RCCHC Delegation Pays Visit to Tsinghua University

Led by Dr Lam Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman and Chair of the Advisory Committee of the Research Centre for Chinese History and Culture (RCCHC), Prof. Li Ping, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Prof. Han Xiaorong, Head of the Department of Chinese Culture visited the Institute of Humanities (思想文化硏究所), the School of Humanities (人文學院), and the Rixin College (日新學院) of Tsinghua University from 12 to 14 April 2023. The delegation also met with leaders of the Tsinghua University including Prof. Wang Zhongchen (Dean of the Rixin College), Prof. Ni Yuping (Associate Dean of the School of Humanities), Prof. Zhong Weimin (Director of the Institute of Humanities, Head of the Department of History), Dr Gu Tao (Associate Dean of Rixin College), Prof. A Feng (Branch Secretary of the Department of History), and Prof. Huang Zhenping (Associate Head of the Department of History). Members from the two Universities discussed potential academic and research collaborations to promote relations and mutual understanding via:       • exchange of academic staff and research students       • joint summer camp for undergraduate students       • collaboration in developing themed international conferences and symposia       • collaboration in joint research and the publications arising from joint research projects       • collaboration in providing strategic vision and guidance to the editing of Chinese history textbooks PolyU and Tsinghua University signed an MoU on 17 January 2023 to confirm their intention to collaborate in research, talent development and knowledge transfer in the areas of humanities and the modern history of China.

Call for Nominations: Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Faculty of Humanities 2023

The Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award has three levels, namely Department, Faculty and University levels. In addition to the recipients of the Department Award, graduates of the Faculty level programmes (such as Doctor of Applied Language Sciences and BA(Hons) in Language Studies for the Professions) are also eligible to be nominated for the Faculty Award. 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 2023. The award aims to give public recognition to FH graduates for their diverse accomplishments and contributions. Award Categories There are four award categories: Professional Achievement Entrepreneurial Achievement Scholarly Achievement Community Service Achievement Candidate who is aged under 40 by the end of the award year (i.e., 31 December 2023) can be considered for the Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Faculty awardees of the current year may be nominated for the Outstanding Alumni Award at the University level. 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. Recipients of the Outstanding Alumni Award at the departmental level and graduates who have completed programmes offered at the Faculty level are eligible for nomination to the award. 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 or a direct relative of the candidate. *including graduates from the former Faculty of Communication Nomination and Deadline 31 May 2023 Award Details and Nomination Form Completed forms shall be sent to emily.ip@polyu.edu.hk. Contact Us Ms Emily Ip Email: emily.ip@polyu.edu.hk Tel.: +852 3400 8224

PolyU Launches New Publication “Kaiwu: Science, Technology and Culture”

The new PolyU publication, Kaiwu: Science, Technology and Culture, is edited by our Department of Chinese Culture and Research Centre for Chinese History and Culture. It is a biannual journal that publishes accessible scholarly articles on the developments of science and technology and their profound impact on society and culture, covering topics on scientific ethics, medical humanities, digital humanities, environmental history, historical geography, archeology, as well as other frontiers of science and technology studies. Read the inaugural issue at: https://polyu.hk/kCtwy

PolyU Students Win Awards in the Mainland-Hong Kong-Macao University Students’ Chinese Classics Recital Show 2022

The Mainland-Hong Kong-Macao University Students’ Chinese Classics Recital Show 2022 (2022年港澳和內地高校大學生中華經典誦讀交流展演) was co-organised by Jiangsu Normal University, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of Macau on 20 March 2023. A total of 720 entries were received from over 160 universities and 30 entries were shortlisted for the Recital Show. Four students from PolyU participated in the event and one of them was awarded the Best Recitation Award (最佳朗讀作品獎) while three others received the Classic Splendour Award (古韻華彩獎). Our Faculty member Ms Helen Ma(CLC) was responsible for training the PolyU participants.

