About TRIN
For 30 years, the Department of Translation and Interpreting has an outstanding track record in translation and interpreting. The degree program in Translation and Interpretation trains translators and interpreters in Turkish, English and French. It is dedicated to providing students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the evolving and challenging field of translation and interpretation.
Our curriculum combines theoretical and practical knowledge to equip our students with the necessary toolkit in light of the existing demands of the field. The curriculum is designed to introduce a building block approach towards acquisition of translation and interpreting skills. Our course offerings include a wide range of topics, from basic translation and interpreting courses to advanced courses supplemented with courses aimed at enriching general knowledge and world know-how of the students such as culture, technology, international institutions, diction and Turkish language. Specialized courses such as note-taking, consecutive interpreting, translation of texts on economy, law, current affairs, technology, literature etc. are also given all the while to help students find their passion in this field, and guide them accordingly.
We also offer a variety of electives to help students tailor their education to their individual interests and career goals. The staff at Department of Translation and Interpretation is committed to providing a constructive and enabling learning environment for all students. promote critical thinking about language use, translation and interpreting while encouraging an understanding of the various factors involved in these processes. We offer a variety of courses from fundamental concepts to advanced skills in translation and interpreting. These cover research, text and discourse analysis, communication and presentation skills, comprehension, reformulation, production techniques as well as translation and interpreting skills in various fields.
Pedagogical materials along with authentic resources, speeches are used to simulate various translation and interpreting challenges. Students learn to use innovative software such as computer-assisted translation and interpreting, machine translation, and corpora. Mock conferences also provide a milieu for students to practice actual preparation and performance skills while others develop their world knowledge through listening experts in various fields.
Summer PracticeAnnouncement
Students with mandatory summer practice must have their Letter of Acceptance completed and stamped by the institution/employer, and upload it to the STS system by July 15, 2025, at the latest
Please click here to download the Letter of Acceptance.
For detailed information about Summer Practice, please click here.
Join us for Capstone Poster Presentations!
TRIN senior students will present their Capstone project posters (in English and French). Over the course of the semester, they have learned key research methodologies and successfully submitted research project proposals in English, as well as revues de littérature in French. Their work explores a diverse range of topics spanning technology, sociology, pedagogy, art, and accessibility with a particular focus on how these areas intersect with translation and interpreting.
We look forward to everyone’s participation in this event, where you’ll have the opportunity to engage with the students’ projects, ask questions, and join us in celebrating their hard work. Snacks will be served.
📅Date: 27 May 2025, Tuesday
🕣Time: 12:30
📌Venue: TRIN Department, 1st Floor
New TRIN Member
We are delighted to welcome Dr. Esmaeill Kalantari to our department.
Dr. Kalantari has experience working as a researcher at the Department of Human Sciences, Arts and Communication at TÉLUQ University, Montréal, Canada. His research focuses on the intersections of journalism and translation, and in particular, on news translation. His work has appeared in such journals as Meta: Translators’ Journal, The Translator, and Journalism. His research interests include journalistic translation, media translation and public opinion in electoral contexts, citizen journalism and activism in translation practice, and political discourse in translation.
Bilkent to host AUF’s “Ma Thèse“ in June 2025
Bilkent University will host Turkey’s first national “Ma Thèse” in 180 seconds competition. The aims of the competition are to encourage young researchers to popularize their research work; raise awareness of the importance of dialogue between science and society; offer them direct contact with the public and promote scientific communication and research.
For more information please click here.
Looking forward to seeing you on June 17!
Success in 2025 Young Translators Contest
We are proud to announce that our senior student, Deniz Aşılıpınar, ranked third in the French track of the 2025 Young Translators Contest of the Directorate for EU Affairs
The contest, which has been organized traditionally for thirteen years, aims to raise awareness among universities and aspiring young translators about Turkey’s EU accession process and to contribute to the development of a qualified workforce in this field. This year, 150 students from 45 universities participated by translating a text from EU legislation.
We warmly congratulate Deniz on this outstanding achievement and wish her continued success in her future endeavors.
For more information please click here.
TRIN Graduate Webinar: From Flintstones to AI: Years of Interpreting, What Really Changed
On April 24, 2025, the Department of Translation and Interpretation successfully hosted the online graduate seminar “From Flintstones to AI: Interpreting Through the Ages – What Has Really Changed?” Organized under the coordination of the Graduate Program, the event brought together 110 participants, including Bilkent students and faculty, students from other universities, and professionals from the field.
