Prof. CHENG Gong was appointed Qianhu Guest Professor during the ceremony which was presided over by WANG Xiaolu, Dean of the School of International Studies. HUANG Guangjie, Secretary of Commission for Discipline Inspection of NingboTech University, NAN Yueyu, deputy head of Human Resources Office and faculty representatives attended.

HUANG Guangjie extended a warm welcome to Prof. CHENG on behalf of the university. He noted that the professorship is set up in a bid to form a faculty team of high-level professionals and that leading figures like Prof. CHENG, Qiushi Distinguished Professor of Zhejiang University and recipient of the Special Government Allowance granted by the State Council, are badly needed for the university's development. He hoped that the strategic move could help take the discipline development and student training of the School of International Studies up a notch, and ultimately help realize the goal of building NingboTech into a university that is among the first-class in the province and Top 100 nationwide.

Prof. CHENG noted that he has been closely following the development of the School and pledged his support and contribution to its sound and rapid growth in the future.

He then reported on his research on linguistics and Asian civilizations, during which he touched upon four topics: the origin of Asian civilizations, Asian civilizations and language family, Asian civilizations and language in contact as well as Asian civilizations and the pedigree of characters. He elaborated on the role of languages and characters in the formation, exchange and mutual learning of Asian civilizations. Research on language family, language in contact and characters serves as reliable evidence for studying emergence of Asian civilizations as well as formation, spread and migration of nations in Asia, and can strongly complement archaeological and systems genetics evidence. He brought the lecture to an end by mentioning that Asian civilizations are co-existing in harmony and showcasing the prominent role of translation and cultural exchange and mutual learning in promoting Asian civilizations.

Notes: Dr. CHENG Gong, doctoral supervisor, Qiushi Distinguished Professor of Zhejiang University and recipient of the Special Government Allowance granted by the State Council, has long been engaged in comparative studies of the language structure, particularly studies of syntax and morphology. His 1999 monograph,on Linguistic Universalism, is one of the earliest Minimalist studies on Chinese syntax. He has completed three projects supported by the National Social Science Fund of China and published over 60 papers in prestigious journals.