Think about Hong Kong – and the image of Chinese dragons and signs in Chinese characters, the smells of dimsum and herbal medicine shops, and the experience of kungfu cinema, Cantonese soap operas and Cantopop may all come to mind. The official language policy of “biliteracy and trilingualism” – meaning English, Cantonese and Putonghua (Mandarin) – also serves to underline what may seem a Chinese-dominant context. But Hong Kong far from being homogeneous and mono-/bi-lingual. Numerous and varied ethnic groups, with their diversity of languages, co-exist in this ecology. The website LinguisticMinorities.HK brings together information, resources and state-of-the-art research on the linguistic situations of ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. Itaims to raise awareness amongst the wider community of, more generally, the significance of linguistic and cultural diversity, and, more specifically, the various less-thought-about multilingual communities in Hong Kong, who face challenges in their communicative practices which involve their mother tongue(s) as positioned alongside other languages of global and local significance. Through awareness, a subsequent aim is then to cultivate an understanding of the complexities of contemporary social and political issues of language in the context of globalization – such as the positioning of languages of global significance and the fine balance struck with other local languages for sustainability in multilingual, cosmopolitan contexts of Asia – which allows for intelligent, significant and responsible contributions to society. This contributes, amongst other things, to fulfilling the sixth of HKU’s educational aims, involving the responsibility that each individual has to make informed and significant contributions to society, for sustainability and the advancement of the human condition. Go to https://sites.google.com/site/linguisticminoritieshk/home-1

'Language in Healthcare' is an inter-disciplinary academic initiative seeking to research, facilitate, and enhance healthcare communications. A team of linguists, medical professionals, and organizations have come together to create projects that move healthcare communication research away from a strictly academic setting and toward a reciprocal relationship that contributes to the medical profession and public awareness.

Our vision for the Language in Healthcare initiative is to have a one-stop, comprehensive online resource on language and healthcare communications. This evidence-based resource will provide quality research to researchers and medical professionals about the role of language and communication in achieving successful healthcare outcomes, communicate information about on-going healthcare communications initiatives and training possibilities. We will also strive to make information available to the general public about a number of genetic conditions, as well as external links to further reliable information about genetic conditions and genetic counseling in Hong Kong. Go to https://olgazayts.wixsite.com/languageinhealthcare/home

This is an RGC funded project that is accessible by the general public interested in reading about books with Hong Kong as major focus or content. In the database, the first and only one of its kind, there are short summaries and critical comments on more than 100 books. Most of these books are fictional, and they show how writers from many places and different times have imagined Hong Kong and its people. New entries are added from time to time. Each summary will introduce the content, or story, to give an idea of what the book is about. Critical comments are meant to open up ways of reading and discussion. They are offered to readers new to Hong Kong and Hong Kong literature, scholars, teachers, and students searching for materials, book club members, and members of the public, both local and international, who enjoy reading for leisure. On the website, readers can send comments and suggestions for entries to the editor.