On May 18, the 2025 Annual Conference for China’s Graduate Education of Translation and Interpreting was held at Shandong University. The event was co-hosted by the China National Committee for Graduate Education of Translation and Interpreting (GETI) and the Translation and Interpreting Degree Sub-Committee of the Association of Chinese Graduate Education, and organized by Shandong University. 

The conference, themed “The Mission and Responsibility of Cultivating High-Level Translation and Interpreting Professionals in the New Era”, brought together over 600 participants, including members of GETI, members of its Expert Advisory Committee, representatives from universities offering translation programs nationwide, and industry experts. Together, they explored the mission and responsibility of cultivating high-end translation and interpreting professionals in the new era.

The attending experts believe it is essential to remain committed to serving national needs and driving innovation. It is essential to strengthen technological empowerment and system integration, continuously deepen reforms in differentiated training systems, promote innovation in the industry-education integration mechanism, and advance the practice of digital transformation in education. Efforts should be made to establish an integrated talent training mechanism that connects universities, industries, and relevant sectors. These measures aim to comprehensively enhance the quality of independent talent cultivation, promote the high-quality and connotative development of translation and interpreting education, and lay a solid foundation of talent to strengthen national translation capacity and foster mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.

During the conference, the inauguration ceremony of the Alliance for High-Level Translation and Interpreting Talent Development and the unveiling ceremony of the Center for the Translation and International Communication of Confucian Civilization were held. Jointly established by the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration (CICG) and Shandong University, the Center will leverage Qilu culture as a bridge to systematically advance the translation and global communication of Confucian classics, aiming to build a translation platform that serves national priorities.

Shandong University has a long-standing history and fine tradition in translation education. It has developed a distinctive talent training model characterized by “one university, three campuses, four languages, and six specialized tracks”. Looking ahead, the university will focus on nurturing translation professionals who serves national priorities and are well-versed in both classical Chinese culture and international norms. By leveraging artificial intelligence, it aims to overcome the challenges of achieving “faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance” in the translation of Chinese classics. Furthermore, Shandong University will build a collaborative education ecosystem integrating government, industry, academia, research, and application, aligning talent cultivation more precisely with industry needs and contributing to China’s opening-up and international communication capacity.

The conference concluded with the release of the“Jinan Consensus on High-Level Translation and Interpreting Talent Development in the Era of Digital Intelligence”. At the closing ceremony, representatives from Guangxi University, the host of the next conference, extended an invitation to members of the translation community across the country.

(Reporter/Translator: Kuang Qiongqiong, Jinan International Communication Center. Correspondents: Zheng Chunguang, Diao Mengwei. Photographers: Zhang Yunpeng, Liu Tingting.)