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HKU Hosts Milestone 10th World Conference of the World Association for Chinese Studies
The School of Chinese at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) successfully hosted the 10th World Conference of the World Association for Chinese Studies (WACS10) from 12 to 14 August 2026 at HKU’s Centennial Campus. As the first WACS conference ever held in Asia, the event marked a significant milestone for the Association and brought together approximately 200 invited scholars from 23 countries and regions across six continents, highlighting Hong Kong’s role as a global hub for academic exchange and intercultural dialogue.
The conference opened with addresses by distinguished academic leaders, including Professor Martin Woesler, President of the World Association for Chinese Studies, Distinguished Professor of Hunan Normal University, Director of the Center for International Sinology, and Academician of the European Academy of Sciences and Art, Salzburg; Professor David Pomfret, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at HKU; and Professor Richard V. N. Simmons, Head (Interim) of HKU’s School of Chinese. The conference was jointly organised with Whitecliffe Mediadesign University, Berlin, whose Chancellor, Martin Adam, delivered a video greeting. Members of the WACS Executive Board also convened in Hong Kong and online for the Association’s Board Meeting and Election, underscoring the importance of this anniversary conference.
Founded in Germany in 2016, the World Association for Chinese Studies has developed into one of the world's leading scholarly networks dedicated to Chinese Studies, connecting approximately 2,000 members from more than 48 countries. Previous conferences have been held across Europe and China, including in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Belgium, the United Kingdom and France. The selection of Hong Kong as the host city for the tenth conference reflected the increasingly global nature of Chinese Studies and the city’s unique position as a meeting point between Chinese and international cultures.
The conference generated strong international interest, receiving more than 350 abstract submissions, all of which underwent a rigorous triple double-blind peer-review process. Approximately 200 scholars were invited to present their research in a programme comprising 51 parallel sessions over three days. Participants engaged in discussions covering a wide range of topics, including literature, language, history, philosophy, culture, digital humanities, translation studies, education, and contemporary developments in the Chinese-speaking world.
One of the highlights of the opening ceremony was the presentation of approximately 30 Young Scholar Awards in Chinese Studies 2026, recognising outstanding emerging researchers from around the world.
The conference featured keynote lectures by Professor Lin Shaoyang of the University of Macau and Professor Zhang Longxi, an internationally renowned scholar of comparative literature and East-West cross-cultural studies, Harvard-Yenching Scholar, Academician of the Royal Swedish Academy and Distinguished Professor at Hunan Normal University. Participants also paid tribute to the keynote of Professor Colin P. Mackerras of Griffith University, who was unable to attend due to hospitalisation.
A number of special events enriched the conference programme. Among the most notable was the International Academic Symposium on Xuemo’s Literature: Bridging Cultures Through Words, dedicated to the work of Xuemo (Chen Kaihong), one of China’s most internationally translated contemporary authors. Other highlights included the Roundtable: Jointly Writing a History of Sinology, the 25th International Conference on Chinese Classical Fiction, Drama Literature and Digitisation, and the Founding Meeting of the Chinese Culture Alliance. Together, these events showcased the diversity, creativity and international relevance of contemporary Chinese Studies.
The organisers also expressed their gratitude to volunteers and supporters from Mainland China and Europe who travelled to Hong Kong despite transport disruptions caused by Typhoon Dolphin in East China, as well as to colleagues of the School of Chinese and the 14 student helpers from HKU's Faculty of Arts. Their dedication and contributions to conference operations, logistics, technical support, participant services, and hospitality were instrumental in ensuring the smooth running and overall success of WACS10.
