Doha: Translation and Interpreting Institute (TII) of Hamad bin Khalifa University will hold its fifth Annual International Translation Conference at from April 13 to 15 at Qatar National Convention Centre.
The event, sponsored by Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, is set to attract a broad range of audiences.
It will include two keynote addresses, four interactive panels, two seminars and workshops.
Dr Abdeslam Benabdelali, Moroccan scholar and Professor at Mohammed V University, will analyse the concept of translation and identity on April 13, and Dr Barbara Michalak-Pikulska, Head of the Arabic Department and Director of Institute of Oriental Studies, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, will discuss ‘Arabic Literature through Polish Eyes’ on April 14.
Panels will focus on this year’s overall theme ‘Global Translation Flows’, with each session covering a complementing topic, including ‘Systems and New Models of Translation’, ‘Translation and Cultural Flows’, ‘The Representation of Local Events in Global Media’ and ‘Translating Rhetorical Devices and Autobiography’.
Four graduate students from TII’s Master in Translation Studies programme will present their projects, highlighting topics concerning translation, such as ‘Translating Implicit Language and Metaphor in Very Short Stories from Arabic to English: Examples from Zakaria Tamer’s Facebook Page, Al Mihmaz’, ‘Aboulela’s Faith from the Beginning: Translating Autobiography in a Changing Register’, ‘Qatari Culture (Under)Represented? Analysing Subtitles of the First Qatari Feature Film Clockwise’ and ‘Translating Narrative Theory: Towards More Collaborative Debate between Theorists and Practitioners’.
The forum has introduced seminars for the first time and Dr Stephan Vogel from Qatar Computing Research Institute will speak on ‘Machine Translation – Friend or Foe’ on April 13 and Gilles Gauthier, Counsellor to the president of Arab World Institute, Paris, will host a seminar on ‘Reflecting on Translation as a Civilisation’ on April 14.
Experts in translation and interpreting will lead workshops on medical translation, media translation, simultaneous interpreting, consecutive interpreting, and translation of political discourse.
Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing will also conduct two workshops on literary translation, led by experienced literary translators and prominent authors. These workshops will require pre-registration via TII’s website.
The closing session on April 15 will be chaired by Dr Moneera Al Ghadeer, Director of Postgraduate Studies and Research, TII.
Discussion will highlight the translation revival in the GCC and globally.
Scholars attending the closing session include, Dr Benabdelali from Mohammed V University-Agdal, Prof Fayza ElQasem from École Supérieure d’Interprétariat et de Traduction (Paris), Prof Wail Hassan from New York University-Abu Dhabi, Inaam Kachachi, Paris-based correspondent for Asharq Al Awsat and Kol Al Usra, and Nariman Youssef from Qatar Foundation Partnership with the British Library.
Details of the conference are available at www.tii.qa/conference. Early registration for workshops is encouraged due to limited space.
The keynote addresses, panel discussions and seminars are open to the public.
The Peninsula
