Professor Alex Fang Chengyu, Director of the Halliday Centre for Intelligent Applications of Language Studies and Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Translation at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), has been appointed as the Chairman of Technical Committee 37 – Language and Terminology of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO/TC 37). This significant milestone reflects CityUHK's exceptional capabilities and influence in the global academic community.

The appointment, effective from 1 January 2025, marks a historic shift from predominantly European leadership to Hong Kong, and it is the first time the position is held by a representative from Asia. It stands as a testament to Professor Fang’s scholarly excellence and the trust placed in him by the appointing body to foster consensus among countries with widely differing political agendas. 

Professor Fang expressed his gratitude to CityUHK for its unwavering support and resources, which have enabled him to conduct academic research and provided opportunities for collaboration with leading global institutions and leaders in language and terminology. He attributes his achievements and recognition on the international stage to the University's broad vision. 

"CityUHK has had the vision to develop itself in the crucial area of language and terminology,” said Professor Fang. “This area is vital in our current era of knowledge, playing a significant role in Artificial Intelligence (AI) development and facilitating the feedback of knowledge through GPT technology for common use. CityUHK is at the forefront of modern knowledge generation and dissemination. CityUHK’s leading position in ISO activities, particularly in terms of language and terminology, will ensure that our students will get even better GPT-enhanced education in the future."

 

The outgoing Chairman, Dr Laurent Romary, Director of Culture and Scientific Information at the National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (INRIA) in France, expressed his confidence in Professor Fang’s leadership: "Professor Fang’s extensive research across diverse domains of language resources highlights his depth of knowledge and expertise. His mastery of these varied fields, combined with his strong international network and robust industry and technical connections, makes him exceptionally well-suited to chair the committee."

This achievement aligns perfectly with Hong Kong's overall strategic goal of being the “super connector” in the region, facilitating both inbound and outbound academic collaboration and strengthening Hong Kong's pivotal role on the global stage.

Founded in 1947, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is one of the oldest non-governmental international organisations. It has over 170 member states from different regions of the world and develops international standards to facilitate trade and cooperation between people, companies, and countries worldwide. 

ISO/TC 37 is one of ISO’s technical committees, focusing on the standardisation of descriptions, resources, technologies and services related to speech and language technology, terminology, translation, interpreting and other language-based activities in the multilingual information society. 

The work of ISO/TC 37 is becoming increasingly crucial to everyday life in light of AI's rapid and unstoppable development and its integration into many aspects of our lives. The standardisation of annotations and language resources ensures that people can find reliable and appropriately annotated language models and information resources, thus building trust between users and technological products. Moreover, it enhances the convergence of interdisciplinary fields, which has become increasingly important to the future of education, by providing a common framework for researchers from diverse fields, facilitating the integration and application of language technology in various academic and practical domains.

Professor Fang's exposure and leadership in ISO/TC 37 will lay the foundation for developing updated and applicable teaching materials for CityUHK students. This will enhance students' awareness of the importance of using well-annotated resources and provide them with opportunities to understand the latest advancements and technologies in the field. Additionally, these resources can be integrated into CityUHK’s unified learning management system, the Canvas Platform, for broader accessibility.

CityUHK remains committed to supporting Professor Fang's work, as well as the academic pursuits of other faculties in various fields, further cementing its position as a global academic and research powerhouse.