Theme

Looking Back...

...and Looking Forward!

In the summer of 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed ending WWI, giving birth to the League of Nations and the International Labour Office, ushering in a new era of multilateral diplomacy and - owing to the rise of English as an international language - establishing the need for conference interpreters. Over the past century, conference interpreting has evolved to become a recognized profession with its own vibrant community of practitioners, researchers and trainers.

On October 3 & 4, 2019, the FTI joins the ILO in celebrating their centenary by co-hosting an event around the theme “Looking back and looking forward!” to take stock of the most noteworthy achievements of the past and critically discuss the most prominent challenges of the future in conference interpreting practice, research and training.

Following the multilateral tradition, the event will provide ample room for participatory debate. The three themes – practice, research and training – will each be introduced by a keynote presentation, followed by an expert panel discussion and informed by presentations.

Whether you are a practicing professional, a trainer of conference interpreters or a researcher studying interpreters and interpreting, you’ll want to be a part of this unique event.

Pictures courtesy of ILO