The 2023 UNNC EAP/ESP Conference with the theme of “Transformations in Context”, organised by the Centre for English Language Education (CELE) was successfully held at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China last few days. The conference was also live-streamed globally on the internet, nearly 400 speakers and participants from Tsinghua University, Peking University, Hong Kong University, Fudan University, the University of Glasgow, University of Leeds, University of Sheffield were sharing, learning and exchanging ideas from plenary speakers’ presentations, featured speakers’ presentations, small forums, workshop and others.
Conference speeches or discussions covered a range of topics, including developing critical thinking, materials creation, EMI in the Chinese content, transnational / transcultural higher education, teacher development and supporting students. These topics were presented in different formats, attracting active participation and reflection from both online and offline attendees.
David Read, Academic Director for Technology Enhanced Learning, University of Sheffield, UK, is delivering a topic speech
According to the conference organisers the CELE, this conference aimed to showcase the achievements of English education from all perspectives, strengthen the exchange and cooperation among universities and educational organisations in the field of English education, and provide an international and professional platform for English education workers from China and abroad to exchange ideas and contribute to the development of English education.
At the opening ceremony of the conference on the afternoon of 19 May Professor Philip Seltsikas, Vice-Provost for Education and Student Experience of UNNC and Mr Chen Jinhui, Deputy Director of the Ningbo Education Bureau were invited. Mr Chen Jinhui delivered the welcome speech in fluent English. On behalf of the Ningbo Education Bureau, he warmly welcomed participants from around the world, both online and offline.
At the same time, he mentioned that developing English for Academic or Specific Purposes is an essential component of education in the contexts of internationalisation and globalisation. It is necessary for study, communication and commerce, and needs to keep pace with the times and adapt to meet future trends in education. He also introduced that UNNCis an excellent example of international education in Ningbo. Since its establishment in 2004, the university has cultivated more than 20,000 graduates, and many of these students have been accepted into the world's top universities. He said that he was very pleased to learn that from the latest data on the 2022 graduating year, more than 30% of graduates who pursued further studies were admitted to universities that are ranked top 10 in the world, and nearly 90% of them were admitted to the world's top 100 universities. He expressed his hope that these outstanding students can make their own contributions to both their hometowns and other corners of the world.
Professor Philip Seltsikas, the Vice-Provost for Education and Student Experience of UNNC, is delivering an opening speech
It is worth mentioning that the organising unit of this conference, the CELE, is one of the largest and most well-known departments for teaching English for Academic Purposes in the world. It not only provides high-quality academic English for students at UNNC, but also continuously supports English education training for teachers, letting knowledge flow without geographical boundaries and sharing excellent teaching concepts and resources with more people. For example, since 2017, more than 500 rural English teachers have benefited from their training.
CELE is transforming its professional capabilities through its own development, leveraging the advantages of international higher education to serve society with knowledge.
Published on 30 May 2023