1　Introduction

This section elaborates on the urgency of constructing an international discourse system, cites Xi Jinping's important discourse on translation as a facilitator of civilizational exchanges, analyzes the profound impact of generative artificial intelligence on the translation industry and the surging demand for high-end talent, introduces the background and milestone significance of the independent establishment of the Doctor of Translation and Interpreting (DTI) professional degree, and points out the pioneering value of the inaugural Doctor of Translation and Interpreting Forum held at a critical juncture in exploring cultivation pathways.

2　Overview and Analysis of Forum Content

This section systematically reviews the core themes and expert consensus of the inaugural Doctor of Translation and Interpreting Forum. With the theme "High-Quality Cultivation Pathways for High-End Translation Talents in the Intelligent Era," the forum gathered over 200 participants including members of the National Steering Committee, heads of cultivating institutions, and industry experts through keynote speeches, student representative presentations, and panel discussions, conducting in-depth exchanges on DTI cultivation models, curriculum systems, practical competencies, and industry-academia-research collaboration mechanisms.

At the mission orientation level, the forum clarified the fundamental attribute of DTI education in serving national strategies, emphasizing its essential distinction from academic doctoral programs in translation studies and professional master's programs in translation and interpreting: DTI aims to cultivate "research-oriented practitioners," namely applied high-end talents with top-tier translation practice capabilities, vertical domain research and innovation capabilities, and industry leadership. Experts responded to concerns about whether "university teachers pursuing DTI deviates from the original cultivation purpose," noting that this is precisely an efficient pathway for building dual-qualified translation faculty and elevating MTI education standards.

At the standards construction level, various universities shared their exploratory practices in talent cultivation standards. Beijing Foreign Studies University proposed the "New Four Integrations" model and seven core competency frameworks; other institutions emphasized capabilities such as bilingual conversion, technology application, and project management from practical dimensions. Experts advocated making full use of existing standards such as the China's Standards of English Language Ability, combined with international experiences including the AIIC and United Nations interpreter systems, to formulate operable admission diagnostic and graduation assessment standards.

At the cultivation pathway level, seven cultivating institutions demonstrated distinctive practices in industry-education integration: Guangdong University of Foreign Studies conducted authentic projects through international communication platforms, Hunan Normal University served local cultural tourism and film/TV export, and Heilongjiang University delved into Russian translation and foreign-related legal domains. Curriculum construction emphasized "authentic projects with real outcomes," introducing national major translation projects and enterprise real cases into classrooms to achieve a closed loop of "demand—cultivation—application."

At the technology response level, the forum formed a consensus shifting from "passive adaptation" to "active mastery." Experts emphasized that in the artificial intelligence era, the core value of translators lies in critical thinking, ethical judgment, and complex decision-making capabilities; DTI education should cultivate experts who can master artificial intelligence rather than translators competing with it. Specific pathways include: reshaping the translator role as "quality supervisor" and "cultural arbiter," offering courses such as "Large Language Model Translation Criticism" to cultivate technological counter-domestication capabilities, guiding students to delve into high-value vertical domains such as literature, law, and medicine, and building composite capabilities of "translation + domain."

3　Reflections and Prospects on DTI Talent Cultivation

This section explores future pathways and quality assurance mechanisms for DTI talent cultivation. Cultivating institutions need to establish quality consciousness and construct a whole-process quality standards system: first, adhere to high-threshold enrollment, strictly screening candidates with rich practical experience, professional qualification certifications, and comprehensive competencies; second, strengthen dual-qualified faculty team building, integrate interdisciplinary resources and international industry experts, promote internal faculty挂职研修 (temporary posts for training), and break the evaluation orientation that overemphasizes research over translation; third, build a student-centered process-oriented quality assurance system, focusing on learning experience and growth perception, and achieving visualized assessment of cultivation quality through regular feedback and e-learning portfolios.

4　Conclusion

This section elaborates on the significant importance of the inaugural Doctor of Translation and Interpreting Forum, noting that the forum demonstrates the translation community's emphasis on and expectations for cultivating high-end translation leaders, showcases the innovative pathways of various cultivating institutions and the cultivation effectiveness of the first cohort of students, promotes consensus formation in the academic community regarding cultivation objectives, standards, and pathways, and strengthens confidence in the translation education's commitment to upholding fundamental principles while pursuing innovation.