Translating and interpreting in the border triangle

On April 6 and 7, 2017, the international conference “Translation and Interpreting: Between Tradition and Innovation” took place. The event was hosted by the“Business and Languages” degree programme in the Faculty of Managerial and Cultural Studies.

Renowned linguists and translation scholars from Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany analyzed translation and interpreting from the perspective of modern applied sciences. More than half of the nearly 60 participants came from our Erasmus partner universities in Poland and the Czech Republic.

On the second day of the conference, our graduates, among others, shared their multifaceted professional experiences in interpreting and translation. The lively and engaging discussions continued beyond the end of the conference and carried on that same evening at our annual alumni reunion.

With the conference “Translation and Interpreting: Between Tradition and Innovation” on April 6–7, 2017, the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences presented itself:

• as a center for international academic exchange on translation and interpreting between the German language on the one hand and the global language ENGLISH, as well as the two neighboring languages CZECH and POLISH, on the other.
• as a platform for the personal exchange of ideas and numerous opportunities to make new contacts, whether with interpreters and translators or with potential clients in the region.
• With nearly 40 presentations aimed at all language mediators in our tri-border region, it serves as a key component of the region’s continuing education offerings.
• As a strong international partner, particularly due to our ERASMUS agreements. The numerous Polish and Czech conference participants know Zittau and Görlitz as attractive study locations for international student exchange as well as for international faculty mobility, where the strengths of the respective universities and our university benefit students on both sides. With this conference, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences continues to build its profile in the functional areas of expertise “Bridge to Poland, the Czech Republic, and MEO countries.”
• As a center of excellence in translation management for the regional economy, which still far too often puts its good name and competitiveness at risk with cheap, amateurish, and embarrassing translations.

For us as faculty members, this conference—with its combination of theory and practice—sparked stimulating discussions and provided fresh ideas for innovative teaching and practice-oriented research.