SFL Served 38th National Youth Science and Technology Innovation Competition

The 38th National Youth Science and Technology Innovation Competition was held in Tianjin from July 25th to July 29th. Over 700 young people and science and technology instructors from all over the country, as well as more than 90 representatives from 20 countries across five continents, gathered in Tianjin. Teachers and students from the School of Foreign Languages provided text translation, accompanying interpretation, and simultaneous interpretation services to support national strategies, focus on Tianjin’s development, and showcase the style of Tianjin University.

 Volunteer Service 

As a university in the host region, Tianjin University provided meticulous and enthusiastic volunteer service for the competition. A total of 127 volunteers were dispatched, 36 of whom were from the School of Foreign Languages. They were the main force of volunteers for the international teams. With solid foreign language expertise and a high spirit of volunteer service, they provided sincere and thoughtful services to international teachers and students, which was highly praised by the participants and the organizers.

From picking up at airports and train stations in Beijing and Tianjin, accompanying throughout the competition, to bilingual introductions for sightseeing in Tianjin, and safely sending each team on their return journey, volunteers maintained their professional quality in high-intensity work, showing the elegance of the School of Foreign Languages, and allowing teachers and students from other countries to feel the enthusiasm of Tianjin University and the city of Tianjin.

Under heavy rain and scorching heat, all volunteers were always quick to respond and take the initiative day and night, showing responsibility and commitment. Undergraduate student Xue Enbo mentioned that the Romanian team he was in contact with arrived in Beijing in two batches, with each round trip and waiting time exceeding 8 hours. “Despite difficulties such as starting in dawn and sickness, we still safely picked up the participating teachers and students and sent their accompanying relatives to the corresponding hotels. I hope our services can provide them with a good competition experience.”    

At the closing ceremony of the competition, six students from our school, Xu Yitian, Bian Junwen, Teng Xuelin, Li Yue, Ding Yidan, and Xue Enbo, were awarded the title of outstanding volunteers of the competition.   

 National  Maritime  Museum  Interpreting  Team  

During the competition, the organizing committee organized sightseeing activities in Tianjin. Professor Yin Shiyu led five masters in translation and interpreting to provide professional bilingual explanations for international teachers and students. Speaking of this interpreting practice at the National Maritime Museum, translation and interpreting master Yuan Bo said: “For me, being commentator and interpreter in exhibition halls is brand new. This has deepened my understanding of the city of Tianjin from a bilingual perspective of Chinese and English, and helped me gain a further understanding of the basic situation of the National Maritime Museum, the positioning of the exhibition halls, and some exhibits. From preparation, rehearsal to formal interpretation, the team worked together and helped each other to solve many challenges such preparation of professional terms and time control. I am most grateful for the guidance and encouragement given by Professor Yin Shiyu. Without his precise suggestions and the company throughout the rehearsal, this task would not have been successfully completed. I hope to participate more in such activities in the future, to broaden my horizons and apply what I have learned into practice.”

  Simultaneous  Interpretation  Service  at  the  Closing  Ceremony 

In addition to volunteer service and accompanying interpretation, our school was also responsible for the simultaneous interpretation work at the closing ceremony of the competition. Since the competition had many tracks and a long cycle, there were tens of thousands of words in the host script and the script of the performances, and the words in text translation reached a million level. The translation draft was revised until the last moment before the start of the closing ceremony, and even with full preparation, there were still temporary adjustments on the spot. Li Yichen, who provided simultaneous interpretation services, is an excellent graduate of the 2024 MTI of our school. Looking back on the whole competition, she had many feelings. “The most unforgettable was the early morning of the 29th, when Professor Yin and I sat in the booth, revised the manuscript, facing the densely marked yellow additions and deletions, and encouraged each other. I am very grateful for the trust and help from the school leaders and teachers, the strong guidance and support provided by Professor Yin Shiyu for the simultaneous interpretation task, and the on-site security provided by Teacher Wei Qi and our lovely volunteer students. This time, I came back to Tianjin from Shenzhen to participate in the event, which gave me a feeling of coming home. My alma mater, Tianjin University, is the best, and the School of Foreign Languages is the best.” 

The 38th National Youth Science and Technology Innovation Competition successfully closed on July 29th. This five-day competition allowed volunteers and participating teachers and students to form a deep friendship. This is not only a competition, but also a journey of science and innovation dreams, a journey facing the future, and a journey of cultural integration. On this journey, teachers and students of the School of Foreign Languages used language as a bridge and dedication as a link to help young people from all over the world tell their stories of science and innovation, and told the world the story of China in the new era.