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Language Services Empowering Enterprise Internationalization: Guangzhou City University of Technology (GCUT) held the first forum on cultivation via cooperation between colleges and businesses at Chunyangtai, Huadu District, Guangzhou, which was organized by GCUT’s International Business School. The forum was themed on “Language Services Empowering Enterprise Internationalization: A New Path for Cultivating Internationally Applied Talents”, gathering well-known scholars from home and abroad as well as entrepreneurs to explore paths and approaches of how language services empower cultivation via cooperation between colleges and businesses. Du Xiaoming, Secretary of CPC Guangzhou City University of Technology Committee and nearly 130 teachers and students from GCUT’s International Business School attended the forum. An Ran, dean of the International Business School hosted the forum.

Secretary Du Xiaoming first delivered an opening speech. He pointed out that GCUT, an application-oriented university serving national strategies and regional economic and social development, attaches great importance to language education and cultivation of internationalized talents. It endeavors to build a temple of knowledge for its students where wisdom integrates, a stage for scholars from around the world who are willing to support and participate in the development of GCUT to exchange ideas and seek mutual growth, and an opening and win-win platform for entrepreneurs integrating in internationalization to share their views. He encouraged teachers and students attending the forum to value such opportunity to learn from and exchange with others. Hopefully, they could play an active role in participating in such forum and further exploring during the forum, thus enhancing their international perspectives and applied skills. Moreover, GCUT will cultivate more quality application-oriented talents with practical and innovative spirits who care for their family and country. Consequently, they can devote to the internationalization of Chinese enterprises.

Secretary Du Xiaoming delivered a speech

The first part, keynote speeches: significant guests clarified localization of the forum

Professor Qu Shaobing, Secretary of the CPC Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) Committee, director of Center for China’s National Language Services and Language Research of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and chief expert of Key Laboratory for Cantonese Corpus Construction and Large Language Model, first delivered his keynote speech. Themed on “language services in the building of a great country”, he emphasized the importance of language services to the building of a great modern socialist country in all respects combined with the spirits of the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. He expounded how language services could support 16 goals of building a great country such as “building a leading country in education” and “building a leading power in science and technology”, illustrating that related language services should center around the 16 goals to form focusing effect with the prosperous development of language and cultural undertakings since the internationalization of Chinese enterprises cannot separate from language services.

Professor Qu Shaobing delivered a keynote speech themed on “language services in the building of a great country”

Professor Wu Yingcheng, linguistic professor from Nanyang Technological University and executive director of the International Society for Chinese Language Teaching, delivered a keynote speech concentrated on “differences between inside and outside while seeking common ground while setting aside differences: development plan on the internationalization of Chinese enterprises”. He proposed the synchronicity of the internationalized path of Chinese and the process of Chinese internationalization based on the once-in-a-century changes taking place in the world and the “dual circulation”. Meanwhile, he elaborated specific strategies and plans for the internationalization of Chinese enterprises taking Tik Tok and Shein as examples.

Professor Wu Yingcheng delivered a keynote speech themed on “differences between inside and outside while seeking common ground while setting aside differences: development plan on the internationalization of Chinese enterprises”

The second part, roundtable discussion: individuals from education and business circles held discussion concerning talent cultivation

Guests from universities and enterprises carried out heated discussion centered around the theme of the conference during the roundtable discussion. Professor Chen Guoming from the University of Rhode Island introduced interesting stories of enterprises such as PepsiCo and Mercedes-Benz mainly focusing on the brand translation during their internationalization, which vividly reveals the close relationship between language services and enterprise development. He stressed that language skills and intercultural competence would be fundamental to enterprise development. Furthermore, the question of “relationship between language services and AI” he proposed sprung up a heated discussion.

Chair Professor Jin Lixian, dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of City University of Macau put forward that AI could have outstanding performance in medium-and-low-level tasks, however, it has its limitations regarding emotional expressions and high-level communications. She believed that AI could not replace human language services concerning complex emotions and cultural connotations. As for teaching, Professor Jin introduced the concept of “planetization”, emphasizing that teaching of intercultural communications is not simply teaching communicative skills. It is important to foster learners and participants’ sensitive and practical skills. She further stressed the significance of practical teaching drawing on her own teaching.

Yi Qiang, general manager of Guangdong Qiya Exhibition Co., Ltd. agreed with what Professor Jin said. He proposed that the cultivation of internationalized talents should be equipped with international perspectives and local practices drawing on the practice of the Guangdong Qiya Exhibition Co., Ltd. As a close partner of GCUT in cooperation between colleges and businesses, he invited students from GCUT to make use of such resource to carry out practices in enterprises, through which they could enhance their language skills and intercultural communications.

Han Rui, director of China Southern Power Grid International Co., Ltd. shared his experience of international businesses over the past three decades, with the emphasis on the international business negotiation and direct investment in countries in Southeast Asia. He stressed that language skills would be inseparable from becoming an internationalized talent, which help to provide more opportunities for their career development.

Professor Yang Minghui, a teacher from GCUT’s International Business School also joined in the discussion. He pointed out the significance of language services to the internationalized operation of Chinese enterprises from the perspective of finance. He believed that language services helped to improve the transparency and accuracy of financial reports while supporting cross-border merger and acquisitions and lowering the risks of international taxation. He called for strengthening cooperation between universities and enterprises to cultivate high-level internationalized talents with professional skills and intercultural competence who could help to support the sustainable development of Chinese enterprises worldwide.

The third part, group discussion: exchanges between teachers and students and experts

Participated guests and some teachers and students were divided into two groups during the forum in the afternoon in order to provide a platform for teachers and students communicating with experts. They carried out direct and in-depth communications and exchanges centered around keynote speeches delivered by experts as well as their sharing during roundtable discussion and difficulties these teachers and students encountered in daily teaching and learning. Then, they explored the topic of internationalized application-oriented cultivation with experts sharing their insights while teachers and students listened with all attention. Participants played an active role in speaking for exchanges, which gave birth to inspirations.

The first forum on cultivation via cooperation between colleges and businesses provides a stage where related universities and industries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area can get in touch with each other while further exploring the cultivation of internationalized application-oriented talents. Each speech and discussion gather the wisdom of scholars and practical experience of entrepreneurs, providing valuable lessons for participants. GCUT’s International Business School will continue to uphold the belief of openness and inclusiveness and win-win cooperation in the future, and further promote university-industry collaboration. In this way, it can cultivate more high-level application-oriented talents with international perspectives, intercultural competence and professional skills. It is expected that these students will distinguish themselves in the future international community, devoting to the internationalization of Chinese enterprises, thus writing a new chapter of China seeking mutual development with the world.