International Acclaim: ENGL Scholars Receive Prestigious Awards

The International Association of Language and Social Psychology (IALSP) awarded two academic staff members of the Department of English and Communication (ENGL) for their achievements and contributions. Prof. Hans Ladegaard received the Robert C. Gardner Award for Outstanding Research in Bilingualism 2024. The award was presented to him (in absentia) at the Association's international conference at the University of Tallinn, Estonia, in June 2024. The prize is awarded to one scholar every two years to acknowledge his/her contribution to outstanding, sustained and currently active research on bilingualism, ethnic relations, intergroup communication and acculturation, and ethnic stereotypes.

Prof. Bernadette Watson, Honorary Professor of ENGL, was honoured with the Howie Giles Mentorship Award 2024. This award recognises mentoring as an essential scholarly activity and celebrates scholars who perform this duty with excellence. Winners of this award are distinctive not only for mentoring scholars at the beginning of their academic journey (e.g., graduate students), but also for providing support and guidance to scholars across their career trajectory.

Prof. Ladegaard expressed his gratitude for the award: "I'm very happy and proud to have been given the Robert C Gardner Award; this was a pleasant and unexpected surprise! Thank you to the colleagues in the Association who nominated me, and thank you to the Executive Board for giving me the award. I assume it was given to me first and foremost because of my work for and with migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong, and I'm very happy that their plight has also been recognised through this award."

Prof. Bernadette Watson, Honorary Professor of ENGL, received the Howie Giles Mentorship Award 2024.