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HKU Hosts 11th Media for All Conference in Asia: Launches Cantonese AVTpro Certification with Global Impact
The School of Chinese at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), in collaboration with the Faculty of Arts and the TransMedia Research Group, successfully co-hosted the 11th Media for All Conference from 28 to 30 May 2025. Held under the theme “Breaking Barriers: Media Localisation in the Age of Global Platforms,” this edition marked the first time the prestigious international conference on audiovisual translation (AVT) and media accessibility was held in Asia, reinforcing HKU’s role as a global hub for social impact, knowledge exchange, and innovation in the humanities and media research.
The conference brought together over 150 scholars and professionals from more than 30 countries, including academics, AVT industry leaders, and accessibility advocates. Over three days of vibrant exchange, participants engaged in 8 pre-conference workshops and seminars, over 100 presentations, 39 parallel sessions, and 5 industry talks, covering topics such as subtitling, game localisation, generative AI, sign language interpretation, and audience reception studies.
“Bringing Media for All to Asia for the first time is not only a milestone for our university, but also a landmark moment for the audiovisual translation field in the region,” said Professor David Pomfret, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at HKU.
A major highlight was the official launch of the AVTpro Certification in Cantonese and Traditional Chinese. The two certification programmes are co-developed by Assistant Professor Dingkun Wang from HKU’s School of Chinese in collaboration with Edmund Shu Kay Cham (HKU), Mavis Chen (AVTpro Team; NAATI-Certified Translator), Chester Cheng (CUHK), and Kelly Ng (AVTpro Team). The AVTpro Certification Initiative was supported by OOONA, a global leader in media localization solutions and the Platinum Sponsor of Media for All 11. With this initiative, HKU becomes the first academic institution worldwide to sponsor AVTpro, introducing professional subtitling credentials in regional Chinese languages to the Greater China region and beyond.
Originally launched in 2023, AVTpro is the world’s first certification programme dedicated to media localization, offering professional qualifications in Subtitle Translation and Subtitle Creation. Recognised by global industry leaders, the programme now covers 15 language pairs, with the latest additions—Cantonese and Traditional Chinese—filling a critical gap in the professionalisation of regional language expertise in the Asia-Pacific market.
Professor LIN Pei Yin, Head of the School of Chinese at HKU, added: “This conference embodies our commitment to bridging academic research and real-world application. The launch of the AVTpro Certification in Cantonese and Traditional Chinese speaks to our dedication to both linguistic heritage and future-facing professional standards.”
Contact
Media for All 11 Organizing Committee | media4all2025@hku.hk
About Media for All
Media for All is a research conference series focused on media localisation and accessibility. Since 2005, the conference has been a focal point for academics to present cutting-edge research and build pathways for knowledge exchange with the many stakeholders in the media industries. Outcomes from previous conferences have informed numerous developments in translation and language technologies, media accessibility and inclusive social development around the globe, impacting how media cross linguistic, cultural and societal borders. For the first time, the Media for All conference in 2025 will travel to Southeast Asia and will be held in Hong Kong. The 11th Media for All conference aims to explore the collective wisdom that helps break the linguistic and cultural barriers in platform society. For more information about M4All11, visit www.m4all11.org
