About the department
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.
Acquire Skills in T & I
We 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.
Combining Theory with Practice
For 30 years, the Department of Translation and Interpreting has an outstanding track record in combining theory with practice. The curriculum and course content accommodates for market’s realities and demands through practicing professionals as part-time instructors.
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.
Proud moment for TRIN
TRIN Students Receive Award in 2023 Young Translators Contest
The Certificate Ceremony of the Directorate for EU Affairs “Young Translators Competition” was held at the Directorate on 16 April 2024. The aim of this year’s competition, organized for the twelfth time, is to increase awareness about universities and young translators preparing for careers related to Turkey’s accession process to the European Union (EU) and to contribute to the development of well-trained professionals in this field. The competition drew 125 students from 41 universities. Certificates of achievement were awarded to 14 successful young translators by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs, Ambassador Mehmet Kemal BOZAY.
Göktürk Sina Köme, a fourth-year student, secured the first prize in French-Turkish translation, showcasing his exceptional linguistic and translation skills as well as his comprehensive knowledge of the field. Moreover, Ece Bilgen, another fourth-year student received honorable mention in the same language pair contributing to the department’s legacy in outstanding trilingual training in translation and interpretation. Bilkent University congratulates its students on their outstanding achievements.
It is with great pride that we announce the achievement of one of our own students, Giray Başbuğ. Giray recently unveiled his translation book, which is a collection of poetry from the English Renaissance. Inspired by its eloquent poetics, the book features major poets of the period such as Thomas Wyatt, Edmund Spenser, and Samuel Daniel, as well as granting a unique perspective to Philip Sidney and William Shakespeare through retranslations, including the second Turkish translation of the narrative poem A Lover’s Complaint.
Congratulations to Giray Başbuğ on this remarkable accomplishment, and may his work keep inspiring and connecting with literature enthusiasts.
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News from the department
21.02.2024 – Wednesday / The TRIN Department recently hosted its first mock conference for our senior interpreting-track students with the participation of two of our distinguished graduates: Zeynep Benli (TRIN, 2004) and Anıl Uzunboy (TRIN, 2014). Currently, Ms. Benli serves as a project manager and Mr. Uzunboy as a project assistant at ICMPD: The International Centre for Migration Policy Development. During this event, our students had the opportunity to engage as interpreters, gaining firsthand insight in migration and human trafficking. The performance of our students were highly praised by our guests, and we extend our sincere gratitude for their valuable contributions and insightful feedback.
Bidding farewell to CINT graduates
Programme Coordinator Ebru Kanık (middle) with programme instructors: Yiğit Bener, Aslı Alanat Kılıç, Zeynep Şengel, Kutlay Bensan and our students: Sefa Emre İlikli and İsmail Antoine Ülkü. July 2023.
We are delighted to proudly announce the success of the students from the Master’s in Conference Interpreting program. After three intensive semesters of rigorous training and dedicated practice, our students have successfully passed the final jury examination. Their dedication, hard-work, and perseverance are truly inspiring.
News from the staff
March 2024 – Hacettepe University French Cultural Community (Communauté Culturelle Française) invited our instructor Güçlü Özkök to their seminar on French literature, literary translation and particularly, children’s literature.
He shared valuable insights on translating specific genres like children’s literature and comics. His expertise in language intricacies, cultural nuances, and storytelling techniques enriched the symposium, providing attendees with a deeper understanding of the challenges and creative opportunities in translating these unique genres.
December 2023 – Green Digital Accessibility Conference, Barcelona / The second edition of the GDA focused on bridging the gap in knowledge in accessibility and environmental sustainability, drawing together experts in the fields of media, accessibility, technology, environmental studies and education.
Our instructor Zeynep Şengel presented the preliminary findings of her research titled: How meaningful is “can anybody hear me” during a disaster? By conducting interviews with key stakeholders, namely the chairperson of the Association of Turkish Sign Language Interpreters and the Turkish National Federation of the Deaf, the study aims to gain firsthand insights into the experiences and difficulties encountered by the deaf and HoH community in terms of accessibility during a natural disaster.
February 2024 – Dr. Duman participated as a trainer in the “Training on Mental Healthcare Interpreting” in Gaziantep, Turkey (7-9/02/2024) as part of the SIHHAT-II Project, funded by the European Union and executed by the Ministry of Health in Turkey. The training aims at improving interculturall communication in mental healthcare and psychosocial support through patient guides at Migrant Health Centers and Migrant Mental Healthcare Centers currently operational in 27 provinces of Turkey.
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