Department of the firsts
Hacettepe University Department of Translation and Interpreting was established in the 1982-1983 academic year as the Division of English Translation and Interpreting, under Hacettepe University School of Foreign Languages. The department was affiliated to the Faculty of Letters in 1987. Then in 1992 Division of French Translation and Interpreting, and in 2007 the Division of German Translation and Interpreting was established. The Heads of Department to date have been, respectively, Prof. Dr. Saadet Bozkurt, Prof. Dr. Deniz Bozer, Prof. Dr. Berrin Aksoy, Prof. Dr. Ayfer Altay, Prof. Dr. Sibel Bozbeyoğlu and Prof. Dr. Mümtaz Kaya. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Şirin Okyayuz is currently the Head of Department. The first academic staff members hired to the department were Prof. Dr. Ayfer (Akansel) Altay, Prof. Dr. Berrin (Karayazıcı) Aksoy and later Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aymil Doğan. Then, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asalet Erten started working in this department. In addition, the first faculty member in Türkiye who was trained in translation studies and started teaching in the field is Asst. Prof. Dr. Elif Ersözlü, who still works in our department.
The founding purpose of the Department of Translation and Interpreting is to train knowledgeable, cultured, qualified translators and interpreters who are equipped with the skills required by the profession and who can perform translation and interpreting in the English-Turkish, French-Turkish and German-Turkish language pairs within the framework of scientific methods in subjects such as law, economics, literature, social, technical and physical sciences, medicine, political science, international relations, finance and in new areas developing in line with the requirements of the age. Since 2009, the department has been providing more in-depth and professional training in translation and interpreting. Accordingly, at the beginning of the 5th semester, undergraduate students take the Interpreting Competency Exam, and if they succeed, they continue their studies in the interpreting group. This approach aims to provide students with a higher quality education tailored to their desires, abilities, knowledge, and skills. At the end of this programme, students graduate as interpreters.
Developing and Diversifying Programmes
The Bilingua Programme was imposed in our department in the 2003-2004 academic year (Repealed). The Strasbourg Programme was taught in collaboration with the University of Strasbourg from the 2007-2008 academic year until the 2023-2024 academic year (the relevant programme agreement expired in 2024). From the 2009-2010 academic year, students of the department have been given the opportunity to pursue a double major and students of other departments of Hacettepe University have been given the opportunity to pursue a minor in our department. Along with all these programmes, the Internship Programme has been standardized over time, relevant guides have been prepared, and the execution has been linked to coordinators ensuring a healthier flow of information and consultancy between the decision-making mechanism and the student. Our students can obtain information about the programme, find answers to their questions as quickly as possible, and resolve their problems from the department’s website, the coordinators' personal websites, and official social media accounts. Thematic e-mail groups established by students under the coordination of academic staff have emerged over time as a development that accelerates the flow of information. The department's goals include placing information and document sharing on the Internet on an integrated distance education platform and creating an alumni database.
The department curriculum is constantly monitored and is updated in line with the requirements of the era and the market throughout history, and the development of translation education in the world. In 2001, within the framework of the Bologna process and the bilateral protocol, the curriculum of the Department was harmonised with the curriculum of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting and International Relations of the University of Strasbourg, paving the way for the Double Degree Programme. With the latest change in the 2009-2010 academic year, the department has gained a curriculum that is ahead of its time, has scientific depth and meets the expectations of the business world, with its modular structure, elective courses such as Humour Translation, Women's Studies and Translation, Research Techniques, Turkish Sign Language, which are considered to be the first in Türkiye, and technically oriented courses on translation tools, film and subtitle translation, in addition to the basic courses. In order for these courses to be lectured, technical facilities have been gradually increased and, in this context, a computer classroom has been set up where courses such as Translation Tools, Terminology Studies, Information Technologies for Translators are lectured. The capacity of the classroom has been increased, the computers have been renewed and the softwares have been updated over time.
