In early June, the 18th Meeting of the Council of the Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the first SCO Film Festival were successfully held in Qingdao. General Secretary Xi Jinping spoke highly of this event: The SCO Qingdao Summit was very successful. Service security work is powerful, orderly and elaborative，reflecting the world level, the Chinese feature, Shandong style and Qingdao characteristics. I would like to express the condolences and gratitude to those who have worked hard for the summit.
Teachers and students of our college, full of passion and fearless of difficulties, actively took part in this extraordinary international event. With the goal of dedication and service, they successfully completed the task of “expedition to the SCO Summit”.
Recently, the Foreign Affairs Office of the Qingdao Municipal People’s Government of Shandong Province sent a letter of thanks to China University of Petroleum (East China) for the contribution made by the university and the teachers and students of our college who served at the front line of the summit during SCO Qingdao Summit.
The Office also extended their gratitude to the Sun Miao, Sun Daman, Zhao Xiaohua, Meng Honghong and other teachers of our college for their participation in the conference workand translation services. Deputy Dean of College of Arts Sun Dama,organized and selected teachers like some Russian teachers and teacher Meng Honghong to participate in the summit preparation and relevant work. Teacher Zhao Xiaohua interpreted at the reception banquet of provincial leaders. These teachersmade great contribution with superb language level and a highly responsible attitude in the summit. In addition, during the SCO Film Festival, teachers from the Russian Department such as Sun Daman, Zhou Ruiping, Meng Honghong, Lin Chao, Zhao Tingting, Zhao Xiaohua and Sun Miao also participated in translation services and other activities, making their positive efforts to the summit.
All of the volunteers get ready—fight no battle unprepared
In order to take full preparations for the volunteer service in the SCO summit, the college of Arts attached great importance to the volunteer selection. Based on the principle of “Select the best in the best”, 35 volunteers who are major in Russian and English were pick out to provide help for this event.
On May 24th, our volunteers went to Qingdao to participate in the opening ceremony. Their mission is to serve the Summit to be more fantastic, fully showing the world level, the Chinese feature, Shandong style and Qingdao characteristics.
“I volunteer to be a glorious summit member. I promise: keep our mission firmly in mind and do everything we can to live up to your trust. I will do my best, obey the command and keep the secret. And I will win honors for our country and the summit. The volunteers' speech highlighted the firm determination of the volunteers.
“It’s my great honor to be a volunteer of the SCO Qingdao Summit. I will definitely stick to my obligation and concentrate on my own job!” Zhang Yingkun, a volunteer who majors in Russian said. The volunteers of UPC bravely shouldered the responsibilities and dedicated themselves into the event.
Provide services for the SCO Summit— many hands make light work
The volunteer costume design of the Shanghai Summit was based on the smart wave lines. So the volunteers were also called the “Spray”. In the SCO Qingdao Summit News Center, “Sprays” introduced SCO summit and Qingdao to media and reporters. “Sprays” gathered together to promote the successful hold of this summit.
On the morning of the 7th, Vice President Zhang Lingling, Secretary of the Youth League Committee Zhang Zhan, and Secretary of the Party Committee of the College of Arts Zhang Yongning and other teachers went to the News Center of Summit to visit the volunteers and expressed their warm greetings to the volunteers.
Four teachers Sun Miao, Sun Daman, Zhao Xiaohua and Meng Honghong and thirty-five students of the College of Arts participated in professional work of the Summit such as conference security and translation services. They fought in the first line of the Summit and received high praise for their comprehensive quality and the spirit of unity and cooperation.
Although my position is minor, I am very proud to make my contributions to the summit.” Sun Miao said, she is responsible for services of foreign guests, including the services and guide of the venues and the placement and layout work, “I am very honored to participate in the summit and feel the grand event on the spot as a member of UPC.”
Zhu Shan and Ren Zenqiang, faculty of College of Arts, received the interview of CGTN. Inna, the foreign teacher, participated in CCTV live broadcast during the summit. “The previous topics are all about the great theme of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind and The Belt and Road. I’m so delighted to introduce UPC on the interview of CGTN.” Zhu said.
During the volunteer service, the teachers gave their full strength, and the students made every efforts to do their best.
For example, the volunteer Cao Yanan, her routine work includes leading the reporters to sign in and receive simultaneous interpretation equipment, guiding journalists into the seating area, handing in the microphones in proper time and broadcasting notices in the standard fluent Russian.
“I was very fortunate to be a Chinese student representative to participate in the SCO Youth Summit in May this year. Now, as a volunteer of the SCO Qingdao Summit, I practice and learn service etiquette every day. I hope that through my Russian translation and high standard service, the world will focus on this beautiful city.” Cao Yanan said with confidence.
Due to the lack of Russian volunteers in the press center, there was task adjustment at any time. Zhuang Chengcheng said: “Though urgently transferred from the catering group to the airport to receive foreign media reporters, I adhere to the spirit of serving wherever you can serve!”
