Prof. Paola Calanca shared details of her academic journey, which began in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland (Ticino) where she was born, and continued in France, where she chose to pursue her studies. This decision marked a significant shift in focus, as she transitioned from the literature field to history, particularly the Asian history. She then gave a detailed account of her professional experience as a historian, focusing on Asian and Chinese maritime history. She worked in Europe, Beijing, Taiwan, Fujian, and Hong Kong. Finally, she shared her observations on the unique role of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) in international Sinological exchange.

Date: 23 February 2026

Location: Cheng Xuan, Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS), CUHK

Interviewee: Prof. Paola Calanca (EFEO Hong Kong Centre Representative)

Interviewer: Prof. Lai Chi Tim (Associate Director, ICS)

Transcribed by: Li Yun (Graduate, Department of Cultural and Religious Studies, CUHK)

Prof. Dame Jessica Rawson, an internationally renowned authority on Chinese art and archaeology, was invited by the Department of Fine Arts and the Institute of Chinese Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) to serve as Distinguished Visiting Professor in 2026 through the Chinese Art Visiting Scholar Programme, sponsored by the Bei Shan Tang Foundation.

The award winners of the Lingnan Culture Studies Research Paper Competition 2025–2026, organized by the Research Programme for Lingnan Culture, Institute of Chinese Studies, CUHK, are officially announced. The Competition aims to promote international academic research on Lingnan culture, as well as to encourage local and overseas doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows who are aspiring to conduct in-depth research in the field. The competition received up to 50 research papers, which were subject to assessment by the selection committee.

For details, please: Click here

*RGC Collaborative Research Project “Lingnan Culture and the World” (2023–2026)

The Second International Conference on Lingnan Culture and the World will be held from 7 to 9 May 2026 at CUHK. Organized by the Research Programme for Lingnan Culture, the Institute of Chinese Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, this conference provides an opportunity for 28 invited scholars in different academic fields, including history, linguistics, literature, arts, religion, sociology, anthropology, from the globe to present their research on Lingnan culture. The Conference will be held in a hybrid mode, with online broadcasting and on-site at CUHK.

A linguistics seminar organized by the T.T. Ng Chinese Language Research Centre of the Institute of Chinese Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was held at CUHK on 11 February 2026. Prof. Ye Shumian of Peking University and CUHK was invited to give a talk on the semantics of the sentence-final particle ma in Chinese.

The 7th Chen Kai-wen Lecture on Modern Chinese History was successfully organized by the Research Centre for Contemporary Chinese Culture of the Institute of Chinese Studies, CUHK. Prof. Wang Qisheng, a renowned professor from the Department of History at Peking University, was the invited speaker of the public lecture and symposium held on campus.

巾幗祭山河

Speaker: Mr. Ian Huen

Date: 8 and 22 May 2026; 5 and 26 June 2026

Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Venue: Lecture Theatre, G/F, Institute of Chinese Studies, CUHK

Language: Cantonese

Registration: Click here

For details, please refer to the poster (Chinese version only).