postgraduate students to present their research in just three minutes, using one slide. The competition aims to develop students’ communication and presentation skills, particularly in the area of research communication. The winner of the Faculty 3MT Competition will be joining the University’s 3MT Competition to be held on 2 July and we wish her every success.

Call for Nominations: Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Faculty of Humanities 2025

We are pleased to announce that the Faculty of Humanities(FH) is now calling for nominations for the Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Faculty of Humanities 2025. The award aims to give public recognition to FH graduates for their diverse accomplishments and contributions. Three specific areas of achievement would be given recognition, including: Professional Achievement Entrepreneurial Achievement Scholarly Achievement Outstanding Young Alumni Award Alumni who are aged at/under 40 in the award selection year would be eligible for the Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Eligibility The nominated candidate must be a graduate of the Faculty of Humanities* who has successfully completed a full-time or part-time programme offered by PolyU (or its forerunners: Hong Kong Government Trade School, Hong Kong Technical College, and Hong Kong Polytechnic) which led to academic award accredited by the respective Institution. The Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award has three levels, namely Department, Faculty and University levels. The nominees for the Faculty Award should be recipients of the Departmental Alumni Award or graduates of the Faculty level programmes, such as Doctor of Applied Language Sciences and BA(Hons) in Language Studies for the Professions. The proposer can be PolyU graduates, Honorary Graduates, University Fellows, PolyU staff, current PolyU Council and Court members and current Advisory Committee members. There is no limit to the number of nominations to be submitted by each proposer. However, the proposer cannot be the candidate himself/ herself. Faculty awardees of the current year may be nominated for the Outstanding Alumni Award at the University level. *including graduates from the former Faculty of Communication Nomination Deadline 25 July 2025 Award Details and Nomination Form Completed forms shall be sent to fh.events@polyu.edu.hk by the nomination deadline. Contact Us Email: fh.events@polyu.edu.hk Tel.: +852 3400 8212