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Grouphorse International Translation and Interpreting Summit on Belt and Road Initiative 2017 opens in Beijing

Updated:November 28, 2017

Grouphorse International Translation and Interpreting Summit on Belt and Road Initiative 2017, exclusively hosted by Grouphorse Group (a UN vendor for language services), opened on November 26, 2017 at the Jianguo Garden Hotel in Beijing.

 


Focusing on the theme of “New Era, New Translation and Interpreting Path” and consisting of five keynote speeches and three brainstorming sessions, the summit was attended by translation and interpreting experts from the UN, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China’s Ministry of Commerce, the Translators Association of China (TAC), the China Association for Promoting UN Procurement (CAPUNP), and many top-notch universities worldwide, including the University of Westminster, New York University, Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU),Beijing International Studies University (BISU), and Nanjing University, as well as more than 200 translation and interpreting learners. A cooperation signing ceremony was also held between Grouphorse Group and the University of Westminster during the summit.


The distinguished guests present at this summit included: Grouphorse Senior Advisor Xu Ya’nan, former chief of the Chinese Translation Service of the Documentation Division of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM) at the UN, former director-general of the Department of Translation and Interpretation at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, member of the TAC executive council, and a council member of the UN Association of China; Dr. Ho Yong, Chinese language supervisor of the UN Chinese Language Program (CLP) and a recipient of the UN21 Awards; Grouphorse Chairman Tang Xing, member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), and a visiting scholar at Columbia University; Dr. Cheng Wei, a delegate of China’s 19th CPC National Congress and the dean of the School of Interpreting and Translation, BISU; Mr. Wang Jianqing, deputy director of Translation and Interpreting Service, Department of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce of China; Ms. Julie Tay, clinical assistant professor with the NYU School of Professional Studies; Mr. Li Changshuan, executive vice dean of the Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation (GSTI) at BFSU; Mr. Yao Bin, vice dean of GSTI, BFSU; Mr. Yu Lijun, associate dean of the School of International Studies, UIBE; Mr. Xu Ming, associate dean of the School of Translation and Interpretation, BLCU; Mr. Cao Jianxin, professor at the School of Foreign Studies, Nanjing University and jury president of national interpreting contests; Ms. Han Xiaoting, chief representative of the University of Westminster in China; Mr. Wang Xu’nan, vice chairman and secretary general of CAPUNP; Mr. Wen Yi, general manager of Beijing Grouphorse Translations Co., Ltd.; and Mr. Klink Zhou, a CIOL member and general manager of Grouphorse’s Center for Translation and Interpreting (CTI).

 

 ▲Ms. Xu Ya’nan, former chief of the Chinese Translation Service of the DGACM at the UN and former director-general of the Department of Translation and Interpretation at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivers a keynote speech entitled “What the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative Means for Translation”.


▲Dr. Ho Yong, Chinese language supervisor of the UN Chinese Language Program (CLP) and a recipient of the UN21 Awards, gives a keynote speech titled “What Does It Take to Be a Translator?”.

 

▲Julie Tay, clinical assistant professor with the NYU School of Professional Studies, gives a keynote speech titled “Emerging Models of Work for CE Translators/Interpreters in the US”.


▲Professor Cheng Wei, delegate of China’s 19th CPC National Congress and the dean of the School of Interpreting and Translation, BISU, gives a keynote speech titled “Contribute to the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative by Creating a New Education System for Foreign Language Learners”.


 

▲Professor Li Changshuan, vice dean of GSTI, BFSU, gives a keynote speech titled “Critical Thinking and Research Skills are Key to Quality Translation and Interpretation Education”.

 

 

▲Mr. Wang Jianqing, deputy director of Translation and Interpreting Service, Department of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce of China, speaks in the discussion session titled “Interpreter Training Under a Global Perspective and in the New Era”.

 

▲Mr. Yao Bin, vice dean of GSTI, BFSU, speaks at the discussion sessions titled “Interpreter Training Under a Global Perspective and in the New Era” and “Language Services Called for Under the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative”.


▲Mr. Xu Ming, associate dean of the School of Translation and Interpretation, BLCU, speaks at the discussion session titled “Exploring New Paths After Ten Years of MTI”.

 

▲ Mr. Cao Jianxin, professor at the School of Foreign Studies, Nanjing University and jury president of national interpreting contests, speaks at the discussion titled “Interpreter Training Under a Global Perspective and in the New Era”.

 

 

▲ Mr. Yu Lijun, associate dean of the School of International Studies, UIBE, speaks at the discussion sessions titled “Exploring New Paths after Ten Years of MTI” and “Language Services Called for Under the Belt and Road Initiative”. 

