Dr Holly Chung Receives Prestigious Award for Innovative Language Learning Book

The Department of English at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK) is pleased to share that Dr Holly Chung, Senior Lecturer, has been recognised at the 5th Hong Kong Publishing Biennial Awards, receiving a Publishing Award in the “Language Learning” category for her co-authored book Learning Phrasal Verbs through Comics: An Adventure in the Village of Shapes. The book was published by Crown Publishing (Hong Kong) Co. Ltd, with illustrations by a local cartoonist.

 

This award celebrates excellence in publishing across the region, and Dr Chung’s book was selected as one of only ten winners in its category. The title stands out for its creative approach to language education, combining engaging comic-style visuals with practical learning of English phrasal verbs—an area often challenging for learners. The result is a highly accessible and enjoyable resource for students and educators alike.

The Hong Kong Publishing Biennial Awards have become a hallmark of quality in the Chinese-language book industry. Organised by the Hong Kong Publishing Professionals Society and funded by the CreateSmart Initiative under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Awards are regarded as one of the most authoritative accolades in the Chinese-language publishing world.

The judging process is both rigorous and transparent, conducted over three stages between February and May 2025. The selection begins with a qualification review, followed by initial judging by a representative panel of local publishers, veteran editors, and academic experts. The final stage is conducted by a jury of publishing and cultural professionals from across Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Taiwan.

Dr Chung’s recognition in this year’s awards not only highlights her academic commitment to language learning and pedagogy but also affirms the Department of English’s efforts in promoting creative and impactful educational materials.

As part of the government’s initiative to promote reading, the awarded books will be featured in public library exhibitions, local and cross-border bookstores, and highlighted during “Hong Kong Reading for All Day” held annually on 23 April, in conjunction with World Book Day.

The Department of English sends its warmest congratulations to Dr Chung on this well-deserved honour. Her work is an example of our Department’s commitment to inspirational, effective education and to making learning English more enjoyable and accessible to everyone.

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Entrance Scholarship for BA-ENG Year 1 Local Students

To recognize academic excellence and support outstanding new students, the Department of English is pleased to announce the launch of the Entrance Scholarship for BA-ENG Year 1 Local Students for the 2025/26 academic year.

This scholarship is open to newly admitted local students of the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English (BA-ENG) programme. Students who have achieved excellent academic results in the 2025 senior secondary public examinations will be considered for this prestigious award.

Each selected student will receive a scholarship valued at HK$30,000.

For further details, please contact the Department of English.

Eligibility & Criteria

  • For Year 1 entry undergraduate local student newly admitted to the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English programme in the academic year 2025/26;
  • Attained 332A2 in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination, or equivalent, meeting the minimum admission requirement in 2025;
  • Only students admitted to the University, in Semester 1 with current year admission results are eligible;
  • Academic results of combined HKDSE certificates will not be considered;
  • Students will be considered for any entrance scholarship only once during their study at the University. Any student who is transferred/re-admitted to the same or another programme for whatever reasons will not be considered for any entrance scholarship;
  • Selected applicants will be invited to an interview and a written test conducted by the BA-ENG Programme Team;
  • Priority consideration will be given to eligible students who have achieved Level 4 or above in English Language;
  • Special cases will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the BA-ENG Programme Team.

Application/ Nomination Procedure

  • Eligible students will be selected and nominated by the programme office of the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English for endorsement by the Department Head and School Dean, and approval by the University’s Scholarship and Financial Assistance Committee.
  • Applicants should make themselves aware of the “ Guiding Principles for Scholarship/ Award and Financial Assistance Schemes” as stipulated by the Scholarship and Financial Assistance Committee.

Please visit https://www.hsu.edu.hk/hk/admissions/ to learn more about the application procedures for the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English programme.

 

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International TESOL Union 2025 Conference

The Department of English at the School of Humanities and Social Science, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, and International TESOL Union (ITU) are pleased to announce that the International TESOL Union Conference on Trailblazing Advances in Applied Linguistics (TAAL) will be held on August 15-16, 2025 at the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong.

The ITU 2025 conference welcomes proposals in all areas of applied linguistics and TESOL. We are particularly interested in innovative and rigorous topics that demonstrate strong methodological and/or theoretical approaches to understand applied linguistics and TESOL. Additionally, we encourage postgraduate students who are nearing completion of their theses to submit proposals as well. Frontline TESOL teachers are equally welcome to participate.


Keynote Speakers

Gavin Bui, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

Lixian Jin, City University of Macau

Luxin Yang, Beijing Foreign Studies University

Marina Dodigovic, University of Slavonski Brod

Mark Teng Feng, Macau Polytechnic University

Yuen Yi Lo, The University of Hong Kong


Abstract/Paper Submissions

An abstract needs to be about 300 words and clearly indicates the objectives, methods, and (preliminary) results where appropriate. Format the email subject line as “ITU2025+Author Name” and send the abstracts/full papers to info@tesolunion.org.


Important Dates

Abstract submission due: July 5, 2025

Notification of abstract acceptance: July 8, 2025


This conference is free to staff members and students from the HSUHK. They are welcome to attend the conference.

 

Sponsor

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Victoria (HK) Consultancy Ltd for their kind support and sponsorship.

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Contact Us

For further information about the department, our programmes or services, please get in touch.