Li Guangda, a senior English major who has participated in many volunteer services such as the 2017 Asian Media Summit, said: “Since Sep 6th, I received an average of 100 Chinese and foreign consultants every day. The work is tiresome, but whenever I hear the words of their gratitude, I feel full of energy.”
“The SCO Summit is hosted in my hometown. With accumulated experience of volunteer service, I am confident to complete this task.” Yan Han said, who works in the reporter assembly area. Her job is to gather the journalists and guide them to the airport. “This is a job that requires carefulness and endurance, but I am always ready to contribute myself with full energy.”
Volunteers devote themselves in Film Festival
It is reported that College of Arts China University of Petroleum has selected volunteers for the arrival and departure service, government reception, media service, sponsor service and volunteer management for the first SCO Film Festival, which was held on June 13rd to 17th. And on the weekends, trainings on religious culture, national etiquette, and volunteer service knowledge were provided for the volunteers.
During the festival, volunteers have strict schedules and trivial work every day. Yu Qi from Russian major 1601 was mainly responsible for the arrival and departure service, and the experience of seeing off the Pakistan delegation on the last day impressed her most.
“There are 18 people in this delegation, each with a lot of luggage. We accompany them from the moment they arrive at the airport until they board the plane, trying to cater to the needs of every guest.” One of the guests had injuries on her legs, volunteers borrowed a wheelchair from the airport; a guest wanted to change the passport number at the airport, and the volunteers tried best to solve it.
In order to show a better image at the festival, our university conducted a selection interview of volunteers on June 11. Volunteer Yu Zihan was impressed a lot. She said: I heard that many people in the school called this selection “Produce 55”, and I am very proud to be chosen from so many contestants. After a whole day’s stressful rehearsal, 55 volunteers in formal dress attended the film festival's welcome work, but it’s a pity that the ceremony was canceled because of the heavy rain that afternoon.
However, the unexpected incident did not weaken the enthusiasm of the volunteers. Ceremony volunteer Dong Jianan said. “Although the work was hard, eight-centimeter heels were torturous, but it was worth it.”
Teacher Volunteers of College of Arts Showed Competence
Teachers of College of Arts have made contributions to the international communications on the spot as volunteers. They have showed their humanistic literacy as well as professional qualities.
Translation is not only the decoding of languages, but also a display of culture. It is also a heart-to-heart communication. It requires high professionalism and on-site response ability.
“Translation is not just corresponding word to word, but need to fully utilizethinkingtransformation and division method. It shall accordwith the expression and customs of Russian nationals while retaining Chinese characteristics to the maximum extent”, said Sun Miao, a teacher of College of Arts.
Lin Chao, a teacher of College of Arts, was mainly responsible for the interpretation of the welcome banquet of the SCO National Film Festival, and also participated in the speech translation of the opening ceremony of the festival. As a temporary volunteer, we must know the specific process of the Film Festival press conference in a short period of time, and be prepared for on-site interpretation at any time. At the same time, we need to be familiar with the whole process and master specific personnel information.” Lin said. She also said that it was urgent to spend only one day on preparation. “In this time, teachers have serviced this bigoff campus event, learned about the characteristics and development status of film and television cultures of SCO countries. This chance is enlightening for our translation and cultural teaching practice”, she said.
Meng Honghong, a teacher of College of Arts, was proud of being responsible for the preparation and translation of the dinner banquet. “I have witnessed the grand summit and film festival on the spot, and I am very proud and honored to participate in such a high-level international event as a volunteer”, he said.
Opportunity, dedication and development
“The Summit will bring Qingdao a new opportunity for development. Many attendees spoke highly of the film festival and I am proud of my country, of Qingdao and of the West Coast New Area.” said Zhou Ruiping, a teacher and interpreter who attended the dinner banquet of the opening ceremony and business negotiation between the Chinese National Film Museum and Russian companies.
Sun Daman, the deputy dean of College of Arts,said “It is a great privilege to participate in this volunteer activity. The event saw excellent professional and comprehensive qualities of our teachers and students as well as their contributions to the development and construction of our nation. Moreover, SCO is a good opportunity for Russian major students, which will certainly promote the major development and propel the all-round progress of College of Arts.”
“I feel proud of the teachers and students of our college as they actively gave full play to the subject advantages, fully demonstrating the soft power of UPC.” said Zhang Yongning, secretary of the party committee of the college, “In the future, the college will, according to the needs of national strategy and industrial development, further strengthen the professional disciplines, improve talent cultivation, actively carry out foreign voluntary service, and serve the Belt and Road initiative and the Blue and Yellow Strategy.”
The voluntary service for nearly one month has showed the brilliant images of our teachers and students, revealed the beauty of Qingdao to the world and displayed the strength of UPC.
Translators: Zhu Lingling, Fang Zhen, Han Wenmiao, Zhao Siyu, Yin Jingwen, Zhang Zhaoying
Proofreader: Fu Xiao
Tutor: Fu Xiao
