Located at the foot of scenic Yuelu Mountain along the Xiangjiang River, the School of Foreign Languages at Central South University boasts a distinguished heritage in translation education. The university’s predecessor, Changsha Railway University, pioneered master’s-level translation training with its program in Translation Theory and Practice, later renamed Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics in 1997. Today, translation studies stand as a flagship discipline, built upon decades of research and graduate education excellence.

The School operates robust research platforms, including a doctoral program in Foreign Languages and Literature (a provincial key discipline), the China Association for Comparative Studies of English and Chinese, and the academic journal Foreign Language and Translation. Our specialized research centers, the Hunan Translation Studies Base, the Hunan ASEAN Cultural Research and Exchange Center, and the Research Base for Translation and International Communication of Chinese National Identity, support cutting-edge work in translation theory, literary translation, classical Chinese translation, diplomatic translation, AI-assisted translation, and national discourse studies.

In 2008, the State Council’s Academic Degrees Committee designated the School among China’s first nine pilot institutions authorized to offer the Master of Translation and Interpreting (MTI) degree. The program cultivates high-level, application-oriented professionals with strong ethical foundations, prepared to meet the demands of global economic integration and China’s international development.

Our faculty comprises nearly 30 professors and associate professors, all holding doctoral degrees. This distinguished group includes Senior Translators recognized by the Translators Association of China, an EU-accredited (JICS) simultaneous interpreter, and a former chief interpreter for the Ministry of Railways. Their academic leadership is reflected in national service: one professor sits on the National Committee for MTI Education, four serve as executive directors of national first-level academic societies, and six hold leadership positions in specialized translation associations.

All faculty maintain active professional practices, having published translated works, completed substantial translation volumes, or interpreted at major international conferences. We maintain 23 internship bases with government agencies, language service providers, and multinational enterprises, supported by 12 off-campus supervisors who are seasoned industry professionals. Over the past five years, our students have published more than 20 translated books, provided interpretation for over 100 conferences, and earned over 200 awards in provincial and national competitions.

In April 2013, the program received an “Excellent” rating (95.8/100) in the national MTI evaluation. In 2017, it achieved top-tier ranking in the China MTI University Ranking. In 2020, the program successfully passed the compliance evaluation by the Academic Degree Committee.