SCIT Anniversary Conference

Quality of Translator and Interpreter Training in the Era of Globalization, Human-Centric Innovation and Artificial Intelligence

St. Petersburg, October 11–12, 2023

Quality of Translator and Interpreter Training in the Era of Globalization, Human-Centric Innovation and Artificial Intelligence

SCIT Anniversary Conference

The St. Petersburg School of Conference Interpreting and Translation (SCIT) of Herzen University will celebrate its 15th anniversary with a conference on the Quality of Translator and Interpreter Training in the Era of Globalization, Human-Centric Innovation and Artificial Intelligence which will be held on 11 and 12 October 2023.

The conference will bring together leading Russian and international experts in the theory and practice of translation and interpreting, including scholars who explore how Russian culture is described in languages other than Russian (Russian culture-oriented English/French/German, etc.) as well as the role of Russian as the primary language of communication across the CIS.

Officials and language professionals from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United Nations and other international organizations will also participate, as well as leaders and scholars from universities with Russian studies programmes.

We intend to offer participants a varied and stimulating programme, along with ample opportunities to network. The Conference will subsequently publish its proceedings.

Participation format: hybrid.

The conference registration fee is:
2500 rubles if you participate in person
1500 rubles if you participate online

Registration deadline: 13 September 2023. Applications are no longer accpted.

The aims of the conference are:

to share best practices in the training of conference interpreters and translators for international organizations and the business community

to discuss methods and practices for creating and fostering synergies between academic training of language professionals and the industry demands

to consider modalities and strategies for promoting Russian culture across the CIS and through various languages

Themes

The conference will serve as a platform for exploring themes around the training of interpreters and translators. The proposed list of themes is not exhaustive and we main open to suggestions.

Continuous Quality Assurance in the Training of Language Professionals for International Organizations and the Business Community

How can the concept of quality management be implemented in the training of language professionals?
How can pre-service and in-service training of translators and interpreters incorporate quality monitoring?
How can university-level training programmes combine external and internal expertise?

Artificial Intelligence in the Training Interpreters and Translators

What are the implications of AI for the world of interpretation and translation?
How to start a structured conversation around AI during a course of study in translation and/or interpretation?
What are the experiences of different schools in teaching computer-assisted interpretation, machine translation and post-editing, and other AI applications?
How to balance the development ‘traditional’ and ‘future-proof’ skills given the time and resource constrains?

Roadmaps for Translator and Interpreter Training

Which training pathways are the most effective in preparing students for the today’s market?
What knowledge and skills should be prioritized and when?
How intensive should the training process be?
How should native language skills be developed?
How to prepare mentors to coach early-career professionals? How to advance junior translators and interpreters?
What evidence is there to inform the best training pathways?
What research needs to be done in this area?
How and when should work experience be integrated into training?
What is the best ratio between study and practice?
How to maximize the benefits of internships, traineeships, and booth practice for all parties?

Russian as the Primary Language of Communication across the CIS

Russian as a means for promoting Russia’s indigenous cultures
Russian as indigenous nations’ gateway to literary excellence
Russian as a tool of diplomacy across the CIS
Variations of Russian outside Russia and potential for collaboration
Russian as a catalyst for the development of national media

The Social Competencies of the Interpreter/Translator

How have the roles of translators and interpreters evolved in the changing world? Is there a new normal and what does it look like?
What new social competencies are translators and interpreters expected to demonstrate in the new realities?
How can the T&I training ecosystem foster social competencies?

Promoting Russian Culture through Foreign Languages in the 21st Century

International languages as a key to understanding and promoting foreign cultures
Modern bilingualism and the quality of language in communication
Cross-cultural communication in search of a balance between globalization and localization
Second-language literature and the personality of the second-language writer

The Future of the Profession: Bridging the Gap between the Academia and the World of Work

Beyond internships and traineeships, how it is possible to bridge the gap between the academia and the workplace?
What vision do we have for the future of the T&I profession?