16 May 2024
On April 29, 2024, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University's Department of Literary and Translation Studies (hereby referred to as “LTS”) held a fruitful meeting with Shanghai Yizhe Information Technology Co., Ltd. (hereby referred to as “Yizhe Information Technology”), marking the beginning of a promising collaboration in the field of industry-academia-research. Both sides engaged in in-depth discussions aimed at fostering partnership in translator training, pioneering scientific research, and student employability enhancement.
The meeting commenced with a warm welcome from Luk Van Mensel, Associate Dean for Research at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, who expressed the school's anticipation for the collaboration between LTS and Yizhe Information Technology, marking the university-industry collaborative mechanism in the field of humanities and social sciences.
During the meeting, Dr Hu Wan, Head of the Department of LTS, presented an overview of the department's achievements in teaching and research, highlighting the unique features of BA Translation and Interpreting programme and the collaborations between LTS and industry and academia. She highlighted in particular the language consultancy project for the Suzhou Industrial Park Foreign Affairs Office, as well as the direct admission program with prestigious international universities. Dr. Hu emphasized that cooperation between academia and industry is a crucial component of the development plan for our BA Translation and Interpreting programme, and the department is actively exploring ways to deepen collaboration with enterprises. Dr Zhang Xiaojun, associate professor from LTS, shared his significant research contributions in the field of machine translation. Additionally, Dr Han Zhiwei, Programme Director of BA Translation and Interpreting, and Dr Du Songyan, assistant professor of LTS, also introduced their research domains and teaching progress.
Shanghai Yizhe Information Technology Co., Ltd. stands as a leading provider of intelligent translation and writing technology solutions in China. As a member of the Localization and Technology Committee of the China Translation Association, the company has actively participated in the formulation of numerous national standards in the translation industry. Recognized as a national high-tech enterprise, it has spearheaded 160 collaborative projects with various Chinese universities under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. Mr. Zhang Jing, the company’s founder and CEO, elaborated on its core technologies and products in various domains such as multilingual big data retrieval and analysis, artificial intelligence empowered-machine translation, and natural language processing. He presented, in particular, the YiCAT online translation management platform, which has provided technical support for several renowned translation competitions in China, including the National Machine Translation Post-Editing Contest. The Company has served thousands of enterprises, including well-known state-owned enterprises like Huawei and China Southern Airlines.
Additionally, Mr. Zhang highlighted the company's deep collaborations with numerous Chinese universities in teaching and research. For instance, company technical experts have served as external mentors in collaboration with universities to develop translation technology and localization courses. Moreover, joint efforts with university faculty have been made in coordinating Ministry of Education collaborative education projects.
Discussions at the meeting revolved around future collaboration prospects and strategic action plans. Both parties agreed to embark on joint scientific research endeavors to explore emerging trends in translation technology and applications. Moreover, plans were laid out to integrate Yizhe Information Technology's innovative YiCAT platform into the university's curriculum, offering students invaluable hands-on experience with AI-powered translation tools. Furthermore, joint efforts will be made to secure funding from governmental bodies, including research projects from the Ministry of Education or the national level of China, to bolster research advancement in translation studies. As part of the collaboration, Yizhe Information Technology also expressed willingness to provide internship opportunities for XJTLU students majoring in BA Translation and Interpreting, actively promoting the development of industry-university cooperation.
The partnership between Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and Shanghai Yi Information Technology Co., Ltd. heralds a new era of collaboration, poised to revolutionize translation education and technology application. With a shared commitment to innovation and excellence, this collaboration promises to open up new avenues of opportunity for students and researchers, paving the way for transformative advancements in the field of translation.
(Journalist: Qiyi Zhao Reviser: Zhiwei Han Publisher: Yiyi Gu)
16 May 2024