To advance research in neuroscience, neurolinguistics, and psycholinguistics in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Institute of Collaborative Innovation (ICI) of the University of Macau (UM) established the Greater Bay Language Circle (GBLC) and held its inaugural meeting. The meeting brought together over 40 brain and language researchers from the region to present cutting-edge research in areas ranging from the neural correlates of language processing to the cognitive mechanisms of bilingualism.
Speaking at the meeting, Andriy Myachykov, professor in the Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences of UM ICI, said that GBLC creates an important platform for interdisciplinary collaboration in language sciences in the Greater Bay Area. By bringing together experts in neurolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and cognitive neuroscience, the consortium aims to address the complex scientific questions raised by multilingual environments. Li Ping, dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, expressed hope that GBLC will promote the development of international language sciences by bringing together researchers from different universities in the Greater Bay Area. During the meeting, attendees discussed potential collaboration in language processing research using methods such as fMRI, EEG, and MEG in the unique multilingual context of the region.
Members of GBLC include UM, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, City University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Hong Kong Baptist University. The consortium will pursue several strategic objectives, including facilitating research exchanges through the sharing of neuroimaging data, experimental paradigms, and computational models of language processing; supporting the development and grant application of collaborative projects in large-scale neurolinguistic research; increasing opportunities for students to receive cross-institutional training in advanced neuroscientific methods; creating a collaborative space to brainstorm innovative approaches to the study of brain and language cognition; and seeking institutional support for academic activities such as seminars on emerging neurotechnologies and visits by international experts in language neuroscience.
The vision of GBLC extends beyond basic research to include the enhancement of language education, neurocognitive rehabilitation, and the preservation of the region’s rich linguistic heritage, as well as the promotion of multilingual development in children, adults, and clinical populations. The consortium is committed to establishing the Greater Bay Area as a global hub for brain science and neurolinguistic research, leveraging the area’s linguistic diversity as a natural laboratory for the study of language and cognition.
| Source: The Institute of Collaborative Innovation | |
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| Communications Office, University of Macau | |
| Albee Lei | Tel: (853) 8822 8004 |
| Jason Leong | Tel: (853) 8822 8322 |
| Email: | prs.media@um.edu.mo |
