Hosted by the Research Centre for Professional Communication in English (RCPCE) at the Department of English and Communication (ENGL), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), Talking Across the World (TAW) is a forum for academics and practitioners to exchange ideas, share experience and disseminate research in professional communication in English. The 2025 symposium is co-sponsored by the PolyU Faculty of Humanities and the Sin Wai Kin Chinese Humanities Development Fund and features the theme of Global Communication of Chinese Culture in the Digital Age. 

The symposium is set against the background of China’s emphasis on its soft power and global communication. In business, an increasing number of companies are “going abroad” and during the process, negotiating Chinese culture in various geographic contexts. In higher education, English language teaching has moved from a focus on understanding Western culture to emphasizing the global communication of Chinese culture. Meanwhile, digital technologies have given rise to new channels, new resources, and new norms of professional communication, which are changing the theorization and teaching of the global communication of Chinese culture. In responses to these changes, policymakers, teachers, and researchers are exploring new approaches to equip students with multi-disciplinary theories and skills to meet new societal requirements.