Officials of Education Bureau Visit the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies

Seven officials from the Professional Development and Special Education Branch of Education Bureau visited the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies (CBS) on 14 February 2023, including Deputy Secretary for Education Ms Louise So, Principal Assistant Secretary (Special Education) Ms Mandy Ho, Principal Education Officers (Special Education) Mrs Gloria Li and Ms Joyce Yip, Senior Specialist (Speech Therapy Service) Ms Louise Hui, Senior Specialist (Education Psychology Service / NTW) Dr Dorothy Li, and Senior Education Officer (Special Education Support 1) Ms Bianca Wong. Accompanied by Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and representatives of CBS, the officials were introduced to facilities of the Speech and Language Sciences Laboratory, the Brain, Language, and Computation Lab, the Speech Therapy Unit, and the University Research Facility in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience to understand how technologies are utilised in applied language sciences research, and their application values in the education sector.

Prof. Eric Friginal Published an Article in SCMP on ChatGPT and Education

Prof. Eric Friginal, Head of the Department of English and Communication, published an opinion piece in South China Morning Post headed “Let ChatGPT into Classroom to Prepare Teachers and Students for the Future”. Prof. Friginal shares his view, “While there are valid concerns about the use of ChatGPT, it offers positive teaching and learning opportunities for both educators and students.” Click HERE to read the full article.

FH Staff Members Honoured with Long Service Award

A total of 17 staff members of the Faculty received the Long Service Award 2022 in recognition of their years of service at the University (in alphabetical order): Ms Fanny Chan(ELC) Dr Chau Chi-ping(CLC) Mr Cheung Yiu-hong(CLC) Ms Felicia Fong(ELC) Ms Eunice Hau(ELC) Mr Stephen Ho(CLC) Mr Kwan Chi Ming(ELC) Mr William Lau(ELC) Ms Jody Lee(FH) Ms Shafi Li(CLC) Mr Andrew Mossman(ELC) Ms Loretta Sze(CBS) Ms Christy Wong(ELC) Ms Pinna Wong(ELC) Mr Wong Wing Cheong(ELC) Ms Cherine Yu(FH) Prof. Zhu Xinhua(CBS) The Faculty would like to thank these staff members for their dedicated and loyal service to the University. The Long Service Award Scheme has been introduced since 1990 to foster a sense of belonging among PolyU staff.

First Research Centre for Immersive Learning and Metaverse in Education Established in Hong Kong and Faculty Dean Prof. Li Ping Spearheads the Effort

PolyU has joined forces with The Education University of Hong Kong to establish the Centre for Immersive Learning and Metaverse in Education (CILME)—the first of its kind in Hong Kong. Spearheaded by Prof. Li Ping, CILME Co-Director, Faculty Dean and Sin Wai Kin Professor in Humanities and Technology, the collaboration aims to develop a collaborative infrastructure for conducting interdisciplinary research to impact education. “With CILME, researchers and educators will work closely together to develop technological applications and solutions for immersive and active learning. At PolyU, we have sophisticated interdisciplinary research capabilities, a centralised teaching facility in VR/AR, and an extensive connection with industry. Capitalising on our strengths and the collaboration with EdUHK, we are looking to push new frontiers in education and technology to benefit learners, educators and society,” said Prof. Li. [Read More]

Research Projects Received Over HK$10 Million Donation and RGC Grant

The Sin Wai Kin Foundation Limited has generously donated HK$7 million to support three FH research projects in the areas of (1) Language and Cognitive Neuroscience and Speech Therapy and (2) Chinese Culture and Technology. The Faculty has successfully matched a total of HK$3.5 million from the RGC Research Matching Grant Scheme (RMGS) to support these three projects. Details can be found here. The donation and the grant enable the Faculty and researchers to explore innovative ideas and conduct research projects with high social impact. This will contribute to a healthy community and promote research in the area of Chinese Culture and Technology.

Opening Ceremony of the Research Centre for Chinese History and Culture

PolyU held the Opening Ceremony of the Research Centre for Chinese History and Culture on 17 January 2023 and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Institute of Humanities of Tsinghua University. The Opening Ceremony was officiated by Mr Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Mr Zhang Guoyi, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Publicity, Cultural and Sports Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. They were joined by Dr Lam Tai-fai, Council Chairman of PolyU, Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, President, Prof. Wing-tak Wong, Deputy President and Provost and Prof. Li Ping, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities. The Research Centre aspires to become an influential academic institution in humanities, endeavours to support the Hong Kong SAR Government’s efforts in promoting Chinese culture. Read more