Peking University, November 2, 2024: The 57th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics (ICSTLL-57), hosted by the Department of Chinese Language and Literature [CN], and the Linguistics Laboratory of Peking University, was held at PKU from October 25th to 27th. This is the second time that the ICSTLL is held at PKU, after a gap of 42 years. 

Over 130 experts and scholars from China, India, Japan, Thailand, the US, Australia, France, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, and other countries participated in the conference, engaging in lively and in-depth exchanges on various cutting-edge topics in Sino-Tibetan languages and linguistics. 

Logo for ICSTLL-57

The logo for ICSTLL-57, designed by Chen Shifan, a PhD candidate from PKU, is based on the oracle bone characters for "mouth" (口) and "ear" (耳). The inspiration for this design comes from the logo of the Linguistics Laboratory of PKU.

At the opening ceremony, Chu Xiaobo, director of the Faculty of Social Sciences, highly affirmed the ICSTLL’s significant role in promoting the development of basic disciplines and international exchange. Chu emphasized that China is the hometown of Sino-Tibetan languages, and that related research in the new era should not only establish traditions but also respond to new challenges and tasks brought about by technological development. Du Xiaoqin, dean of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, appreciated the unceasing efforts of generations of linguists.

Professor David Bradley from La Trobe University in Australia delivered a keynote speech titled "Chinese and Tibeto-Burman," in which he reconstructed the differentiation process of the Sino-Tibetan language family, proving through phonetics, morphology, and lexicology that the Sino-Tibetan language family is fully supported by comparative linguistic evidence.

On October 27th, the ICSTLL-57 successfully wrapped up. Muhammad Zakaria, representing the School of Oriental and African Studies from the University of London, as well as the University of Bern, announced that the ICSTLL-58 would be held at University of Bern, Switzerland, in 2025.

Written by: Sun Yiwei
Edited by: Phoon Hui Yin, Andrena
Source: PKU News (Chinese)