Speaker Jon Chui

Jon was trained as a scientist, with a doctorate in supramolecular chemistry from University of Victoria (Canada). He then returned to Hong Kong, leading a stable life teaching the International Baccalaureate and acting as a senior examiner / developer for the organisation.

Cantonese is a core part of the Hong Kong identity. As Beijing’s grip tightened on the city after the 2019 protests, Jon anticipated a need for modern, decentralized, and local-first tools to help learn “the most difficult language” in non-immersive environments. He answered the call, first re-inventing himself by learning linguistics, programming, and font engineering; then invented and implemented the Cantonese Font. This one-of-a-kind typeface superfamily packs in linguistics smarts, typesetting, markup syntax, and a pedagogical system. It transforms how Cantonese teaching could be done, and is now used in schools and universities worldwide.

He juggles language activism with owning an Argentine Tango studio and taking care of a joyful and always-hungry cocker spaniel.