29th Congregation of Faculty of Humanities

Congratulations to the Class of 2023! The 29th Congregation (FH) has been successfully concluded on 11 November 2023. It was kicked off with opening remarks from the Faculty Dean Prof. Li Ping. This year, we were honoured to have three Guests of Honour, Mr Zhang Quan, Founder and CEO of Twelves Flavors Group, and Recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumni Award in Entrepreneurial Achievement of PolyU Faculty of Humanities 2023, in the first session; Mr Niu Yi, Founder of Unicow Education and Technology (International) Holdings Limited, Chinese IB/MYP Language Teacher/Advisor, Chinese International School and Recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumni Award in Professional Achievement of PolyU Faculty of Humanities 2023, in the second session; and Ms Doris Leung Shuk Yi, Founder of Diamond Tech (Hong Kong) Limited, Founder and CEO of Diamond Cab (Hong Kong) Limited and Recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award in Community Service Achievement of PolyU Faculty of Humanities 2023, in the third session, to give the congratulatory address. A total number of 755 students graduated this year, including 571 students receiving postgraduate degrees and awards and 184 students receiving bachelor’s degrees. Awards and certificates were presented to students and Faculty members for their outstanding achievements and services. Once again, we wish all graduates a bright future ahead and every success in future endeavours!

Chinese Classics Recital Show Jointly Hosted by PolyU and Universities in Jiangsu and Macau

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), in collaboration with Jiangsu Normal University and the University of Macau, jointly hosted the “Mainland-Hong Kong-Macau University Students’ Chinese Classics Recital Show 2023” in Hong Kong on 13 November 2023. It was fully supported by the Ten Thousand People’s Scheme coordinated by the Ministry of Education. Following the inaugural “Suzhou-Hong Kong-Macau University Students’ Chinese Classics Recitation Exchange Competition” in 2021, the three universities once again joined hands to host this large-scale cultural exchange event. The aim is to provide a platform for young university students who love recitation and Chinese culture to exchange and showcase their talents and to further promote Chinese culture. The event began with a welcome speech by Professor Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, followed by speeches by Professor Qian Jin, former Vice President of Jiangsu Normal University, Prof. Victoria Lei, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Macau, and Prof. Li Ping, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at PolyU. The theme of the competition was “Reciting Ancient and Modern Classics, Inheriting Chinese Culture, and Glorifying the Spirit of Our Epoch”. The event received nearly a thousand video submissions, with participants from various universities from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, including but not limited to Jiangsu Normal University, University of Macau, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Education University, Communication University of China, Hohai University and others. After rigorous assessment, 25 outstanding works were selected for the Recital Show. In addition, students from the University of Macau and Jiangsu Normal University also presented singing and dancing performances on the occasion. A teacher from the Jiangsu Normal University demonstrated a recitation, followed by a dancing performance presented by the PolyU Hall Dance Team and recital of a famous article of Prof. Yuen Ren Chao by PolyU Faculty of Humanities students. PolyU also held a forum mainly for students from the three places to exchange their ideas, covering topics such as the inheritance and development of traditional Chinese culture, the exchange mechanism of young people in the three places, and sharing of student experiences in learning and research at each university. It aimed to allow more interaction and to have a more profound understanding among students from the three places.

FH Student Wins Prize in the 6th Cognitive Translation Studies Conference's Best Paper Awards

Ms Liu Yanjin, a DALS student from the Faculty of Humanities, presented her paper entitled "Bilingual Fine-Grained Emotion Detection through LLMs: An Examination of Emotions in English and Translated Chinese Children's Literature" at the 6th Cognitive Translation Studies Conference, winning the Third Prize in the Best Papers Awards in Cognitive Translation Studies. The conference, organised by the Cognitive Translation Professional Committee of the Chinese-English Comparative Research Association and the School of Language and Translation at Macau Polytechnic University in November 2023, provided a platform for in-depth exploration of cross-disciplinary and diverse translation research in the digital era, along with fresh insights into fundamental translation concerns from the perspective of cognitive linguistics. Notable scholars from institutions such as The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Renmin University of China, Shanghai International Studies University, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Southwest University, and other esteemed universities participated. The event featured discussions on specialised topics, and nearly twenty papers underwent rigorous evaluation during the final review. Details of the conference : https://www.mpu.edu.mo/flt-cognitivetranslation/

PolyU Information Day 2023

The PolyU Information Day 2023 was successfully held on 21 October. This event is one of the best opportunities for visitors to learn about FH’s undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes and to explore their study options. FH Departments introduced their programmes and facilities on the occasion. Information seminars, thematic talks, guided visits and many more activities were also arranged for visitors. The online information seminars can be viewed at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/study/events/infoday.

