Mons, Belgium
16–17th Mar 2026
Deadline: 28th Nov 2025
To mark the tenth anniversary of the inclusion of Chinese as a main language in the curriculum at the University of Mons, the ChinEAsT laboratory of the Faculty of Translation and Interpretation – School of International Interpreters (FTI-EII) at the University of Mons is pleased to announce the organization of an international conference dedicated Chinese language teaching and related issues in the field of translation.
This scientific event aims to provide a space for reflection and dialogue on the theoretical, methodological, and practical issues involved in teaching Chinese as a foreign language and translating to and from Chinese.
Chinese language has always held a special place at the FTI-EII. It was first taught there 40 years ago by Zhang Guoxian, the founder of the former Chinese Language and Culture Department (now ChinEAsT), a pioneer in Chinese language teaching in French-speaking Belgium, as well as the founder of the Belgium-China Association and the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce. In 2015, the FTI-EII began offering Chinese as a main working language in a comprehensive curriculum, which was very well received by students who flocked to enrol on this new programme.
In a context marked by the increasing prevalence of the Chinese language in higher education institutions, translation — whether literary, technical, specialised or educational — occupies a central place in training learners and future translators. The aim of this conference is to bring together different disciplinary perspectives and open a debate on practices, pedagogical innovations and theoretical horizons that could renew the approach to Chinese and its translation.
Possible themes (non-exhaustive list):
- Teaching Chinese as a foreign language: theory and practice;
- Pedagogical innovations and digital technologies applied to Chinese language teaching.
- Learning strategies and assessment of language and translation skills;
- Translation theory and case studies relating to Chinese;
- Intercultural dimension and transfer of cultural references in Chinese translation;
- Training and professionalisation of translators specialising in Chinese;
- Comparative approaches and interdisciplinary perspectives on Chinese language teaching and translation.
Submission guidelines:
Paper proposals should be submitted to the following address: chineast@alumni.umons.ac.be. Proposals should include a 300–500 word abstract, five keywords and a brief bio-bibliographical note. Papers may be presented in French, Chinese or English.
Preliminary timeline:
- Deadline for submission of proposals: 28 November 2025.
- Notification to authors: 19 December 2025.
- Conference: Mons, Belgium, 16–17 March 2026.
Publication:
Following the conference, a selection of contributions will be considered for publication in a collective
volume after evaluation by the scientific committee.
Download this announcement’s official PDF: