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Have you heard about the Imperial College TS closure?
Thread poster: Izabela Szczypka
Izabela Szczypka
Izabela Szczypka  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 19:33
English to Polish
+ ...
Jan 21, 2013

Sounds incredible, but...
http://www.change.org/petitions/petition-against-the-transferral-or-closure-of-the-translation-studies-unit?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=url_share&utm_campaign=url_share_before_sign
 
Oliver Walter
Oliver Walter  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:33
German to English
+ ...
Translation Studies at Imperial College: (a) press release, (b) self-contradiction Feb 4, 2013

I was one of the students in the first year of this course (2001-2).
The Translation Studies Unit issued this press release on 21 January:

IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON TRANSLATION STUDIES UNIT UNDER THREAT – SEE http://chn.ge/VN225L

Translation studies at Imperial College London could soon become a thing of the past.

Imperial’s Management Board is seriously considering di... See more
I was one of the students in the first year of this course (2001-2).
The Translation Studies Unit issued this press release on 21 January:

IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON TRANSLATION STUDIES UNIT UNDER THREAT – SEE http://chn.ge/VN225L

Translation studies at Imperial College London could soon become a thing of the past.

Imperial’s Management Board is seriously considering disbanding the Translation Studies Unit from October 2013 – not because of poor performance or high costs, but because it lacks ‘strategic fit’.

The TSU, which runs highly popular and successful MSc and PhD programmes in scientific, technical and medical translation, has been informed that it may be forced to down tools and move to another university – or close outright – simply because its work is not properly recognised by the institution where it is based.

The College argues that the unit does not fit in with its strategic aims and mission statement. However a careful reading of these two documents indicates that it matches them point by point. The unit’s MSc focuses closely on conveying scientific and medical knowledge across languages and cultures, and is one of the only programmes worldwide to offer such targeted training to tomorrow’s specialised translators.

Indeed, the programme is unique to the College and unlike all other Masters degrees in translation, most of which focus on general or literary rather than scientific types of translation. PhD students research relevant topics and the academic staff publish work on scientific and medical translation, translation technology and audiovisual translation.

Staff, students, alumni and wellwishers are up in arms about the proposals, which if given the go-ahead would see the unit being forced to look for a new home – or closing down entirely should this prove impossible.

A 30-day consultation period commenced on 18 January, during which time it is hoped that as many people as possible will make their views felt about this incomprehensible and potentially destructive plan. Already the unit’s online petition (http://chn.ge/VN225L) has attracted over 2,500 signatures in little more than 48 hours and is growing by the hour.
-------------- end of press release ------------

--------- and an apparent self-contradiction -----------------
Imperial College's own "strategy" document, which can be seen here:
https://workspace.imperial.ac.uk/planning/Public/Strategy/01_Strategy_2010-14.pdf

in fact implies that translation should be an important part of its activities:
Words beginning with "translat" occur more than 20 times in that strategy
document, but usually with the slightly limited meaning of "communicating
and disseminating".

However, page 14 (page 14 as seen by the PDF reader; pages 24 and 25 as
defined in the document itself) does state:
"Our definition of translation encompasses all forms of knowledge
transfer". It's hard to see how translating technical documents between
languages cannot be considered to be part of this!

and, in the same paragraph:
"innovative in widening the overall reach and impact of our work –
both in the UK and internationally."
The list of "strategic aims" (also page 14 / 25) includes "To find
innovative ways to extend the reach and impact of all our work."

The next page (15 or 26) begins "The College encourages external users,
experts and practitioners in the field to bring their insights and
experience into its research, education and translation activities." The
current proposal therefore means that the College's "translation
activities" do not include translation itself!

Is this yet another example of translating being thought of as simply "typing in another language"?

If you use Google with the search phrase
imperial college translation
you can find a number of places and institutions that are opposed to this transfer or closure.

Oliver ▲ Collapse
 
Izabela Szczypka
Izabela Szczypka  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 19:33
English to Polish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
I've just received an update Feb 28, 2013

"The Management Board met on 22nd February and reviewed the feedback gathered from staff, students and external interested parties on the future of the Translation Studies Unit (TSU). The Board decided that new research activities in TSU would not continue but reaffirmed the commitment to existing students. The Board agreed to commission an external adviser to review the current portfolio of PhD research and to recommend how individual students and their studies may be best supported to conclusi... See more
"The Management Board met on 22nd February and reviewed the feedback gathered from staff, students and external interested parties on the future of the Translation Studies Unit (TSU). The Board decided that new research activities in TSU would not continue but reaffirmed the commitment to existing students. The Board agreed to commission an external adviser to review the current portfolio of PhD research and to recommend how individual students and their studies may be best supported to conclusion. It is envisaged that the recommendations from this PhD review would be reported to the June meeting of the Management Board. During the period between February and June further information and options for the other activities carried out by TSU would be gathered and also considered by Management Board at the June meeting. It was agreed that no decisions on the future of TSU (outside the ceasing of research activities) would be made until this further information had been considered. There would be no intake of new students at MSc or PhD pending the June review." ▲ Collapse
 


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Have you heard about the Imperial College TS closure?






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