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The year 2026 marks a significant milestone for Hong Kong’s cultural and academic landscape as the Hong Kong International Shakespeare Conference successfully resumed after nearly three decades. Co-organised by the School of Continuing Education (SCE) at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and the Department of English at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK), the three-day event centred on the evocative theme: Transplantation of Shakespearean Drama into Asian Culture.

A bridge between East and West

In his welcoming speech, Professor Ronald Chung, Dean of SCE, highlighted Hong Kong’s unique position in the global dialogue. He remarked: "Hong Kong, as a city having a key role to connect our country to the world, has always been keen to maintain its international climate."

Professor Chung expressed his delight at the Conference’s return, noting that the last iteration took place almost 30 years ago in 1997. The event was a heartwarming reunion for many, including Professor Tam Kwok-kan, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Science at Hang Seng University, and Professor Masae Suzuki from Kyoto Sangyo University, who attended the original gathering three decades prior.

Diverse perspectives and artistic innovation

The Conference featured 10 distinguished plenary speakers from the UK, USA, Japan and China including Taiwan, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as well as the Macao Special Administrative Region. Renowned scholars such as Professor Michael Dobson from the Shakespeare Institute and Professor Alexa Alice Joubin from George Washington University shared insights into the evolving nature of Shakespearean studies. Professor Cong Cong from Nanjing University, and Co-director from Nanjing-Birmingham-Phoenix Shakespeare Centre, also spoke of the cross-cultural resonance between Shakespearean drama and Tang Xianzu. In her plenary, she discussed the case study of Tang Xianzu’s The Peony Pavilion staged in the style of Shakespearean verse premiered in Tang’s hometown Fuzhou in 2025 by a faculty-student team of the Shakespeare Institute from Shakespeare’s hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon.

A unique highlight of the Conference was the seamless blending of academic dialogue with live performance. This was vividly demonstrated through:

• Japanese Noh Adaptation: A stunning showcase of Othello by Noh master Mr Manjiro Tatsumi (Hosho school).
• Cantonese Opera Adaptation: A powerful presentation of Hamlet (titled The Arrant Revenge (王子復仇記) by Mr Keith Lai from Canto Op (吾識大戲).

Looking forward

Supported by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, the Conference not only celebrated Shakespeare’s 462nd birthday but also showcased local scholarship, including the book launch of      Dr Miriam Lau’s The Making of Hong Kong Shakespeare and Professor Alexa Alice Joubin’s Transitional Shakespeare, Gender, & Adaptation.

As Professor Chung concluded, the event was a "successful and memorable" testament to the spirit of youth that Shakespeare continues to inspire in Asian theatre and scholarship.