HKU CAES Annual Report 2022-2023

CAES 30 th Anniversary CAES was first established under the name of the English Centre in 1992. The 2022-2023 academic year marks the Centre’s 30 th Anniversary. As we reflect on the last 30 years and look to the future, we will continue to make a vital contribution to the University of Hong Kong as a leading English- medium university. Anniversary Gala Dinner CAES hosted an Anniversary Gala Dinner in The Ming Pavilion (14/F, K. K. Leung Building, HKU) on 4 May 2023, with nearly 100 staff and guests in attendance to mark its 30 th Anniversary. The distinguished guest speakers were the HKU Vice President (Teaching and Learning), Professor Ian Holliday, and the Dean of Arts, Professor Derek Collins. Two other honourable speakers were the CAES Founding Director, Professor David Nunan, and the former CAES Director, Professor Ken Hyland (pre-recorded video). Other guests included the Heads of the language centres from prestigious local universities and former long-serving staff members from CAES. In his speech, the CAES Director, Dr. Alessandro Benati encouraged all staff at the Dinner to continue to be committed to serving as the local and global leaders in the field of second language education. The Dinner was a precious and meaningful moment for all CAES staff to get together with the distinguished guests and alumni who undoubtedly appreciated the speeches and enjoyed the night. This one-day colloquium, supported by the Louis Cha Fund, took place on 17 May 2023 at HKU. The programme consisted of three main speakers: Dr. Michael Leeser (Florida State University, USA), Dr. James F. Lee (Texas Tech University, USA) and Dr. Alessandro Benati (CAES, HKU, China). At the end of the three talks, a roundtable discussed the main topics and themes of the colloquium with the audience. The event was well-attended with 47 participants at the venue, including our own MAAL and PhD students, and 156 extra participants attending via Zoom. Productive discussions took place during the event, centring on the need to develop more evidence and principle-based teacher training programmes for language teachers in Hong Kong. CAES 30 th Anniversary ColloquiumNew frontiers for language instruction: Theory, research and pedagogy ANNUAL REPORT 2022-2023 09 10 Centre for Applied English Studies