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Linguistic terminology standardisation supports teaching and research while enhancing academic exchange. Although the China National Committee for Terminology in Science and Technology (CNTERM) reviewed and published Chinese Terms in Linguistics in 2011, a decade and a half have passed since its release. As new theories emerge and new terms proliferate, there is an urgent need for review and systematisation. In view of this, the T.T. Ng Chinese Language Research Centre in the Institute of Chinese Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) recently organised the Forum on Linguistic Terminology Research and the Inauguration Ceremony of the Research Base for Humanities Terminology. The event brought together more than 60 participants, including chief editors and representatives of linguistics journals indexed in the Chinese Social Science Citation Index (CSSCI), academics and students, to discuss terminology standardisation and journal development.

The ceremony was graced by the presence of Professor Jiang Liwen, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (External Affairs) of CUHK, and Research Fellow Pei Yajun, Deputy Director of the CNTERM and Director of its General Affairs Center, who delivered opening and welcome remarks, respectively. Professor Tang Sze-wing, Director of the T.T. Ng Chinese Language Research Centre at CUHK, also delivered a welcome speech. Other officiating guests included Ms Wang Qi, Head of the 7th Division of the General Affairs Center of the CNTERM; Mr Wang Xikai, Bureau Chief of the China Radio and TV Hong Kong Bureau of the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA); Mr Zhang Min, Head of the China Radio and TV Hong Kong Bureau of the NRTA; Mr Hsu Hoi-shan, President of the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre; Professor Chang Song-hing, Senior Research Fellow of the T.T. Ng Chinese Language Research Centre; and Ms Wong Wing, Director of Academic Links (Mainland and Regional) at CUHK.

The Research Base for Humanities Terminology, a collaborative platform jointly founded by the CNTERM and the T.T. Ng Chinese Language Research Centre, is the first research base the CNTERM has established outside the Chinese Mainland. Its mission is to advance terminology analysis and methodology, foster academic exchange and knowledge dissemination, and promote practical terminology application and strategic research development. Established in 1985 with the approval of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, the CNTERM is the organisation authorised to examine, approve and promulgate scientific and technological terms on behalf of the Chinese Government. The T.T. Ng Chinese Language Research Centre traces its origins to the Chinese Linguistics Research Centre founded in 1966, one of the earliest research centres at CUHK, dedicated to advancing research in and application of the Chinese language. Studies in Chinese Linguistics and Current Research in Chinese Linguistics, two CSSCI-indexed journals published by the Centre, advise authors to refer to Chinese Terms in Linguistics and the Termonline internet platform released by the CNTERM as the basis for Chinese and English terminology, contributing to standardisation.

Drawing on the strengths of both parties and grounded in humanities terminology research, the research base is dedicated to advancing standardisation of linguistic terminology. It aims to contribute to the development of the nation while enhancing the global dissemination of humanities terminology.

In his welcome speech, Professor Tang quoted the Analects of Confucius: “When names are not correct, what is said will not sound reasonable; when what is said does not sound reasonable, affairs will not culminate in success”, illustrating that “terminology is of paramount importance to the development of linguistics, and that the rectification of names is the foundation of research”. He expressed the hope that the forum would “help advance the development of terminology standardisation, contribute to the construction of China’s independent knowledge system and enhance the international influence of the nation’s humanities research”.

The forum featured four keynote speeches. Mr Pei gave a comprehensive overview of China’s efforts to standardise scientific and technological terminology, highlighting their significance, history, milestones and future direction. Research Fellow Liu Xiangbo from the Institute of Linguistics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences emphasised the important role of academic journals in reflecting academic frontiers and terminology development, as well as balancing terminology standardisation with academic innovation. Professor Caesar Lun Suen from the Bilingual Glossary Work Group of the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong (LSHK) focused on the LSHK’s bilingual terminology database, sharing its applications in teaching and learning. Professor Tang presented a bottom-up research methodology and a pilot study on keywords in linguistics journals, highlighting the need for broader collaboration and exchange to advance terminology standardisation.

The Forum on Linguistic Terminology Research also featured a round-table discussion, bringing together over 20 chief editors and representatives of CSSCI-indexed linguistics journals, as well as other experts and scholars, to exchange views on five major themes: “Terminology Standardisation and Integrated Innovation”, “Terminology Analysis and System Construction”, “Terminology Translation and Dissemination”, “Continuity and Innovation in the Body of Linguistic Knowledge: Disciplinary Frontiers and Editorial Strategies” and “Dissemination and Application of Linguistic Knowledge: Interdisciplinarity and the Construction of Independent Discourse”. The forum sparked lively and productive discussions on journal operations, terminology standardisation, translation of linguistic terms between English and Chinese, and the role of CSSCI-indexed linguistics journals. The event concluded with closing remarks by Professor Tang and Professor Wu Qiang, Director of the Institute for Chinese Social Sciences Research and Assessment at Nanjing University.

The Forum on Linguistic Terminology Research and the Inauguration Ceremony of the Research Base for Humanities Terminology also marked the 60th anniversary of the T.T. Ng Chinese Language Research Centre at CUHK. Building on six decades of academic tradition, the forum and the newly established research base promote academic exchange and journal collaboration between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, turning a new page for future development.