On April 27, 2025, from 14:00 to 16:00, Ms. Chen Dong, Director of Global Tone Communication Technology Co., Ltd. , was invited to give a special lecture on “Project Management Empowerment—A Guide to Writing and Standardizing Translation Master’s Theses” for the Class of 2024 MTI (Master of Translation and Interpreting) graduate students at our school. The lecture focused on key aspects of writing a translation master’s thesis and project management in translation practice, providing a valuable learning experience for our faculty and students. The event was hosted by Associate Professor He Hua, Director of the MTI Center, who first introduced Mr. Chen Dong’s professional background and experience. Faculty and students warmly welcomed Mr. Chen Dong’s visit.
During the lecture, Director Chen Dong began by analyzing real translation master’s thesis cases and pointed out issues in thesis writing such as shallow analysis of translation examples, superficial exploration, weak argumentation, and vague understanding during the translation process, along with unclear comprehension and muddled connections. She also introduced the basic framework for thesis writing, helping students clarify the fundamental approach to writing a thesis. Following this, Ms. Chen Dong elaborated on the essential components of translation project management, outlining processes like standard management, content management, and tool management. She specifically emphasized that translation practice is a complete project management process, which involves important steps such as “recording the process, identifying problems, solving problems, categorizing and summarizing, merging similar items, and refining methods.” Finally, Director Chen Dong recommended several readings to our faculty and students, including The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish, Basic Standards for the Translation of Chinese Political Discourse into English, and Science Research Writing, to further assist them in their translation practice and thesis writing.
During the Q&A session, both teachers and students engaged in an in-depth discussion with Director Chen Dong on several cutting-edge topics and practical issues encountered in the translation practice. For instance, a student raised the question, “How can AI be efficiently utilized in the AI era to find more innovative thesis topics and avoid the phenomenon of thesis homogenization?” Director Chen, drawing on her extensive experience in translation project management, acknowledged the technological advantages of AI in various aspects. She proposed the view of “technology enabling rather than replacing,” emphasizing that only through continuous practice and reflection can more innovative and valuable academic perspectives be identified.
This lecture emphasized the integration of project management into translation practice, focusing on cultivating project management thinking and practices among both teachers and students. It provided comprehensive and practical guidance for MTI students, particularly in aspects such as thesis writing, translation practice, and career development. This approach helps enhance students’ planning, execution, and control abilities regarding translation tasks, thereby improving their professional competence and overall capabilities.
Host He Hua
Director Chen Dong
Venue
Group Photo
Written by: Zhang Lingxia
Reviewed by: He Hua
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