The 14th Joseph Needham Memorial Lecture Series

The 14th Joseph Needham Memorial Lecture Series, co-hosted by the Joseph Needham Foundation for Science & Civilisation (Hong Kong) and the Faculty of Humanities at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, was successfully held at PolyU on 12 December 2024. Prof. Robin D.S. Yates from McGill University delivered an insightful lecture titled “After Needham’s The Epic of Gunpowder,” highlighting the enduring legacy of Professor Joseph Needham. Prof. Yates began his lecture with an in-depth analysis of the Chinese and Western scholarship on Chinese warfare before and after Needham’s work, demonstrating Needham’s profound contributions to the field. While acknowledging the continuing influence of Needham’s research on gunpowder technology, Professor Yates emphasised the importance of considering the cultural and social contexts from which this technology emerged. With a wealth of new evidence discovered in recent decades, he encouraged young scholars to explore the field of Chinese military history. During the Q&A session, Prof. Yates engaged with the audience on the “Needham Question” and the prospects for Chinese military history.

FH Staff Members Honoured with Long Service Award

A total of 50 colleagues in the Faculty received the Long Service Award 2024 in recognition of their years of service at the University, spanning 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, and five years (listed in alphabetical order): Mr Richard Brooke(ELC) Mr Barlow Daniel(ELC) Prof. Angel Chan(CBS) Miss Chan Ho Yi(ELC) Miss Olivia Chan(CLC) Dr Ken Cheng(CLC) Dr Sally Cheung Ching-yu(CLC) Dr Ching Wai-kin(ELC) Ms Belle Choi(ELC) Miss Cherry Chow(FH) Prof. Chu Hung-lam(CHC) Dr J.H. Gu(CBS) Dr Eric Ho(ELC) Dr Yu-Yin Hsu(CBS) Miss Lynn Huynh(ELC) Ms Kou Fanfei(CBS) Ms Lam Hang Ching(CBS) Dr Lau Kai Yiu(CHC) Dr Paris Lau(CBS) Ms Leung Suk-kwan April(CBS) Prof. Li Ping(FH) Dr Vickie Li(ELC) Ms Li Yuk Yi Vivian(ELC) Dr Phoebe Lin(ENGL) Dr Zhihui Lin(CHC) Mr Jim Lo(ELC) Mr Andy Lui(CBS) Miss Ming Lui(CBS) Prof. Kathy Mak(CHC) Mr Mitchell Mak(ELC) Ms Zoe Mak(ENGL) Mr Donald Man(ENGL) Dr Miao Chuan-jiang(CLC) Dr Janet Ng(CBS) Dr Ng Kam-lung(CLC) Prof. Cindy Ngai(CBS) Ms M. O'Hagan(ELC) Dr Pang Tun(CLC) Mr Vincent Sheung Kwun(ELC) Ms Virginia Shih(CHC) Mr Freeman Tai(ELC) Miss Pauline Tai(FH) Dr Tao Ran(CBS) Miss Karen Tse(CHC) Prof. Brian Tsui(CHC) Ms Daisy Wong(ENGL) Miss Kathy Wong(CBS) Ms Yip Lai Ching(CBS) Dr David Yuen(CLC) Dr Zou Yuxin(CLC) 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.

FH Academics Publish in Nature Human Behaviour

Dr Shaoxiong Brian Xu and Prof. Guangwei Hu from the Department of English and Communication have recently published an article in Nature Human Behaviour, a prestigious multidisciplinary journal of Nature Portfolio that has an impressive impact factor of 22.3. A commentary on China’s pervasive research integrity issues, the article draws attention to three neglected issues underlying China’s retraction crisis: a striking disparity in the numbers of retractions between domestic and international journals, ineffective enforcement of a profusion of research integrity policies, and widespread non-transparency in handling breaches of research integrity. To help combat China’s retraction crisis, the article proposes five actionable initiatives. The article is the latest addition to a growing list of publications by Dr Xu and Prof. Hu since they started their collaborative foray into research integrity and publication ethics in 2017. Source: Xu, S. B., & Hu, G. (2025). Combating China’s retraction crisis. Nature Human Behaviour. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-02099-w

Prof. Zhu Xinhua and Team Make Significant Progress in Studies on Employing GenAI to Improve Language Assessment

In recent years, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology has developed rapidly, bringing significant changes to the field of language education. Prof. Zhu Xinhua and his team from the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies in the Faculty of Humanities have recently made significant progress in improving language assessment with the support of GenAI, particularly in providing feedback on students’ compositions. These studies have revealed the learning characteristics of students in the GenAI environment, providing empirical evidence for constructing innovative language teaching and assessment approaches. The research findings have been presented at / accepted by multiple prestigious conferences (e.g., AERA) and published in top-tier SSCI journals (e.g., Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education). This is also an important effort by the research team in implementing knowledge transfer (KT). Click HERE to read the full article.

