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APTIS25 Online Conference – “Better together: how can industry and academia collaborate to empower future language professionals” (UCL CenTraS)

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APTIS25 Online Conference at the UCL Centre for Translation Studies

(3–4 November 2025)

“Better Together”

How can industry and academia collaborate to empower future language professionals?

The APTIS25 Online Conference, organised by the UCL Centre for Translation Studies (CenTraS) will be held via Zoom Webinar on Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th November 2025. We warmly invite contributions and attendees from institutions and industry partners worldwide. The conference timings and schedule will be finalised based on attendee locations to accommodate participants from various time zones.

The APTIS25 Online Conference aims to acknowledge, recognise, and celebrate the growing importance of academia-industry collaborations in translation and interpreting education and professional language services in general.

Academia-industry collaboration is intrinsically linked to translation and interpreting teaching and research, and the many opportunities arising from such synergies have gained significant attention in recent years, especially in the face of ever-changing automation technologies[1].

The latest scholarship in translation and interpreting education suggests that higher-education institutions are becoming increasingly keen to foster academia-industry collaborations that make their programmes more robust and align them more closely with industry demands by, for instance, exposing translation trainees to current translation technologies, encouraging collaboration with translation companies, and focusing on the development of soft skills[2]. These studies underscore the need for innovative, learner-centred pedagogical approaches that aim to equip students with the skills necessary to thrive in a highly dynamic market that is subject to constant transformation. Scholars have looked into the sustainability of language, translation and interpreting professionals in response to disruptive workflows and working conditions[3]. Similarly, attention has been paid to emotions[4] and wellbeing[5] as well as practitioners’ perceptions of reward, resilience and sustainability within the language professions[6]. Despite the reportedly “little mutual trust”[7] between academia and industry, we contend that these partnerships can foster graduates’ employability and career avenues, which are key for the success of translation and interpreting programmes in the digital age[8].

The APTIS25 online conference will focus on how academics and industry partners can work together to support and shape the next generation of linguists, emphasising wellbeing, resilience, ethics, and enjoyment in the language professions.

We encourage those interested in submitting a paper to the APTIS25 online conference to bear in mind that contributions should meet at least three of the following four criteria:

  • Your contribution is co-authored and/or directly results from a collaboration between a member from academia (i.e. T&I training institution) and an industry partner
  • Your contribution falls under at least one of the themes or topics listed
  • Your contribution showcases or promotes the application of industry practices in education (or vice versa)
  • Your contribution is relevant to training the next generation of students for work in the language services industry.

We particularly welcome contributions that address collaborations viewed as essential for preparing students to meet 21st-century industry demands while fostering innovation, creativity and critical thinking, and which ultimately ensure the relevance of academia-industry partnerships. We are keen to hear from colleagues who have developed real-life applications and/or effective strategies for enhancing these collaborations and addressing the challenges arising from ever-changing industry and societal demands with regards to language, translation and interpreting services.

Submissions should address one or more of the following key themes/topics:

    • Ergonomics and linguists’ wellbeing
    • Teaching soft skills and resilience
    • Translation networks and support systems
    • Increasing employability of translation/interpreting graduates
    • The wellbeing of translation and interpreting educators/researchers
    • Diversification of the language profession(s) and sustainability
    • Diversity, equity, and inclusion in the translation and interpreting classrooms (embracing difference)
    • Situated learning and teaching experiences (including work placements)
    • Embedding professional practice in the classroom (including external speakers and practitioners who teach)
    • Support and career opportunities for students, personal (academic) tutees, and alumni networks
    • Educating clients, companies, and end users of translated content and interpretations
    • Ethical collaborations between industry and academia
    • “NextGen” linguists and translators
    • Enjoyment and rewards of the language professions (slow translation)

*New technologies, including language automation and AI, can be discussed in connection with any of the above themes.

Please kindly note that, although single authorship will be considered, we strongly encourage and will prioritise contributions that are co-authored by at least one member from an academic institution and one member from an industry partner. This requirement underscores our commitment to promoting academia-industry collaborations.

SUBMIT A PROPOSAL HERE

 

References

[1] Rodríguez de Céspedes, B., & Bawa Mason, S. (2022). AI and the big unknown: The changing epistemological landscapes of the translation profession and translator training. In K. Abels, S. Hansen-Schirra, K. Oster, M. J. Schaeffer, S. Signer, & M. Wiedmann (Eds.), Re-Thinking Translator Education: In Honour of Don Kiraly’s Social Constructivist Approach (Vol. 13, pp. 107-122). Frank & Timme.

[2] Massey, G., Piotrowska, M., & Marczak, M. (2023). Meeting evolution with innovation: An introduction to (re-)profiling T&I education. The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 17(2-3), 325-331. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750399X.2023.2237321

[3] Lambert, J., & Walker, C. (2024). Thriving or surviving: Motivation, satisfaction, and existential sustainability in the translation profession. Mikael: The Journal of Translation and Interpreting Research, 17(1), 89-104. https://doi.org/10.61200/mikael.136209

[4] Hubscher-Davidson, S. (2024). Psychological sustainability in the translation professions: Findings from two intervention studies. MikaEL – Finnish Journal of Translation and Interpreting Studies, 17(1), 3-25. https://doi.org/10.61200/mikael.135918

[5] Penet, J. C., & Fernandez-Parra, M. (2023). Dealing with students’ emotions: Exploring trait EI theory in translator education. The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 17(2-3), 332-352. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750399X.2023.2237327

[6] Lambert, J., & Walker, C. (2022). Because we’re worth it: Disentangling freelance translation, status, and rate-setting in the United Kingdom. Translation Spaces, 11(2), 277-302. https://doi.org/10.1075/ts.21030.lam

[7] Pym, A. (2020). For a Sociology of Translator Training. In: Zhao, J., Li, D., Tian, L. (eds) Translation Education. New Frontiers in Translation Studies. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7390-3_2.

[8] Rodríguez de Céspedes, B. (2017). Addressing employability and enterprise responsibilities in the translation curriculum. The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 11(2-3), 107-122. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750399X.2017.1344816

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