Translators and Interpreters: Experts for International Communication in Specialised Fields Conference

CALL FOR PAPERS

INTERPRETING THE FUTURE  

Translators and Interpreters: Experts for International Communication in

Specialised Fields

International Conference

hosted by the  

Bundesverband der Dolmetscher und  

Übersetzer e.V. (BDÜ)

Berlin, 28 – 30 September 2012

Encouraged by the success of the first conference, “Interpreting the Future”, which took place in
Berlin in September 2009 with around 1,600 people from over 40 countries attending, Germany’s
Federal Association of Interpreters and Translators (BDÜ) is planning a further three‐day
international conference for September 2012 on the subject of
Translators and Interpreters: Experts for International Communication in Specialised Fields.
Presentations, workshops, seminars, a trade exhibition, networking sessions and a job exchange
will be organised with the aim of bringing clients, authorities, university teachers, suppliers of
software tools, students and professional translators and interpreters closer together.
Interpreting and translating are expert activities, now more than ever before. The increasing
differentiation of disciplines and sectors of industry, and their corresponding terminologies, is also
requiring translators and interpreters to delve deeper and deeper into the subject of the texts they
are to translate or the matters they are to interpret. Pressure on prices and delivery schedules, and
rising quality standards, are also driving forces behind specialization: Translators who are experts in
the field or industry they address, and are familiar with its terminology, jargon and customs, can
deliver high quality translations at reasonable speed and are more likely to be regarded as equal
partners by their clients.

From 28 to 30 September 2012, the BDÜ will be hosting an international conference at the Henry
Ford Building of the Freie Universität Berlin to cast the spotlight on translating and interpreting as
expert professions and examine the challenges to be overcome in different specialisations.
Presentations and discussions will be simultaneously interpreted into German, English and French.
At seminars and workshops, language professionals will be able to study various specialisations,
bring their knowledge up to date or find out more about a specialisation they may be considering.
At the accompanying trade exhibition, the participants will be able to acquaint themselves with the
latest reference works, information management tools, translation memory systems and services for
translators and interpreters. In networking sessions and at the job exchange, interested language
professionals will be able to introduce themselves to prestigious companies and institutions and
make direct contact with potential clients and colleagues specialised in the same or complementary
fields.

Experts from the translating and interpreting professions and from the disciplines and industries
listed below are invited to submit proposals for presentations, seminars or workshops on the
following topics by 31 October 2011. Interpreters and translators as experts – interdisciplinary cross‐cutting topics
e.g. advantages and disadvantages of positioning as specialist/generalist, terminology work,
intercultural competencies knowledge management, new tools and technologies,
standardisation and quality standards, project management, self‐marketing as an expert.

 Translating technical documentation
 Translating in the IT sector, software localisation
 Translating and interpreting in the medical field
 Translating and interpreting in the legal field
 Translating and interpreting in the fields of business and finance
 Translating and interpreting in science and research
 Translating and interpreting in politics
 Translating and interpreting in the cultural and media sector
 Translating and interpreting in the fields of advertising, marketing and PR
 Public Service interpreting
 Translating patents
 Literary translation / Translation of non‐fictional and reference works
Prospective contributors are requested to submit an abstract of up to 2,000 characters at the
www.interpreting‐the‐future.com website by 31 October 2011. The languages for presentations are
German, English and French. The following event formats are planned:
 Presentations (max. 30 minutes, audience numbers as a rule unlimited); the individual
presentation blocks are followed by discussions between the speaker and audience.
 Panel discussions (90 minutes, audience numbers as a rule unlimited)
 Seminars (90 or 180 minutes, up to 250 participants)
 Workshops (90 or 180 minutes, up to 25 participants)

When submitting your abstract, please also indicate the knowledge level of the participants you
primarily wish to address: basics/beginners, advanced, or all participants. The accepted presentations
will be published in a book of the conference proceedings which will be available at the time of the
conference.

We will notify you as to whether your proposal has been accepted by 31 January 2012. The
detailed programme of the conference will be announced on 15 February 2012. The complete
presentations must be submitted by 01 July 2012 for inclusion in the published proceedings.

Further information can be found in the internet at www.interpreting‐the‐future.com. You can also
email us at konferenz2012@bdue.de.
Bundesverband der Dolmetscher und Übersetzer e.V. (BDÜ)
Berlin, 15.05.2011