Ciuti-Forum 2009: Translating the Future: Beyond Today’s Academic & Professional Challenges

The CIUTI FORUM 2009 Translating the Future focused on translation in a world in transition within the context of globalization. Recent political developments seem to be leading to a world society that is polycentric and multipolar. An international system will emerge that will be characterized by a new inter-regionalisation through a large number of interregional arrangements of various forms of economic integration projects all over the world. Following the example of the European Union, they will evolve into competing regional entities like ASEAN in Southeast Asia, NAFTA in North America, or MERCOSUR in South America. Confronted with these new geopolitical settings, the CIUTI FORUM 2009 focused on these regions which will probably develop into strong economic powers, alongside the United States and the European Union. Owing to this multi-lateralizing inter-regionalism, the exchange of goods, products and services in industry and finance will continue growing exponentially, a fact that correlates with an extremely high demand for foreign language services of all kinds. This increased need has resulted in new challenges and tasks, not only for practicing professional translators and their professional organizations, but also for translation education institutions. Contributions are made in either French or English; special stress is put on the training and intercultural communication with China, taking into account the economic and political issues, on which experts focus from an international, interdisciplinary and multifaceted perspective.

Martin Forstner is University Professor (Dr. phil. habil.) at the Fachbereich Translations-, Sprach- und Kulturwissenschaft of the Johannes Gutenberg- Universität Mainz. From 1996 to 2006 he was President of CIUTI, since 2006 he is Secretary General of CIUTI.
Hannelore Lee-Jahnke is University Professor (Dr. phil.) at the University of Geneva, Chair of the Training Committee of FIT. She is President of CIUTI since 2006.
Lidi Wang, PhD, is University Professor and Dean of the Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation of Beijing Foreign Studies University.