Huang Guowen, initiator and organizer ofthe current symposium, Chair Professor of Chang Jiang Scholars Program and Deanof School of Foreign Studies of SCAU, chairs the Symposium

    On November 26, the first symposium onEcolinguistics was held in the lecture hall of the library of South ChinaAgricultural University (SCAU). Some 300 scholars from Denmark, U.S., Russia, Singapore,Hong Kong, Macau etc. and domestic universities like Shanghai Jiao TongUniversity, Xiamen University, Beijing Normal University, Sun Yat-senUniversity, China Agricultural University etc. gathered in SCAU and discussedthe current issues in the field of Ecolinguistics. They put forward variousideas on the current status quo of Ecolinguistics, its theoretical research,theoretical innovation and application, which provided valuable insight on thefuture development of Ecolinguistics.

    The symposium was hosted by SCAU with the assistance of GuangdongForeign Languages & Linguistics Society, Journal of World Languages etc. The theme is "EcolinguisticsStudies in the Chinese Context".

President of SCAU Chen Xiaoyang delivers a speechin the opening ceremony

Jonathan Webster, Director of the HallidayCenter of Hong Kong University and Co-editor-in-chief of Journal of World Languages delivers a speech in the openingceremony

SuneSteffensen, Professor at the University of Southern Denmark and Editor-in-chiefof Language Sciences, delivers a speechin the opening ceremony

    President of SCAU Chen Xiaoyang, JonathanWebster, Director of the Halliday Center of Hong Kong University andCo-editor-in-chief of Journal of WorldLanguages, Sune Steffensen, Professor at the University of Southern Denmarkand Editor-in-chief of Language Sciences,Hu Gengshen, Professor at City University of Macau and Chair of theInternational Eco-Translatology Association, Xu Jianzhong, Editor-in-chief ofForeign Language Teaching and Research Press, and Chang Shaohua, Director ofthe Editorial Department and Deputy Editor-in-chief of Foreign Languages in China delivered speeches in the openingceremony. The symposium was chaired by Huang Guowen, initiator and organizer ofthe present symposium, Chair Professor of Chang Jiang Scholars Program and Deanof School of Foreign Studies of SCAU.

Hu Gengshen, Professor at City Universityof Macau and Chair of the International Eco-Translatology Association, deliversa speech in the opening ceremony

Xu Jianzhong, Editor-in-chief of ForeignLanguage Teaching and Research Press, delivers a speech in the opening ceremony

Chang Shaohua, Director of the EditorialDepartment and Deputy Editor-in-chief of ForeignLanguages in China delivers a speech in the opening ceremony

    Inhis speech, President Chen Xiaoyang expressed his gratitude towards the scholarsfrom domestic and overseas universities, research institutes and presses. Healso introduced SCAU and its efforts in Ecolinguistics. He remarked thatstudies in the field of Ecolinguistics not only concerned human linguisticdiversity and uniqueness but also the safety of human languages as well as humansocial development, and that research in Ecolinguistics and its establishmentas a discipline offered new theoretical visions for human sustainabledevelopment.

    Chen Xiaoyang also said that SCAU was thefirst to set up the discipline of Ecolinguistics and that by utilizing theuniversity’s geographical advantages, this discipline would contribute to the integrationof natural sciences and social sciences, the development of social sciences inSCAU and its construction of a high level university.

     A congratulationsmessage from Dr. Arran Stibbe, Convenor of the Ecolinguistics Association, wasread in the opening ceremony.

    The symposium will last for one and a halfday. Professor Sune Steffensen, Professor Jonathan Webster, Professor HuGengshen, Professor Charles X. Li and Professor Huang Guowen will make keynotespeeches. Scholars attending the symposium will discuss and exchange thoughtson the development of Ecolinguistics, theoretical research on Ecolinguistics,ecolinguistic comparative studies of Chinese and foreign languages, linguisticdiversity and cultural diversity, linguistic contact and code switch,Ecolinguisitcs and Translatology, Ecolinguistics and language teaching etc.

(Reportby Qin Jianhua   Pictures by Meng Li)