CTS Surrey

15/10/2026

CTS Convergence Lecture: Sanjun Sun - 'One Source, Many Translations: Corpus-Based Research in the AI Era'

Date & Time: Wednesday 21st October, 4pm UK time

Link: Register now 037a5203-ed16-4618-947a-0c848e00517d@6b902693-1074-40aa-9e21-d89446a2ebb5?source=copyLinkLegacyShareLinkDialog" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/037a5203-ed16-4618-947a-0c848e00517d@6b902693-1074-40aa-9e21-d89446a2ebb5?source=copyLinkLegacyShareLinkDialog

Abstract: Artificial intelligence is making corpus-based translation research more accessible. This talk explores what multiple translations of the same source reveal about translation choices, translator style and quality. Drawing on Chinese–English examples, it presents a research workflow covering corpus building, alignment, annotation, quantitative analysis and qualitative interpretation. It also examines how large language models can generate translation variants for study, and whether more versions mean greater diversity. An empirical case highlights contrasting student preferences: some favour the version they consider the most idiomatic Chinese, while others prefer one that reads like a translation. These judgments raise questions about readers’ expectations and translation quality criteria. The talk shows how AI-assisted multiple-translation research can connect textual variation with evaluative differences, while retaining human validation and methodological transparency.

Bio: Sanjun Sun is Professor of Translation Studies and Chair of the
Department of Translation and Interpreting at Beijing Foreign Studies
University. His research interests include cognitive translation studies,
empirical research methods and translation technology, with current work
focusing on multiple translations and AI-assisted corpus analysis. He is
co-editor of Translation Studies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (Routledge, 2025) and editor of the Chinese journal Fanyi Jie (Translation Horizons).

30/09/2026

2026 CPD course: Interpreting and AI
Are you a or looking to deepen your understanding of , explore its applications and consider how it may affect your professional practice?
You can now register for our upcoming Interpreting & AI course, delivered by the Centre for Translation Studies at the University of Surrey in collaboration with the Institute of Translation and Interpreting.

Our Interpreting & AI course:
🗓 Starts 15 October 2026
⏰ 8 weekly sessions: Thursdays, 17:00–18:30
📚 Topics include AI concepts, AI-assisted interpreting, assignment preparation, real-time multilingual workflows, and risks and ethical considerations.
🔗 https://www.iti.org.uk/training/events-calendar/interpreting-and-ai-oct2026.html

Whether you're curious about AI, cautiously observing it or already experimenting with it in your workflow, understanding its possibilities and limitations is becoming increasingly important for language professionals.
Our aim is to help translators and interpreters engage with AI critically, practically and confidently.

11/09/2026

2026–27 CPD courses: AI for Interpreters and Translators
Are you a translator or interpreter looking to deepen your understanding of AI, explore its applications and consider how it may affect your professional practice?
You can now register for our upcoming Interpreting & AI and Translation & AI courses, delivered by the Centre for Translation Studies at the University of Surrey in collaboration with the Institute of Translation and Interpreting.

Our Interpreting & AI course:
🗓 Starts 15 October 2026
⏰ 8 weekly sessions: Thursdays, 17:00–18:30
📚 Topics include AI concepts, AI-assisted interpreting, assignment preparation, real-time multilingual workflows, and risks and ethical considerations.
🔗 https://www.iti.org.uk/training/events-calendar/interpreting-and-ai-oct2026.html

Our Translation & AI course:
🗓 Starts 29 January 2027
⏰ 8 weekly sessions: Fridays, 14:00–15:30
📚 Topics include the risks of AI, LLMs and prompting, neural machine translation, and the impact of AI on the translation profession.
🔗 https://www.iti.org.uk/training/events-calendar/translation-ai-jan2027.html

These courses will now be offered once a year, alongside the development of new advanced AI courses, which we hope to launch in Spring 2027. So, if you are interested in attending Translation & AI or Interpreting & AI, we encourage you to book onto this upcoming cohort. Whether you're curious about AI, cautiously observing it or already experimenting with it in your workflow, understanding its possibilities and limitations is becoming increasingly important for language professionals.
Our aim is to help translators and interpreters engage with AI critically, practically and confidently.

20/05/2026

| 💻 Online participation – Convergence Conference 2026 |

Following several requests, we are now happy to announce that you can also attend our as an online participant 🥳

Online attendees will be able to view all our scheduled paper presentations, keynote talks by leading experts, and panel discussions via our streaming platform. They will have the opportunity to ask questions using our online Q&A, thus learning from and contributing to the world of Translation Studies 💡

See you (either virtually or in person) in June!

🔗 Register here: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/centre-translation-studies/convergence-2026/registration

🔗 For more information about the conference, including important dates, programme details, and registration fees, see: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/centre-translation-studies/convergence-2026

21/04/2026

| ⏰ Early Registration Deadline Approaching – Convergence Conference 2026 |

There’s still time to secure the early registration rate for , but the deadline is fast approaching 👀

Join researchers, professionals and T&I students at the University of Surrey for an exciting conference on the intersection of , , communication and !

📅 Early registration deadline: 30 April 2026

🔗 Full registration details and fees are available here: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/centre-translation-studies/convergence-2026/registration

We look forward to welcoming you to beautiful Surrey 🦌 for Convergence 2026!

07/04/2026

| 📢 Call for Abstracts – Convergence Conference 2026 |

Building on the success of the first Convergence conference in 2023, we are now counting down to Convergence 2026.
As AI technologies continue to advance at an extraordinary pace, this conference will bring together researchers and practitioners to reflect on the opportunities, challenges and responsibilities that come with AI-driven tools in the context of multilingual and accessible language mediation.

