Convergence: human-machine integration in translation and interpreting

1 to 3 February 2023 in Guildford, UK. 

About the conference

This year, the University of Surrey’s Centre for Translation Studies celebrates its 40th anniversary since its foundation. To mark this occasion, and as a natural progression from the Convergence lecture series, CTS is proud to announce its first Convergence conference. This conference is an opportunity to bring together innovative research that reflects on the complexity of contexts and the effects of the use of digital and AI-driven technologies in translation and interpreting. 

In a globalised society and economy, few people remain unaffected by the design and delivery of language services. As the demand for these services increases, the use of technologies adds new layers of complexity to the processes of translation and interpreting, calling for innovative and adaptive multidisciplinary approaches. The ‘technological turn’ in translation and interpreting requires all stakeholders to develop a better understanding of the impact and potential of translation and interpreting technologies, and of the products and services they facilitate. This understanding will help mitigate obstacles and barriers, driving genuine innovation that harnesses the full potential of the digital transformation and the ‘AI revolution’. 

The broad aim of the Convergence conference is to promote responsible and smart integration of the capabilities of human agents and machines in the fields of translation and interpreting, embedded in a multidisciplinary framework that enables the generation of new theoretical perspectives and practices of research. Our point of focus is the integration of research on human, machine-assisted, semi-automated, and fully automated translation and interpreting workflows, exploring the crucial role each workflow can play in supporting effective global and local communication, and in building a sustainable society. 

Panels

The conference will consist of a series of individually tailored thematic sessions, each bringing together experts who will discuss innovative perspectives, new empirical approaches, and an analysis of use cases for the most advanced language technologies. The planned themes of the conference are: 

Schedule (GMT / UK time)

1 February (morning) 

1 February (afternoon) 

2 February (morning) 

2 February (afternoon) 

3 February (morning) 

Detailed programme (PDF file)

Convergence - Detailed programme (PDF)

Photos from the conference