 

▲Mr. Wang Xu’nan, vice chairman and secretary general of CAPUNP, speaks at the discussion session titled “Language Services Called for Under the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative”.

 

The Grouphorse International Translation and Interpreting Summit on Road and Belt Initiative 2017 represents Grouphorse’s latest successful event aimed at gathering insights, facilitating communication among professionals, furthering the development of the translation and interpreting sector, and providing a platform for networking, following in the wake of the Grouphorse Global Interpreting Summit Forum, Grouphorse National Interpreting Summit, and Grouphorse Global Translation Summit Forum.

 

With branches in numerous locations including Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Chengdu, Changsha, and Hangzhou, Grouphorse is a United Nations vendor for language services registered at the highest level (ID: 496547) and a participant of the United Nations Global Compact (ID: 109301). It has also been the official language service provider for the  APEC summits, the Boao Forum for Asia, and China International Import Expo. It is the translation partner of the 2018 China Education Symposium at Harvard and the official sponsor for the XIX FIT World Congress, as well as one of China’s first service providers to offer internships and placement for Master of Translation and Interpreting (MTI) candidates. Grouphorse is also an organizational council member of the TAC, a corporate member of the American Translators Association (ATA), and co-organizer of the Eighth National Conference and International Forum on Interpreting. Moreover, as one of the first national training bases for MTI students, Grouphorse has set up practice bases and professional incubation bases at top-notch universities such as BFSU, SISU, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Zhejiang University, Zhongshan University, Tongji University, Southeast China University, and East China Normal University, ranking among the most renowned global multi-linguistic service providers in China.

 

The “Grouphorse Training Program” is nationally renowned for training translation and interpreting professionals with the best facilities and faculty members, featuring the largest student enrollment, the most complete educational program, and the most extensive geographical coverage in China. By applying comprehensive, practical, and interactive instructional methods, it is designed to cultivate a large number of professionals with a global outlook who can meet international criteria.


▲The meeting hall

 

 

▲Group photos of some guests

 

The summit witnessed its climax when the signing ceremony between the University of Westminster and Grouphorse Group was held. During this event, a strategic agreement was signed by Ms. Han Xiaoting, chief representative of the University of Westminster in China, and Grouphorse’s Chairman Tang Xing, who is also a council member of TAC and a CIOL member. In the past, Grouphorse has set precedents in successful cooperation with celebrated Chinese universities to co-cultivate professional translators and interpreters, including partnerships with BFSU, SISU, Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Zhongshan University, Tongji University, East China Normal University, and Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Furthermore, Grouphorse has signed agreements for close cooperation with some “Project 211” universities to mutually recognize and transfer students’ course credits. In the future, Grouphorse will continue to work together with these institutions to develop a long-term effective mechanism for further and more extensive training of pragmatic professionals in translation and interpretation.

 

▲Tang Xing delivers a speech for the signing ceremony.


▲Han Xiaoting delivers a speech for the signing ceremony.

 

 

Klink Zhou, a CIOL member and general manager of Grouphorse’s CTI, was the host of this summit and delivered his speech at the discussion session, titled “Interpreter Training Under a Global Perspective and in the New Era”. Then the following brainstorming session was co-hosted by Zhang Tingguang, an interpreter from Grouphorse Beijing, and Cui Enqiao, a MTI student mastering two foreign languages (French and English) from GSTI, BFSU. Cui was trained at the 2014 Beijing Grouphorse summer training camp under the guidance of Dr. Kevin Lin, the royal interpreter for the Queen of the UK.

 

 

▲Host of Main Forum: Klink Zhou, a CIOL member and general manager of Grouphorse’s CTI.


 

▲Hosts of the brainstorming session: Cui Enqiao, a trainee of the Grouphorse summer training camp for simultaneous interpretation and a MTI student from GSTI, BFSU; and Zhang Tingguang, an interpreter from Grouphorse Beijing.

 

 


 

 


 


High-quality interpretation services for the entire summit were provided by trainees in the Grouphorse training program for simultaneous interpretation and MTI students from GSTI, BFSU. Voluntary duties were taken on by staff from Grouphorse Beijing and MTI students from GSTI, BFSU.


▲ A trainee from the Grouphorse training program for simultaneous interpretation, and a MTI student from GSTI, BFSU serve as simultaneous interpreters for the summit.

 

▲Some volunteers at the summit

The summit saw its successful closing with a warm applause of congratulations. By showcasing translators’ and interpreters’ abilities, building consensus, overcoming limits, and looking forward to future prospects, this event will certainly be viewed as a milestone in the development of translation and interpreting in China.