From May 6 to 7, 2026, Professor Lu Min, Dean of the School of Overseas Education (School of Foreign Languages) at Sanming University, together with Professor Zhu Yige and Associate Professor Zhang Jinhong, attended the International Conference on Action Research in Language Learning (ICARLL 2026) in George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
The conference convened over 100 distinguished experts from Australia, China, Bahrain, Thailand, Bangladesh, Singapore, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan to examine innovative developments in action research for language teaching.
The conference was hosted by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and co-organized with the Malaysian Ministry of Education (KPM), the Majlis Dekan-dekan Bahasa Universiti Awam (Malaysian Public Universities Language Deans Council/MaLDeC), and the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP). Strategic partners in the organization of the conference include Sanming University, Fujian, China; University of Bahrain (UoB), Kingdom of Bahrain; Princess of Naradhiwas University (PNU), Narathiwat, Thailand; and the Malaysian English Language Teaching Association (MELTA). Organization of the conference was also supported by the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), an agency under the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC).
Professor Anne Burns, a renowned authority in action research and Emeritus Professor at the University of New South Wales, Australia, delivered a keynote address. The conference provided a dynamic, diverse platform for language-teaching researchers in the Asia-Pacific region.
As a key strategic partner, Dean Lu Min represented Sanming University at the opening ceremony, joining the keynote speaker and representatives of the host institutions to inaugurate the event. In the first plenary session, the three faculty members delivered respective presentations. Professor Lu Min presented on “Cultivating Critical Interpretive Competence in an AI-Integrated English Literature Classroom: An Action Research".
Professor Zhu Yige spoke on “Implementing an AI-Powered Project-Based Approach: A Teaching Action Research in a Media News Translation and Editing Course". Associate Professor Zhang Jinhong addressed “Navigating New Pedagogical Roles: An Action Research on Teacher Adaptation in AI-Infused Undergraduate Classrooms". Their well-received presentations not only demonstrated Sanming University’s solid research foundation in foreign language teaching reform but also elevated the university’s international standing in applied linguistics. At the closing ceremony, Dean Lu Min was invited to present awards to the winners of the most engaging presentations.
This participation marked a milestone in strengthening cooperation between Sanming University and Universiti Sains Malaysia. After the conference on May 8, Dean Lu Min and colleagues conducted substantive discussions with USM’s School of Languages, Literacies and Translation, establishing initial agreements on faculty exchanges, collaborative research, and resource sharing. They also engaged with four Sanming University exchange students at USM and two alumni pursuing master's degrees there.
The visit to Malaysia underscores Sanming University’s commitment to global engagement and its internationalization strategy. The university actively encourages faculty to participate in international academic forums. Looking ahead, Sanming University will deepen collaboration with global partners, such as Universiti Sains Malaysia, and foster high-quality progress in academic development and talent cultivation.
The article is written by Professor Lu Min, Dean of the School of Overseas Education (School of Foreign Languages) at Sanming University.