Reflections from the CRLLS Symposium on Hong Kong–Africa Development Collaboration

The one-day symposium, ‘Crisis, Communication, and Care: Dialogues on Hong Kong–Africa Partnerships’ was held on 14 March 2026 at the Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong. Organised by the Centre for Research on Linguistics and Language Studies (CRLLS) at the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), in collaboration with Generocity Hong Kong and Africa Centre Hong Kong, the event was supported by a UGC GRF project on examining translation and interpreting as inclusion in Hong Kong’s development aid to Africa, led by Principal Investigator Dr Marija Todorova, Assistant Professor at the Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Study.

The symposium brought together over 30 humanitarian practitioners, scholars, and community leaders to explore the role of cross-cultural communication in crisis and development contexts. Focusing on building Hong Kong–Africa partnerships, it examined how institutions respond to disasters, manage relief efforts, and foster sustainable collaboration grounded in care, equity, and mutual understanding.

The programme featured three thematic panels:
 
Panel 1: Moderated by Dr Larry Baum from The University of Hong Kong/ Generocity Hong Kong, this panel considered Hong Kong’s role in international disaster management, highlighting practical experiences from Dr Joyce Ching from Hong Kong Red Cross, Mr Martin Searle from Médecins Sans Frontières Hong Kong, and Mr Sanday Chongo Kabange. The panel reflected on international disaster response, humanitarian narratives, and policy challenges. 

Panel 2: Care in Crisis, moderated by Ms Amy Li from the London School of Economics, brought together Dr Marija Todorova from EdUHK, Dr Kizito Tekwa from Shenzhen Technology University, and Ms Caroline Dubois from GX Foundation, who discussed cross-cultural communication in disaster response, addressing language hierarchies, multilingual communication, translation technologies, and the ethical complexities of representing vulnerable communities. 

Panel 3: Creating Caring Partnerships, moderated by Mr Tinotenda Kelvin Muzariri from Africa Centre Hong Kong, featured Prof Mette Hjort from EdUHK, Dr Emily Chow-Quesada from Hong Kong Baptist University, and Mr Innocent Mutanga from Africa Centre Hong Kong, who explored transnational experiential learning, service-learning in Africa, and intercultural dialogue.

By integrating institutional perspectives with lived experiences and community voices, the symposium advanced interdisciplinary dialogue on crisis communication and reimagined Hong Kong–Africa collaboration through inclusive, context-sensitive, and care-oriented approaches. The insights and discussions generated during the event will be consolidated into a policy document aimed at strengthening the inclusion of language and cultural considerations in humanitarian and collaborative activities between Hong Kong and Africa.

 

The audience of the symposium

 

One of the panels discussing during the symposium

 

One of the panels discussing during the symposium