ENGL Hosts City-wide Essay Competition for Secondary School Students: Prof. Phoebe Lin Shares Insights on Writing in the Age of AI

The Department of English and Communication (ENGL) organised the Hong Kong Short Essay Writing Competition for Secondary School Students earlier this year, inviting Form Four and Five students to submit entries on the theme “AI and Me.” The competition received an overwhelming response, with over 1,100 submissions from 75 schools across the city. Prof. Phoebe Lin, Assistant Professor at ENGL, shared her reflections on the competition in an article published in SCMP, where she shared her professional perspectives on the true purposes of writing amid the era of AI.

CBS PhD Student Excels in 50th Hong Kong Youth Translation Competition

A CBS PhD student, Hui Ka Yee Ruby, won the First Runner-up in Chinese-English translation and a Merit award in English-Chinese translation in the Open Category of the 50th Hong Kong Youth Translation Competition (第50屆全港青年翻譯比賽), held in June 2025. The competition, widely regarded as the most prestigious translation contest in Hong Kong, was jointly organised by the Hong Kong Youth Cultural and Arts Competitions and the Society of Chinese Accountants and Auditors, co-organised by the Hong Kong Translation Society, and supported by Standing Committee on Language Education and Research. Participants had to translate two articles, one from English into Chinese and another from Chinese into English, within two hours using at most two print dictionaries. The competition consists of three categories: Open, Senior Secondary Student, and Junior Secondary Student. The Open Category is open to the public with an age limit of 45 or below, attracting more than 50 participants this year.

Two BAEAL Students Named Millennium Fellows 2025

Joyce Jiayi Chen and Cora Zhu Wenxi, students in the BA(Hons) in English and Applied Linguistics (BAEAL) programme, have been selected as Millennium Fellows in the Class of 2025. The Millennium Fellowship, co-run by the United Nations Academic Impact and the Millennium Campus Network, is a semester-long leadership development programme that convenes, challenges, and celebrates bold student leadership advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on campus and in communities. Joyce and Cora were selected from over 60,000 applicants across 7,500+ campuses worldwide, joining a cohort of 4,000+ Fellows from 290+ institutions globally. As part of the Fellowship, each will undertake a project addressing one or more of the SDGs, applying their learning to create tangible social impact.

Faculty Dean Prof. Li Ping’s Visits to BOE Technology and BOE Art Cloud to Strengthen Cultural-Tech Synergy

Faculty Dean Prof. Li Ping, Sin Wai Kin Foundation Professor in Humanities and Technology and Associate Director of the PolyU-Hangzhou Technology and Innovation Research Institute, visited Beijing Oriental Electronics (BOE) Technology Group Co., Ltd. on 31 July. Prof. Li was received by the Vice President of BOE and CEO of BOE Varitronix Limited, who introduced the company’s development journey in the field of semiconductor displays. Discussions focused on the application of display innovations in digital cultural tourism and heritage revitalisation. On 1 August, Prof. Li visited BOE Art Cloud Technology Co., Ltd., where Chairman Yao Xiangjun showcased glasses-free 3D applications in art presentation and immersive environments. The visit deepened mutual understanding on integrating display technologies with cultural experiences and laid a foundation for future collaboration.

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.