SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Emphasising the vital role of translation in advancing knowledge exchange, the fourth edition of the International Translation Conference convened in Abu Dhabi with 12 sessions, featuring over 40 papers presented by researchers, specialists, and experts from more than 25 countries.
Under the theme “Pushing New Boundaries: Translation and Building Knowledge Societies”, the conference's objectives included enhancing translators' career paths, developing translation mechanisms, fostering global intellectual and cognitive communication, providing recommendations for new research, and facilitating scientific networking.
In his inaugural address, His Excellency Abdullah Majed Al Ali, the Director-General of the National Library and Archives (NLA) highlighted the conference's significant standing in the local, Arab, and international cultural spheres, underscoring its academic and scholarly importance.
His Excellency highlighted the translation's pivotal role in societal empowerment, serving as bridges between cultures and facilitating knowledge exchange.
The conference also featured a recorded speech by H.E. Dr. Khalifa Al Dhaheri, Chancellor of Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities, who emphasised translation's vital role in fostering knowledge and bridging communication gaps between civilisations.
He noted that renowned scholars excelled in translation during the Arab-Islamic era, leaving a lasting legacy in history and contributing to the advancement of various scientific fields while facilitating cultural exchange.
During one of the sessions, Edward Hogshire from Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities in Abu Dhabi presented his paper titled "Empowering people of determination: Enhancing English language learning through machine translation and artificial intelligence."
He discussed the relationship between machine interpretation and language learning for people of determination, the impact of recent advancements in machine translation on learners, and the challenges faced, along with proposed solutions.
The NLA has published six volumes comprising around 140 scientific and academic papers in Arabic and English. These volumes serve as documentation of the scientific outcomes stemming from the three editions of the International Translation Conference.