Message from the Director
Welcome to the website of the T. T. Ng Chinese Language Research Centre!
The history of our Centre can be traced back to the founding of the “Chinese Linguistics Research Centre” in 1966, one of the earliest research centres established by the Chinese University of Hong Kong. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Centre. After six decades of dedicated cultivation, we now stand at a new starting point, ready to compose an even more magnificent chapter!
Since its establishment, we have embarked on the significant mission of advancing both basic and applied research of the Chinese language, with particular emphasis on the promotion of comparative studies while also focusing on the translation of the outcomes of basic research into practical applications, exploring frontiers in applied research and interdisciplinary studies. It is hoped that the Centre can serve as an academic hub for studies of the Chinese language, fostering innovative ideas and initiatives.
In the recent development of the Centre, there have been a number of pioneering milestones. These achievements are not only a tribute to its sixty-year legacy, but also mark the starting point of embracing new missions and embarking on a new journey.
Initiation of a Forum on Dialectal Grammar: In 2015, we initiated the Inter-Regional Forum on Dialectal Grammar, in partnership with Sun Yat-sen University. Since 2017, Fudan University has joined as a co-organizer. The Forum is now hosted in rotation by these three institutions, serving as a platform to promote comparative studies in Chinese dialectal grammar, foster cross-regional research, and strengthen academic exchange and dialogue.
First Linguistics Event on the Maritime Silk Road: The Maritime Silk Road Suite held by the Centre in 2017 was the first linguistics activity carried out under the theme of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. In 2024, we organized the International Symposium on Silk Road Linguistics, focusing on linguistic research related to the Silk Road Economic Belt. The “Road” event in 2017 and the “Belt” symposium in 2024 together present a comprehensive picture of linguistic research along the Belt and Road routes and serve as a linguistic contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative.
First GBA Chinese Alliance: In 2019, we organized the First Greater Bay Area Chinese Forum, the first gathering of representatives from relevant academic departments and programmes across universities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). It was designed to promote cooperation and exchange among higher education institutions in the GBA, drive forward academic research across the region, and explore new pathways for the future of Chinese language and linguistics education. We actively supported the establishment and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance for Chinese. We have co-organized the Southern Institute of Chinese Linguistics for three consecutive years, and organized the Greater Bay Area Forum on Chinese Grammar in 2024 under the banner of the Alliance.
First CSSCI-indexed Journals from Hong Kong: Studies in Chinese Linguistics and Current Research in Chinese Linguistics, two leading journals in Chinese linguistics edited and published by the Centre, have been included in the Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index (CSSCI) since 2023, ranking them among the first academic journals from Hong Kong to be selected as CSSCI source publications.
Establishment of Research Bases in Hong Kong: In collaboration with Fudan University, we established the first national-level language promotion base in Hong Kong in 2024, dedicated to promoting standard Chinese and carrying forward Chinese language and culture in the region. In 2025, we established the first research base of the Joint Research Institute for International Communication of Language and Culture, the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China to be located outside the Chinese Mainland, serving as a supporting unit for the base to help enhance the reach and impact of language and culture. Also in 2025, we jointly founded the Research Base for Humanities Terminology with the China National Committee for Terminology in Science and Technology (CNTERM), focusing on advancing terminology research and methodology development. This marks the first CNTERM research base established outside the Chinese Mainland.
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Centre, we are organizing a series of academic activities this year, including, to name a few, the Forum of Linguistic Terminology, the 15th International Workshop on Theoretical East Asian Linguistics, Linguistics+, and the 30th International Conference on Yue Dialects. Through these activities, we aim to strengthen cross‑dialectal and cross‑linguistic comparative research, deepen the theoretical inquiry within linguistics, and actively explore pathways for translating basic research into practical applications, thereby addressing societal needs and contributing meaningfully to the wider community.
At this momentous year of carrying forward our legacy and embracing the future, we are committed not only to preserving our finest traditions but also to looking ahead with a pioneering spirit to achieve new breakthroughs. Together, we build the path and write the future!
Sze-Wing Tang
Director
T. T. Ng Chinese Language Research Centre
April 2026