Journal of Chinese Linguistics’ 50^th Anniversary Symposium on  Chinese Linguistics

——The Opening Ceremony of the Macao Editorial Office

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Journal of Chinese Linguistics (JCL), the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Macau held a Symposium on Chinese Linguistics on August 7, 2023. At the same time, the Macao editorial office of the Journal was officially launched. The honorary editor, editors, co-editors, and other members of the editorial board, along with invited guests and professors Yuan Yulin, Li Defeng, Zhang Jian, Andrew Moody, Joao Veloso among many other relevant staff and students from the University of Macau, attended this significant academic event.

Journal of Chinese Linguistics was founded by the renowned linguist, Professor William S-Y. Wang at the University of California at Berkeley in 1973. Despite half a century of ups and downs, the Journal, built on the wisdom and hard work of several generations of linguists, has become the most important academic platform in the field of Chinese Linguistics in the English-speaking world. Recently, the Journal decided to establish a Macao Editorial Office to meet its development plans and invited Professor Xu Jie, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Macau, to serve as an editor to strengthen the editorial team.

At the opening ceremony on the 7th, Professor Michael Hui, Vice Rector (Academic Affairs) and Acting Rector of the University of Macau, briefly introduced the teaching and research profiles of the University of Macau and the new developments in linguistics in recent years. Amidst thunderous applause, he announced the official opening of the Symposium and the launch of the Macao editorial office. Professor Hui specifically emphasized that the establishment of the Macao Editorial Office of Journal of Chinese Linguistics is undoubtedly an important milestone for both the linguistics discipline at the University of Macau and the Journal itself.

The founder and honorary editor of Journal of Chinese Linguistics, Professor William S-Y. Wang, subsequently gave a speech in which he fondly recalled the birth of the Journal and its brilliant past and development over half a century. He earnestly hoped that the Journal would play a more significant role in contributing to the study of Chinese language and the international linguistic enterprise.

This Symposium specially invited five renowned scholars to present keynote speeches on different topics on contemporary Chinese linguistics. Firstly, the co-editor Professor Shen Zhongwei discussed the far-reaching Lexical Diffusion Theory proposed by Professor William S-Y. Wang and its recent developments. Professor Li Yafei gave an online presentation titled Cross-disciplinary Approaches to Syntactic Phenomena, and encouraged everyone to actively submit good articles to the column of “Insight” in  Journal of Chinese Linguistics. Co-editor Professor Shi Feng’s report was Linguistic Philosophy and Methodology of Yuen-Ren Chao discussing the continuity paradigm and research method advocated by Yuen-Ren Chao with a detailed review. Professor Peng Gang reported on how to use contemporary technical means to explore how the mechanism by which brain processes language, to observe and explain language phenomena, and to enrich and develop linguistic theory accordingly. Professor Hong Bo gave an online report on the trends and progress in the field of grammaticalization research in recent years.

Following the keynote speeches, the editors of Journal of Chinese Linguistics Professor Feng Shengli, Professor Virginia Yip (online), Professor Xu Jie, and the editorial staff reported on the recent work and policy adjustments, such as increasing the number of issues from two to three per year and restructured the Chinese University of Hong Kong editorial office to a liaison office. They also expressed heartfelt gratitude to many linguists, colleagues, authors, reviewers, and readers who have supported and encouraged Journal of Chinese Linguistics over the years! During discussion session, scholars including Professor Hilary Chappell,  Professor Alain Peyraube (online), Professor Eom Ik-sang, Professor Kong Jiangping, Professor Yuan Zhen, Professor Victoria Lei, Professor Zhou Jian, Professor Zhu Qingzhi, Professor Shi Xiangdong, Professor Ran Qibin, Professor Atsok Yeshe Vodsal, and Ms Wu Yifeng made their remarks on the development of Chinese linguistics and the future development of the Journal. The atmosphere was warm and lively.

After the Symposium, the guests, staff and students moved to the Center for Linguistics to witness the official launch of the JCL Macao Editorial Office. Journal of Chinese Linguistics, which has been in existence for half a century, carries the earnest expectations and heartfelt blessings of its founder, Professor William S-Y. Wang, linguists from home and abroad, and the leaders, faculty, and students of the University of Macau to march forward to the next century!