We welcome 400-word abstract submissions addressing recent developments and emerging challenges in the field. Formats include oral presentations and posters.
📄 Submit your abstract: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/GdxJTgy1CG

📅 Important dates
• Abstract submission deadline: 3 May 2026
• Notification of acceptance: 17 May 2026
• Invitation to submit full papers: 1 July 2026
• Full paper submission deadline: 1 September 2026

🔎 Conference themes include:
• Ethical aspects of AI in translation and interpreting
• AI-enabled digital accessibility and societal inclusion
• Creativity and language mediation in the era of Generative AI
• The evolving role of language professionals in the era of AI
• Large Language Models supporting multilingual communication
• Responsible use of language AI in the public sector

ℹ️ Learn more about the conference and themes:
https://www.surrey.ac.uk/centre-translation-studies/convergence-2026

We look forward to bringing together a multidisciplinary community to discuss how human expertise and AI can shape the future of and .

31/03/2026

| Celebrating 40 Years of Excellence in Translator Education – Webinar recording now available |

🎉 A big thank you to everyone who joined our webinar celebrating the 40th anniversary of our MA in Translation.

It was a pleasure to welcome so many participants and to hear such insightful perspectives from our fantastic speakers on the future of the profession and the skills needed by the next generation of language professionals.

📺 Missed the webinar or want to watch it again?
You can now watch the full recording on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHeCSA4zjZ4

The translation industry has long been an early adopter of technology. From electronic dictionaries and language corpora to integrating CAT tools and machine...

16/03/2026

| 2026 Spring CPD courses: AI for Translators and Interpreters |

Are you a or looking to enhance your understanding of AI, explore its applications and its impact on your professional practice?

🔗 You can now register for our second round of 2026 courses, delivered in collaboration with the Institute of Translation and Interpreting and taught by leading academics and industry professionals from our centre: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/centre-translation-studies/continuing-professional-development

Our Interpreting & AI course:
🗓 Starts 23rd of April and ends 11th of June
⏰ 8 weekly sessions: Thursdays 5:00 – 6:30pm GMT
📚 Topics include:
• Introduction to AI
• Integrating AI into assignment preparation and live workflows
• Research insights
• Risks and ethical considerations
• And much more

🔗 Learn more about dates & fees here: https://www.iti.org.uk/training/events-calendar/interpreting-ai-spring2026.html

Our Translation & AI course:
🗓 Starts 24th of April and ends 3rd July
⏰ 10 weekly sessions: Fridays 2:00 – 3:30pm GMT
📚 Topics include:
• Risks and limitations of AI
• Creativity and AI
• The impact of AI on the translation profession
• And much more

🔗 Learn more about dates & fees here: https://www.iti.org.uk/training/events-calendar/translation-ai-spring2026.html

Whether you’re curious about AI, cautiously observing it or already experimenting with it in your workflow, one thing is clear: understanding it is becoming essential for language professionals.
These courses are designed specifically for translators and interpreters who want to engage with AI critically, practically, as well as confidently. Rather than focusing on hype, the goal is to help professionals make informed decisions about when, how and whether AI should play a role in their work.

03/03/2026

| Celebrating 40 Years of Excellence in Translator Education – Join our 40th Anniversary Webinar |

Studying Translation in the Age of AI – Why and How?

📅 Wednesday, 25 March 2026
⏰ 14:00–15:30 GMT
💻 Online (Free webinar)
🔗 Register here: 6fc06c38-5ca1-468f-b93e-59b527c7c9a3@6b902693-1074-40aa-9e21-d89446a2ebb5" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/6fc06c38-5ca1-468f-b93e-59b527c7c9a3@6b902693-1074-40aa-9e21-d89446a2ebb5

The translation industry has long been an early adopter of technology. From electronic dictionaries and language corpora to integrating CAT tools and machine translation into professional practice, translators have worked at the forefront of innovation for decades.
But today, the debate feels more polarised than ever:
❓ Will AI replace translators?
❓ Or has there never been a more exciting time to join the profession?

Despite the hype surrounding AI, critical language tasks continue to depend on expert human judgement. Professional communication in medical care, law, diplomacy and international policy leaves no margin for error. Creative content demands cultural nuance that machines cannot normally achieve. Global product marketing requires sophisticated localisation strategies. And the development of AI language models, too, depends on specialists who understand how language works across contexts and cultures.

As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of our MA in Translation, we invite you to an exclusive webinar to explore the skills that will define the next generation of language professionals.

🎙 Our invited speakers (both experts from academia and the industry) will explore:

👉 Why translation matters more than ever – socially, culturally, economically
👉 The role of AI – how AI is reshaping (but not replacing) the profession
👉 Employer expectations – what skills and profiles industry leaders are looking for
👉 The postgraduate edge – how a Master’s degree equips you for careers in multilingual, communication, localisation, language technology and beyond.

27/02/2026

| 🎓 MSc + PhD scholarships in AI-enabled Digital Accessibility (ADA) |

As part of the Network we are pleased to announce that for the first time we have Master’s plus PhD available for applicants who would like to complete an MSc degree at CTS before starting their PhD in the ADA Network.

Successful applicants, who meet funder criteria, will be eligible for a studentship which covers Master’s fees, and PhD fees and stipend at UKRI’s standard domestic rate.

This is an exciting opportunity to apply for a fully-funded pathway from Master’s to PhD in the ADA Network.

🎓 fully funded plus scholarships (1+3 years) | 🔗 https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=kyaQa3QQqkCeIdiURqLrtbxEnvc7xFNAvr9pHYgupRtURUZWNzZGWVo5VVNJQjdRODk3M0dDUTJZVC4u&route=shorturl

🦌 You can learn more about ADA here: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/leverhulme-doctoral-scholarships-network-ai-enabled-digital-accessibility-ada