The webinar opened with remarks from Zeynep Şengel, Graduate Program Coordinator and Dr. Duygu Duman, Head of Department. Rector Prof. Aydoğan honored the event with his presence, delivering a welcome address to the audience. Prof. Şirin Okyayuz, Founding Coordinator of the Master’s Program in Conference Interpreting and Head of the Department of Translation and Interpretation at Hacettepe University, offered a historical overview of the program’s history and its ripple effect on interpreter training and the profession itself. Ms. Manuela Brovarone, Head of Unit for Talent Development at the Directorate-General for Interpretation, European Commission, also honored the event with her participation. She provided valuable insights into the interpreter profile sought by EU institutions, the working environments interpreters are placed in, the EU’s position as the largest employer of interpreters, the standards of excellence required in training, and the European Commission’s current approach to technological developments in the field.
The program featured TED-style talks by Barışcan Yılmaz, a current CINT graduate student, and Yiğit Bener, Conference Interpreter and Instructor at Bilkent University – the former offering an inquisitive reflection on the human touch in interpreting, drawing analogies from agriculture and computers, and the latter sharing his personal journey of becoming an instructor in the evolving landscape of interpreting.
A key highlight of the event was the panel discussion “Conference Interpreting in Transformation: Evolving Practices and Professional Realities,” Panelists included Ebru Kanık, Conference Interpreter, Trainer, and Former Program Coordinator; Aslı Alanat Kılıç, Conference Interpreter and Trainer (Bilkent CINT ’09) and Eray Karakuzu, Parliamentary Interpreter, Government of Canada (Bilkent CINT ’10).
Throughout the discussion, participants explored the increasing role of technology in the interpreting field. Participants stressed the importance of staying informed about emerging technologies, experimenting with them responsibly, as is already incorporated in Bilkent’s curriculum, and exercising caution when considering their integration during live interpretation. A key takeaway was that, despite common misconceptions, no AI product currently exists for professional conference interpreting settings. Ethical concerns such as confidentiality, accountability, and sensitive language use were also highlighted, alongside worries about the rise of mediocrity in AI-generated content.
Prof. Aydoğan, Rector, honored the event with his presence, appreciating the department’s efforts to stay ahead of and engage with technological developments in translation and interpreting.
Simultaneous interpreting for the event was provided by CINT graduate students Barışcan Yılmaz, Göktürk S. Köme, and Öykü Naz Tez, under the coordination of Chief Interpreters Dilek Demirkol (Bilkent CINT ’09) and Safiye Bal Kuzucu (Bilkent CINT ’17). TRIN senior students Soner Kalın, Bilgesu Balcı and Deniz Aktaş provided technical support during the seminar.
Graduate students in action
Studying never ends for interpreters! Conference interpreters don’t always receive speeches in advance, so they conduct their own research to prepare for each assignment. While AI tools can assist in preparation to a certain extent, they still cannot replace the human interpreter’s contextual awareness and ability to align with the speaker’s intent with accuracy and nuance.
Bilkent at Interpreting Europe 2025
The Interpreting Europe Conference 2025, the flagship event of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Interpretation (DG SCIC), took place on February 6-7, 2025, in Brussels. The conference brought together interpreter trainers, professionals, and policymakers to discuss the evolving landscape of conference interpreting, including training methodologies, technological advancements, and the challenges of multilingual communication. Duygu Duman, Head of the Department and Zeynep Şengel, Graduate Program Coordinator represented the department, participated in discussions with fellow course leaders, sharing insights on interpreter education and the profession’s future.
Celebrating International Francophonie Day at Bilkent University
On March 21, 2025, TRIN students (Department of Translation and Interpretation, English & French) at Bilkent University came together to celebrate International Francophonie Day with a vibrant and memorable event, organized through the meticulous and dedicated efforts of Dr. Eyüp Özgür Özen.
The celebration featured a full program combining art, music, and linguistic appreciation. Students staged a play titled “La Vie est une Interprétation”, creatively reflecting the spirit of interpretation and cultural dialogue. This was followed by a mini-concert of beloved French songs, showcasing the students’ enthusiasm for French language and culture. Dr. Özen also delivered an engaging presentation on the playful and fascinating features of the French language, offering participants new perspectives on the richness of French linguistic traditions.
International Francophonie Day is celebrated each year on March 20, commemorating the establishment of the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT) in 1970 in Niamey, Niger. This agency laid the foundation for what would later become the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF). Celebrating Francophonie means recognizing the power of language and culture to bring people together, creating spaces of solidarity, understanding, and collective reflection on our shared future. As the writer Édouard Glissant so eloquently put it, French today is “decentred, multiplied, creolized,” spoken by nearly 300 million people across the globe.
