To facilitate academic exchange, a delegation of the Department of Chinese Language Studies (CHL) and the Centre for Research on Chinese Language and Education (CRCLE) at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) visited partner universities in Vietnam from 22 to 27 October 2019.

The delegation visited four universities in Hanoi, Vietnam, namely the University of Languages and International Studies of the Vietnam National University (VNU-ULIS), the Foreign Trade University, Hanoi University, and Thang Long University. Apart from observing classroom teaching of Chinese characters at these universities, the delegation also reached an initial agreement with the VNU-ULIS and the Foreign Trade University on issues related to curriculum design, international conferences, and teacher professional development. Professor Si Chung-mou, Head of CHL, delivered a public speech on “Chinese culture and traditions in education” at VNU-ULIS. The series of academic activities advanced the progress of teaching Chinese characters and Chinese language in Vietnam, and further promoted the internationalisation of teaching Chinese as a second language (CSL) under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The visit was supported by the Knowledge Transfer Fund of the University’s Faculty of Humanities, entitled “Improving and enriching the practice of teaching Chinese characters for CSL teachers in Vietnam”, with the aim of providing a comprehensive description of the current status of CSL teaching in Vietnam, particularly concerning the teaching of Chinese characters. The project, led by the Principal Investigator Dr Liang Yuan, Associate Director of CRCLE, will lay the foundation for designing effective teaching materials for Chinese character classes in Vietnam.