The Opening Meeting of the Major Commissioned Project by the National Language and Writing Commission and the Expert Symposium on Language and Writing Informatization Work Held at HKUST(GZ)
On March 3rd, the Opening Meeting of the Major Commissioned Project by the National Language and Writing Commission, titled "Construction of the National Language Resource Service Integrated Platform based on the National Language Service Large Model," and the Expert Symposium on Language and Writing Informatization Work were held at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou).
The meeting was attended by Professor Tingting HE from the School of Computer Science at Central China Normal University and the Director (Team Leader) of the National Language Resources Monitoring and Research Network Media Center at the National Language Commission, Professor Hui HUANG, Dean of the College of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Shenzhen University, Professor Hua LIU, Vice Dean of the College of Chinese Language and Culture at Jinan University, Professor Liqiang NIE, Dean of the School of Computer Science and Technology at Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, Professor Jian YIN, Vice Dean of the School of Artificial Intelligence at Sun Yat-sen University, Mr. Zhanglong WANG Vice President of iFlytek Co., Ltd., and Professor Zhimin WANG from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, among others.
Mr. Peijun LIU, Director of the Department of Language Information Management of the Ministry of Education, and Mr. Jianhua ZHU, Member of the Education Working Committee of Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, Member of the Party Group and Deputy Director of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province, attended the meeting.
Professor Lionel M. NI, President of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), and Professor Lei CHEN, Dean of the Information Hub, attended the meeting. The meeting was chaired by Professor Shaobing QU, Secretary of the Party Committee.
The project team for the "Construction of the National Language Resource Service Integrated Platform based on the National Language Service Large Model" is led by Professor Lei CHEN, Dean of the Information Hub at HKUST(GZ). It is a collaborative effort involving experts from Guangzhou University, South China Normal University, and Central China Normal University. The four universities are merging their expertise to jointly undertake this project.
President Lionel M. NI delivered a welcome speech, expressing heartfelt gratitude for the concern and support from the Ministry of Education and the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education, as well as the collaborative support from all the experts and teachers. He stated that The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) is a university focused on interdisciplinary fusion, and the cooperation with the National Language Commission is a typical demonstration of interdisciplinary integration. He emphasized that this project reflects the nation's emphasis on the development of artificial intelligence and is in line with the trend of technological progress in AI. Building a national language resource service integrated platform based on the national language service large model involves not only computer science but also the integration of multiple disciplines such as linguistics, education, and sociology. With the strong collaboration among experts from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Guangzhou University, South China Normal University, Cental China Normal University, and other institutions, HKUST(GZ) will firmly support the project implementation and eagerly anticipate the outcomes.
Professor Tingting HE, as the head of the evaluation expert group, presided over the project opening.
Professor Lei CHEN, the project leader, presented the opening report, focusing on the research content, technical solutions, implementation plan, and work foundation of the project. According to his introduction, the National Language Resource Platform is being constructed under the guidance of the Department of Language Information Management of the Ministry of Education. The "National Language Resources Monitoring and Research Network Media Center" at Central China Normal University provides technical support, while the "National Language Service and Language Research Center for the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao" at Guangzhou University is responsible for resource service construction. The project involves the participation of research institutions, universities, and enterprises in collaboration with the National Language and Writing Commission. In fact, this platform already covers various types of language services and has gathered hundreds of high-quality language data resources. The goal of the project is to integrate and connect the existing resources of the National Language Resource Platform through large language models, serving a broader range of products in vertical fields. The entire project aligns with the "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Digital Economy" and the "New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan" issued by the State Council, in conjunction with "The Opinions on Comprehensively Strengthening Language and Writing Work in the New Era" launched by the General Office of the State Council. It aims to build a solid research foundation and promote the development of language and culture.
During the expert questioning session, experts from various fields raised their opinions and suggestions. Professor Lei CHEN, the project leader, first expressed his gratitude for the valuable insights provided by the experts. He then presented the progress achieved so far in the development of the large model, addressing the feasibility of the project from four perspectives: ensuring data security and localization, enhancing the accuracy of knowledge, realizing multimodal data interaction, and acquiring sufficient data resources. Finally, on behalf of the project team at HKUST(GZ), he sincerely thanked the National Language and Writing Commission for their trust and support.
After intensive discussions among the evaluation experts, Professor Tingting HE, as the group leader, read out the summary of the evaluation. The expert group unanimously agreed to the project opening.
Following the opening session, the Expert Symposium on Language and Writing Informatization Work was held, chaired by Mr. Qiang LI, the Head of the Planning and Coordination Division of the Department of Language Information Management of the Ministry of Education.
Mr. Qiang LI stated that with the rapid development of deep-level artificial intelligence, language technology has become a new trend in promoting the organic integration of language and education technology. Language and writing informationization have also become important means to support the construction of an educationally strong nation. Therefore, this symposium sincerely invited experts to provide their opinions and suggestions on national language and writing informationization for the next five to ten years.
The attending experts engaged in discussions and exchanges on topics related to the objectives and tasks of language and writing informationization, the development of language technology, language resource construction, and international Chinese communication.
Mr. Jianhua ZHU mentioned that witnessing the opening of the major commissioned project by the National Language and Writing Commission at HKUST(GZ) and participating in the thematic discussions on language and writing informationization has been inspiring for him. On behalf of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education, he expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Ministry of Education and relevant experts and scholars from both within and outside the province for their long-standing care, guidance, and strong support for language and writing work in Guangdong Province. He also introduced the basic situation of language and writing work in Guangdong. He emphasized that in the face of the rapid development of artificial intelligence, further innovative applications should be made in education. It is necessary to mitigate ethical and safety risks while using intelligent technology to transform student learning, teacher instruction, school governance, and even the entire educational ecosystem. This involves constructing a new form of education with a tripartite structure of "teacher, student, and machine," promoting the shift in education from knowledge imparting to cultivating higher-order abilities and comprehensive qualities.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Peijun LIU emphasized the significant importance of the opinions and suggestions provided by experts from various fields regarding language and writing informationization. In the context of rapid development in artificial intelligence, language and writing informationization require systematic integration with major scientific research projects and national resource service platforms. This integration will facilitate cooperation between universities and enterprises and enable technological iteration and advancement. It is crucial to seize the opportunities presented by the national drive for language and writing informationization and to address the enormous challenges posed by future artificial intelligence transformations.
The attending experts unanimously agreed that it is not enough to be mere observers or dreamers. Instead, they must become designers and people of action, diligently implementing the spirit of the conference step by step to harness the benefits of technology for society.