PolyU Students Win Awards in the Mainland-Hong Kong-Macau University Students’ Chinese Classics Recital Show 2023

The Mainland-Hong Kong-Macau University Students’ Chinese Classics Recital Show 2023 (2023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 14 October 2023. Over 1,000 entries were received and 25 of them were shortlisted for the Recital Show. Two 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 another received the Young Brilliance Award (青年風彩獎). Our Faculty member Ms Helen Ma(CLC) was responsible for training the PolyU participants.

FH Scholars Rank among the World’s Top 2% Scientists

Scholars from the PolyU Faculty of Humanities are ranked among the 2023 top 2% scientists in the world, according to the newly released metrics compiled by Stanford University. Faculty Dean Prof. Li Ping and Associate Dean Prof. Hu Guangwei have been ranked again as top scholars worldwide in the field of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences (sub-field: Experimental Psychology) and Communication and Textual studies (sub-field: Languages and Linguistics), respectively. Prof. Hu Guangwei is also ranked among the top 50 scholars worldwide in his field. The scholars were named in the latest release by Stanford University led by Professor John Ioannidis’s team which compiled citation indicators covering over 100,000 top scientists. Scientists from around the world were grouped into 22 subject fields and 176 sub-fields using the indicators, which included information on citations, an individual’s scientific research output, co-authorship and a composite indicator for career-long citation impact up to the end of 2022.

PolyU Delegation Visits Nanjing

Led by Dr Lam Tai-fai, Chairman of the PolyU Council, and Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU, a delegation from PolyU recently visited Nanjing, engaging in fruitful cooperation and exchanges with local universities and the Mayor of Nanjing. During the visit to Nanjing University, in the presence of leaders from both universities, Prof. Li Ping, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at PolyU, and Prof. Zhang Sheng, Dean of the School of History at Nanjing University, signed a strategic cooperation memorandum. This memorandum lays the foundation for further collaboration between the two institutions, including faculty visits, student and academic exchanges. The PolyU delegation also visited Southeast University, where President Teng and Prof. Huang Ru, President of Southeast University, renewed the cooperation agreement between the two universities, reaffirming their commitment to enhancing collaboration. In addition, the delegation also had meetings with Mayor Chen Zhi-chang and Vice Mayor Wu Wei of Nanjing, strengthening the ties between PolyU and Nanjing. By leveraging PolyU’s research strengths and the industry needs of Nanjing, the partnership aims to contribute to the development of both regions.

Prof. William Shi-Yuan Wang Awarded Honorary Professorship by Macau University of Science and Technology

Prof. William Shi-Yuan Wang, Chair Professor of Language and Cognitive Sciences, received an Honorary Professorship from Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) on 13 September 2023 for his outstanding achievements. Prof. Wang also gave an invited lecture at the Master Series Lectures of Science and Technology “Human Languages, Past, Present & Future” hosted by MUST on the occasion.

Join the FH Massive Open Online Course (MOOC): Humanities in Focus

Join the FH Massive Open Online Course (MOOC): Humanities in Focus to explore What is Humanities, Why Humanities Matter but more importantly, Why Humanities Matters to You! The questioning, humanising and connecting approach of humanities education trains all of us to think critically and creatively. In the context of humanities, thinking critically and creatively means to reflect on our personal values and experiences, and challenge what we think we know, and explore how other people may see or experience the world differently from us. Start your journey of thinking critically and creatively by joining the course in just three simple steps: https://www.edx.org/learn/humanities/the-hong-kong-polytechnic-university-Humanities-in-Focus Click Enroll Register/Sign in Join the MOOC when it launches on 25 September! Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to deepen your understanding of Humanities.

CBS PhD Student Won Championship in the 48th Hong Kong Youth Translation Competition

Ms Hui Ka-yee, a CBS PhD student, won the champion of English-Chinese translation and the second runner-up of Chinese-English translation in the Open Section of the 48th Hong Kong Youth Translation Competition, which is the highest-level translation contest in Hong Kong. The competition, held in May 2023, was jointly organised by the Hong Kong Youth Cultural and Arts Competitions, the Society of Chinese Accountants and Auditors, and the Hong Kong Translation Society. It consisted of three sections: open, senior secondary, and junior secondary. More than 50 participants joined the Open Section, making it a highly competitive arena. Details of the competition: https://www.hkts.org.hk/events/2082