On the afternoon of October 30, 2025, Professor Li Jun, finalization expert at CGTN, delivered a lecture titled “Interdisciplinary Foreign Language Talents and the Training of Advanced Interpreters and Translators” as part of the Xiangjiang River Forum Translation Studies Lecture Series. The event was hosted by Xia Gaoqin, Head of the French Department, and attended by Vice Dean Hou Heyu, Professors Wu Yuanning, Luo Zhirong, Liu Tianfeng, and Xiao Hongwen, along with over one hundred faculty and students from the School. Participants explored new pathways for cultivating high-level translation talents in the context of globalization.

At the beginning of the lecture, Professor Li Jun outlined the main topics to be covered, including translation innovation capabilities, principles and standards of interpreting and translation, and key methods for foreign language learning. Drawing on his extensive professional experience, he vividly illustrated three core competencies essential to translation and interpretation training: bilingual proficiency, encyclopedic knowledge, and professional ethics. He reminded the audience that while building a solid linguistic foundation, interpreters and translators should also broaden their horizons and master diverse subject matter. Furthermore, they should cultivate a strong sense of responsibility, self-confidence, and awareness of equality, while enhancing their ability to handle unexpected situations. Professor Li explained key theories and techniques of consecutive interpreting, along with essential note-taking strategies, offering practical suggestions based on his own practice. Finally, he shared his vision for an integrated approach to teaching translation and interpreting, covering pre-class preparation and classroom tasks, through an interactive teaching example. The lecture proved highly beneficial to faculty and students alike.

During the Q&A session, participants raised questions about challenges in interpreting practice, including key points in cross-cultural translation and the impact of artificial intelligence on the translation field. The discussion was lively. Professor Li addressed each question in turn, drawing on specific teaching cases and industry practices. He advised the audience to pay close attention to changes in both traditional and emerging sectors in the information age, and to continuously enhance their bilingual abilities, subject matter knowledge, professional ethics, and cross-cultural competence. He acknowledged the positive role of AI in advancing the translation field, while encouraging teachers and students to continuously improve themselves through active practice, thereby responding to the contemporary imperative of “the duty of translation.”

Finally, Xia Gaoqin delivered a summary of the lecture. She noted that Professor Li highlighted how the difficulties and imperfections encountered in the process of translation represent a common starting point for every translator. She encouraged students not to obsess over perfection, but rather to transform such challenges into a cornerstone of professional confidence, that is, to believe in their ability to succeed while learning to turn obstacles along the way into motivation for progress, enabling them to calmly and resolutely overcome any barriers they may face in the future.

This lecture not only presented Professor Li’s achievements and practical wisdom in the field of translation talent cultivation, but also broadened the academic horizons of faculty and students regarding translation teaching, practice, and research from a global perspective, offering important insights for the optimization and innovation of the translation talent cultivation system.

About the Speaker: Professor Li Jun is a finalization expert at CGTN (China Media Group), as well as a professor, senior translator, senior economist, and senior international business specialist. He earned his bachelor's degree in French and English from Beijing Foreign Studies University, a master's degree in International Law and International Organization Management from the University of Paris, a master's degree in International Economic Management from the French National School of Administration, and a PhD in Diplomacy and International Negotiation. He also pursued advanced studies at the École Supérieure d’Interprètes et de Traducteurs (ESIT) in Paris.

Professor Li serves concurrently as Deputy Director of the Senior Interpreter Training Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as a member of the Advisory Board for College Foreign Language Teaching under the Ministry of Education. He is also a distinguished professor at several universities both in China and abroad, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, and the University of Paris. He has long been engaged in teaching and research in French translation and interpreting, MTI (Master of Translation and Interpreting) postgraduate interpreting courses, international relations, and international economics and trade. He has published 20 textbooks and dictionaries and 30 papers on translation studies, with a total translation output exceeding 30 million Chinese characters. He has provided over 900 high-level simultaneous interpretation services for major events including national leaders’ meetings, G20 summits, APEC meetings, the “Two Sessions,” the Olympic Games, and the World Expo. He is a recipient of the Second Prize of the National Teaching Achievement Award and is widely recognized as a leading figure in China’s foreign language translation and international communication fields.