On January 24, Alexander A. Mejía, Director of CIFAL Global Network of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), accompanied by Wu Yugang, Deputy Director of CIFAL Shanghai, UNITAR, visited Grouphorse Shanghai.

UNITAR is a training arm directly under the United Nations General Assembly and is responsible for training and research in the UN system. UNITAR provides training for diplomats and language talents who are engaged in multilateral and bilateral activities, and carries out research on issues related to the functions and objectives of the UN.

Alexander A. Mejía (in the middle) at Grouphorse Shanghai

Klink Zhou, Assistant to the President of Grouphorse Group and General Manager of the Global Center for Translation and Interpreting, and Linda Zhang, General Manager of Grouphorse Group Shanghai Branch, extended a warm welcome to the UN guests and held productive talks with them.

The meeting 

Alexander A. Mejía said, “The Learning Conference on Implementing the 2030 Agenda in the Asia-Pacific Region was held in Shanghai recently, and Grouphorse Group, as a UN vendor for translation services, was the exclusive provider of simultaneous interpreting for this conference. Many UN officials present at the conference, including Mr. Nikhil Seth, the UN Assistant Secretary-General, thought highly of the interpreting service Grouphorse had provided, and I was also impressed.” He was glad to know that Grouphorse had reached an agreement with CIFAL Shanghai and that a series of cooperative capacity building efforts for translators and interpreters would begin in 2019. He looked forward to the prospect of this cooperation in the belief that it would accelerate the realization of the goals set by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. With a packed schedule for this visit, he hoped to further communicate and deepen the cooperation in the near future.

Klink Zhou introduced to the UN guests the achievements of Grouphorse in language services, and highlighted that the rapid development of Grouphorse is the result of perfection-oriented craftsmanship and the ability to innovate and keep up with the times, as well as the guidance and assistance of many international organizations including the UN. In May 2017, Mr. Xing Tang, Chairman and President of Grouphorse Group, was invited to deliver a keynote speech at the UN Headquarters. The idea of advancing the 2030 Agenda with language services was an important part of his speech. Exchanges and communications among all countries require the “infrastructure” of language services. Therefore, the mission of Grouphorse is quite significant. Mr. Zhou also said, “We believe that our cooperation with UNITAR will greatly promote the training of translators and interpreters and fulfill our company’s strategy of giving priority to talent. A team of highly professional translators and interpreters will bring the services of Grouphorse to a higher level.

Linda Zhang gave a brief introduction of the translation training sector of Grouphorse, including the student enrollment, training system, and teaching faculty. She highlighted that the upcoming conference interpreting (CI) program will integrate the strengths of renowned interpreting disciplines in universities and colleges around the world, and provide access to those who want to be professional interpreters. Complying with international standards, this program aims to help trainees become elite interpreters qualified to provide simultaneous interpreting services for international conferences. It is designed to ensure that trainees are immediately accepted by the flourishing international CI market as soon as they finish the program. She also said that many outstanding trainees of Grouphorse have landed simultaneous interpreting internships in the UN system over the years. “Even as we speak, several excellent trainees are practicing simultaneous interpretation at the International Maritime Organization of the UN in London and receiving guidance from official interpreters,” she added.

Guests from the UN highly appreciated the perseverance of Grouphorse Group in maintaining high standards of quality in the teaching and practice of professional translation and interpreting, thereby providing a stream of qualified translators and interpreters for international organizations, government departments, enterprises, public institutions, and every sector of society. They also hope that Grouphorse Group, as a UN vendor for translation services and a participant of the UN Global Compact, continues to take the lead in the industry.

They also came to a consecutive interpreting class to observe the teaching of short-term memory techniques and engage in face-to-face communication with the teacher and students. Mr. Mejía said, “Since the trainees of Grouphorse have solid linguistic backgrounds and an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and the systematic teaching methods are fit for different types of trainees, I am very optimistic about the prospects of the CI program.” He stressed that the role of translators and interpreters in international communication is significant and things cannot be done properly without appropriate translators or interpreters. Young translators and interpreters should be well trained and have lofty goals to contribute to cross-cultural exchange.

This visit has familiarized the representatives of the UN officials with Grouphorse, laying a foundation for further exchanges and cooperation.