Recently, the Department of Language Information Management of the Ministry of Education released the list of selected innovative cases of language technology empowering key fields for 2025. The project titled Dual Engines of Language and Intelligence: Innovative Practice of Empowering Elderly Language Health with Artificial Intelligence, submitted by The School of Foreign Studiesof Tongji University, has been successfully selected. This achievement demonstrates the solid academic foundation the school has built in interdisciplinary foreign language research and studies on elderly language health.

The collection of case submissions was organized and coordinated by the Department of Language Information Management of the Ministry of Education in accordance with the requirements of the Circular of the State Language Commission on Soliciting Innovative Project Cases of Language Technology Empowering National Key Fields. The selected projects cover multiple key fields including education and teaching, inheritance of fine traditional Chinese culture, ethnic language preservation, language health, and the development of international communication capacity. They fully reflect the highest standards and cutting-edge achievements of cross-disciplinary integration and innovative development of language technology in China. After nationwide open applications, rigorous qualification verification and multi-round reviews by authoritative experts, a total of 100 high-quality projects nationwide were shortlisted.

Supported by the core platform—the Tongji Research Center for Aging Language and Care, the project Dual Engines of Language and Intelligence: Innovative Practice of Empowering Elderly Language Health with Artificial Intelligence addresses prominent difficulties in the governance of elderly language health against the backdrop of the national strategy responding to population aging. Grounded in core linguistic theories and deeply integrated with cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies, the project innovatively builds a dual-driven practical system based on "technological empowerment plus linguistic empowerment". It effectively taps the application value of linguistic resources and intelligent technologies in elderly health assistance, cognitive impairment screening and geriatric language care, realizing in-depth interdisciplinary integration of linguistics, artificial intelligence and geriatric health research.

Dean of the School of Foreign Studies, Tongji University stated that the school will keep anchoring major national strategic demands, further delve into the interdisciplinary field of language health, continuously promote integrated innovation of linguistics, artificial intelligence and geriatric health, refine project outcomes and expand practical application scenarios, and actively explore ways for language technology to benefit people’s livelihoods and boost social development.