HKUST Hosts Forum Marking 30 Years of Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi in Hong Kong

Organized by the Joint Committee of Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi (PSC) Centers of Hong Kong Tertiary Institutions and hosted by the Center for Language Education at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), the Forum Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the PSC in Hong Kong was held on campus on 2 November 2026. Mr. REN Youqun, Vice Minister of Education, delivered a video address, while Prof. Nancy IP, President of HKUST, addressed the forum. The event brought together leaders, experts, scholars and PSC examiners from the Ministry of Education, the Education Bureau of the HKSAR Government, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research, and Putonghua training and testing institutions in Hong Kong to review the PSC’s development over the past three decades, reflect on achievements, exchange experiences and explore the future of Putonghua education and assessment.

In his video address, Vice Minister Ren Youqun warmly congratulated the organizers on hosting the commemorative event. He noted that, following 30 years of successful implementation in Hong Kong, the PSC had become a well-established language examination in the city. It had helped strengthen the professional community dedicated to promoting Putonghua and improve the quality and effectiveness of Putonghua teaching and learning in Hong Kong. The Ministry of Education and the National Language Commission would continue to support and assist Hong Kong in promoting Putonghua and in expanding and deepening exchanges and cooperation in language and culture.

Prof. Nancy Ip said in her address that Putonghua, as the national common language, is not only an important means of communication but also a vehicle for preserving and developing Chinese culture. She emphasized that, in a new era of rapid advances in artificial intelligence, language proficiency remains a cornerstone of talent competitiveness. HKUST would continue to leverage its strengths in technology and innovation to explore new approaches to language education and promote the high-quality development of Putonghua education.

During the event, the Institute of Applied Linguistics of the Ministry of Education and HKUST signed a new cooperation agreement, with Mr. Liu Pengjian, Director of the Institute, and Prof. Nancy Ip signing on behalf of their respective institutions. As the fifth cooperation agreement between the two parties, it marks a further deepening of their collaboration in Putonghua training and testing, language education research, and talent development.

Since the PSC was formally introduced in Hong Kong in 1996, a professional service network comprising 14 testing centers has been developed through the joint efforts of the Ministry of Education, the National Language Commission and Hong Kong’s education sector. This network has developed into a comprehensive Putonghua training and assessment system encompassing higher education institutions, professional education providers and community training organizations. Over the past three decades, more than 170,000 test sittings have been recorded, and large numbers of professionally qualified Putonghua teachers, examiners and language service professionals have been trained. These efforts have played an important role in fostering educational, cultural and talent exchanges between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland.

During the forum’s exchange sessions, representatives from the University of Hong Kong (HKU), the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Lingnan University (LU), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Vocational Training Council (VTC), shared practical experiences and research findings, and explored future directions for Putonghua education and assessment.

A representative of the Putonghua Training and Testing Centre at HKU reviewed the three-decade development of Hong Kong’s first Putonghua training and testing center. The Putonghua Training and Testing Centre at EdUHK examined the evolution of Putonghua proficiency requirements and assessment systems for teachers in Hong Kong, while the Centre for Research and Development of Putonghua Education at CUHK shared strategies and experience in enhancing teachers’ Putonghua proficiency. Representatives from LU, PolyU and VTC also presented their achievements in Putonghua education, the promotion of testing and digital transformation.

Experts at the forum observed that, over the past 30 years, Putonghua education in Hong Kong had undergone significant development—from broad-based promotion to the establishment of formal systems, and from teacher training to professional certification. In particular, Putonghua proficiency requirements for teachers in Hong Kong have gradually become aligned with national standards, and the PSC has become an important benchmark for the professional development and proficiency certification of local Putonghua teachers. Testing centers have also actively promoted teaching innovation, introducing technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data and virtual reality in recent years to enhance the effectiveness of language learning and assessment.

Experts agreed that continued progress in the development of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area and the implementation of the Outline of the Plan for the Construction of China into an Education Powerhouse (2024–2035) would create new opportunities for Putonghua education. Looking ahead, stakeholders will continue to uphold the principle of “using assessment to promote learning, teaching and practical use”, deepen cooperation between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland in language education, and harness artificial intelligence and digital technologies to drive teaching innovation. They will also nurture more talent equipped with a strong sense of commitment to the country, a global outlook and professional competence, making greater contributions to the nation’s language development and the preservation of Chinese culture.

The officiating guests also presented commemorative plaques to representatives of PSC examiners, center directors and staff. Beyond providing an opportunity to review achievements and exchange experiences, the forum marked the beginning of a new chapter in Putonghua education and assessment in Hong Kong.

That evening, a recital celebrating 30 years of the PSC in Hong Kong, held in conjunction with the 10th Hong Kong Showcase and Exchange of Chinese Classics Recitation, took place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Featuring poetry and prose recitations, original short plays, vocal and instrumental performances, and dance, the event celebrated the richness of Chinese language and culture while providing a platform for exchange among institutions and organizations from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. More than 300 participants attended.

HKUST also contributed to the evening’s performances with an original short play, One Language, Shared Voices; a joint Putonghua and Cantonese recitation of The Ballad of Mulan; and a reading medley, We All Love Reading Aloud. The medley drew on reading passages from the 2021 edition of the PSC Implementation Guidelines, bringing language learning onto the stage. HKUST faculty members and students also joined representatives from other institutions and PSC partner organizations in presenting the original poem Elegant Verses Illuminate Hong Kong, fostering cultural exchange through recitation and reinforcing the themes of Putonghua promotion and the preservation of Chinese cultural heritage.

This year marks three significant milestones: the 30th anniversary of the PSC in Hong Kong, the 35th anniversary of HKUST, and the 20th anniversary of the Putonghua Training and Testing Centre at HKUST. Their convergence gives the occasion particular historical significance.