Prof. Siok Wai Ting Awarded RGC Collaborative Research Fund 2024/25

Led by Prof. Siok Wai Ting, Head of the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, the cross-institutional project “Integrating Machine Learning, Behavioral Analysis and Multimodal Neuroimaging Techniques to Investigate the Comorbidity of Specific Learning Disabilities in Hong Kong” has secured HK$4 million from the Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) of the Research Grants Council (RGC) for 2024/25. Collaborators of the project include researchers from HKU and EdUHK. The CRF supports multi-investigator, multi-disciplinary projects in order to encourage more research groups to engage in creative and high-quality cross-disciplinary / cross-institutional projects.

Prof. Zhu Xinhua and Team Develop Multimodal Reading Programme for Primary Students

Prof. Zhu Xinhua, Professor in the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, leads a team to develop a multimodal reading teaching programme and an assessment task set for primary students based on his GRF project. Over 600 primary students in Hong Kong participated in the first round of these innovative activities. In the upcoming year, more than 500 primary students are expected to participate in the second round. In his interview with China Daily, Prof. Zhu noted that multimodal reading can foster personalised learning by providing multiple forms of information presentation to cater the diverse needs of students. He also highlighted significant potential for primary students to develop multimodal reading skills.

PolyU Innovation Reconstructs Geographic and Ecological Knowledge of Ancient Times, Awarded Top 10 Innovative Exploratory Projects in Tencent Tanyuan Scheme 2024

Scientific and technological innovations facilitate the preservation and dissemination of traditional knowledge and culture. Innovations are thus the key to the sustainability of our cultural heritage. A pioneering research project at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) promotes the synergy of scientific technologies and the humanities, applying interdisciplinary approaches to make cultural heritage relevant today. By distilling and formally representing geographic and ecological knowledge from ancient texts, the project aims to overcome the limitations of traditional text studies. It offers novel solutions that allow the digitisation of ancient texts to enable the transmission of knowledge, including visually presenting ancient geographical and ecological information. The project entitled "Knowledge Integration of the Classic of Mountains and Seas: Reconstructing Ancient Ecological and Geographical Knowledge Heritage with Artificial Intelligence" is led by Prof. HUANG Chu-Ren, Chair Professor of Applied Chinese Language Studies of the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies of PolyU. The project has just been awarded one of the "Top 10 Innovative Exploratory Projects" in Tencent’s "Tanyuan Project 2024”. The new “Innovation and Exploration Track” of the Tanyuan Project received a total of 79 submissions from 48 universities and research institutes. The PolyU team led by Prof. HUANG is one of the five shortlisted and the only one awarded from Hong Kong and Macao. The expert jury commended the PolyU project for successfully addressing the limitations of traditional textual research through visualisation and its innovative approach “to build a digital knowledge integration platform and provide a new way of digitisation of classical texts”. Click HERE to read the full story.

Prof. Han Qi on the East-West Dialogue

Prof. Han Qi, Professor in the Department of Chinese History and Culture, shared his insights into the importance of the exchange of scientific knowledge between the East and the West in an interview with South China Morning Post. Prof. Han has published a large body of work on East-West cultural exchanges in history – in particular the transmission of science between China and Europe.

Faculty Dean Prof. Li Ping Elected Fellow of the Cognitive Science Society

Our Faculty Dean and Sin Wai Kin Foundation Professor in Humanities and Technology, Prof. Li Ping, has been elected as a Fellow of the Cognitive Science Society (CSS). A Fellow of the Cognitive Science Society is an individual whose research has demonstrated sustained excellence and had sustained impact on the Cognitive Science community. The presentation ceremony will be held at the CSS Annual Meeting in San Francisco this summer. The CSS is a professional society for the interdisciplinary field of cognitive science. It brings together researchers from many fields, including psychology, linguistics, education and neuroscience, who share the common goal of understanding the nature of the human mind.

Dr Azar Tajabadi and Team Win Best Poster Presentation at JALT2024

Dr Azar Tajabadi, Lecturer in the Department of English and Communication, along with her students Hyunkyu Shim and Seong-bin Cho, won the best poster presentation at the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) Conference 2024 held in Shizuoka, Japan held on 15-18 November. Their poster, titled “Motivational Trajectories of Two Novice English Teachers” received the highest votes in Session 4. A total of 124 conference attendees participated in the voting across four sessions during the weekend. JALT hosts one of the largest annual international conferences for language educators in Asia, providing a platform for educators to share research, insights, and best practices. The JALT2024 Conference, themed Moving JALT into the Future: Opportunity, Diversity, and Excellence,” marks the 50th anniversary of the event.