University College Cork hosts major European conference on the future of translation and multilingualism

• Experts examined the future of translation, the impact of Artificial Intelligence and multilingual communication in Europe.
• Delegates from more than 24 countries explored access and innovation in postgraduate translator education and professional practice.

The future of translation in Europe, and the critical role of multilingualism, access and language rights in an evolving digital society, were at the centre of a major international event at University College Cork (UCC) this week.

Hosted by the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at UCC, Translation, Access and Multilingual Futures: Perspectives from Ireland brought together more than 150 delegates from across Europe for the European Master’s in Translation (EMT) Network Meeting, a two-day conference exploring the changing landscape of translation education, research and professional practice.

The European Master’s in Translation (EMT) is a quality label for university translation programmes at master’s level, created by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation (DG Translation). The EMT label is awarded to 81 programmes offered by 79 universities that meet agreed professional standards and reflect current market needs.

The event welcomed representatives from EMT member universities, European institutions and translation specialists working across academia and industry.

The opening day colloquium focused on the linguistic landscape of Ireland and wider questions of multilingual futures, with sessions exploring minoritised languages in Ireland and beyond, language rights, and questions of access and inclusion in multilingual societies.

The second day’s EMT Network Meeting was chaired by Christos Ellinides, Director-General and Chairman of the EMT Board, Directorate-General for Translation (DGT), European Commission (EC).

Discussions addressed some of the most pressing developments shaping the future of translation and translator training, including microcredentials and the European Skills Portability Initiative, the development of a European evaluation dataset for large language models through an EMT student-driven localisation initiative, AI literacy and deskilling awareness in translation, and the exchange of innovative teaching practices across the network.

Professor Helena Buffery, Head of UCC School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, said: “Hosting the EMT Network Meeting at UCC highlights the central importance of multilingualism, translation and language access in contemporary European society. At a time of rapid technological change, translation studies and translator education are evolving in exciting and challenging ways. This event created an important space for dialogue between universities, institutions and practitioners working to shape multilingual futures that are inclusive, innovative and socially responsive.”

“As the current EMT Chair, Christos Ellinides, reminded us: translators are and should be at the heart of developing ethical and trustworthy Large Language Models, bringing with them a vision of translation as a force for good in the world that enables democratic communication, understanding and access for all,” Professor Buffery said.

Translation Studies at UCC

Translation Studies at UCC is a leading interdisciplinary area within the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, bringing together expertise in translator training, translation technologies, cultural translation and professional practice.

At its centre is the MA in Translation Studies, which equips students with the linguistic, cultural and technological skills required for careers in professional translation and multilingual communication. As part of the European Master’s in Translation (EMT) Network, the programme holds a recognised quality label awarded to courses that meet the highest professional and industry standards.

Masters students can specialise in translation between English and one or two of the following languages: Chinese, French, German, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish. Learn more

UCC’s strength in languages and cultures is reflected in its international standing, with Modern Languages ranked in the Top 150 globally in the QS World University Rankings.