Enriching Academic Accumulation
The Department of Translation and Interpreting continues its research and teaching activities by enriching its academic staff each year and by working with lecturers who have put forward successful studies in various fields of translation studies. The academic staff of the department not only follows the literature of translation closely, but also contributes to translation studies by presenting papers in a vast geography ranging from India to Japan, from the USA to the People's Republic of China and by publishing articles in world-renowned journals. And they have fulfilled numerous breakthroughs in the field of translation in Türkiye. Among these are, the commencing of the degree of associate professorship by the academic staff of the department, the fact that the first-ever academic books have been written and published in the fields of medical translation, legal translation and interpreting besides the first commencing of PhD and associate professorship degree in the field of interpreting. In addition, they have been transferring the knowledge and experience they have gained together within the department to the institutions and organizations in Türkiye and in various countries across the world. These training activities include courses of EU Law, and Translation of EU Texts lectured during a training programme held at Ankara University for translators working for GNAT (Grand National Assembly of Turkiye) and those serving for governmental organisations, as well as courses on translation tools lectured at institutions such as the Prime Ministry Unit of Press & Broadcasting and Information, Azerbaijan University of Languages, Middle East Technical University, Cappadocia University Vocational College. From past to present, the lecturers of the department have taken part in numerous academic and educational activities both abroad and within the country to enhance their knowledge and skills. Among the programmes in which our lecturers have participated in as interns/students are the 6-month internship offered by the EU Commission and the State Planning Organisation in the field of EU Law and EU Texts in 1990; the summer school on interpreting at CETRA, one of the most prestigious summer schools in the world in the field of translation studies, and the training programme on terminology organised by TermNet in Cologne in 2012. The department has also hosted many international conferences throughout its history. In addition, our academic staff provides both translation and interpreting support to various units of Hacettepe University. Among these activities is the translation of the department's current website as of 2012 into English.
The School That Raises Teachers
The Department of Translation and Interpreting has graduated a total of 1414 students since its establishment. There is a wide range of career options for students with a Bachelor's degree in Translation and Interpreting. Graduates have the opportunity to work in all institutions and organisations in the private and public sectors that require translators, such as trade, foreign relations, technology, science, law, medicine, media, publishing and tourism. Our graduates work as translators in international organisations while they are still students and have been in close contact with the sector from past to present thanks to the internship opportunities. The department's training of its academic staff from its own foundation helped to strengthen the master-apprentice relationship and to form the Hacettepe University Translation and Interpreting school of thought. This school of thought stands out in many aspects, from the graduates' perspective on translation to their professionalism, their embrace of ethical values, and their relationships with other graduates. Especially in the translation community of Ankara, being a graduate of Hacettepe University Translation and Interpreting Department has become an indicator of prestige.
The Department of Translation and Interpreting, together with the Department of Translation Studies at Boğaziçi University, is the first department in our country to provide education on an academic level in the field of translation. Therefore, numerous academics who currently work in the translation and interpreting departments of universities all over Türkiye have graduated from our department. From this perspective, Hacettepe University Department of Translation and Interpreting has been able to create a school of thought of its own in the field of translation studies in history and has gained a well-deserved reputation as a “school that raises teachers”.
In light of all these, the Department of Translation and Interpreting which aims to carry the knowledge of the past to the future without letting it become obsolete and worn out, has an extremely important and leading position among the translation-interpreting and translation studies departments in our country which has reached a number of approximately 55, with its many departments established over time, the ever-thriving academic staff, the high quality student profile and technical facilities. However, the past 30 years have not only permeated the department's classrooms, corridors and offices, but have also created a kind of "department spirit" that continues to live in each individual who has become a part of the Hacettepe Translation and Interpreting family. Throughout its history, in addition to all of its concrete achievements, Hacettepe University Department of Translation and Interpreting has placed great emphasis on preserving and strengthening this spirit.
Divisions
Division of English Translation and Interpreting
Division of English Translation and Interpreting is the first division of the department. Therefore, it can be said that the history of the division is also the history of the department. An MA Programme was launched In 1992 in this division. The Division of English Translation and Interpreting is an academic institution that sets standards and determines trends in the fields of translation studies and translation practice in Türkiye with its highly qualified student profile and alumni network, scientific studies conducted all over the world by its faculty members and staff, knowledge and school dating back 30 years, and its constantly renewed dynamic structure.
As of 2011, students who ranked between 37th and 1284th in Türkiye in the university entrance exam were deemed eligible for pursuing higher education in the Division of English Translation and Interpreting. The Division of English Translation and Interpreting graduated its first students in 1988.
Division of French Translation and Interpreting
In 1992, The Division of French Translation and Interpreting, which was founded under the Department of Translation and Interpreting at the Faculty of Letters of Hacettepe University, aims to train translators and interpreters who are capable of translating, interpreting, and consecutive/simultaneous interpreting, in the light of scientific methods in a wide range of fields, from law and economics to medicine, from international relations, fine arts and literature to technical fields, in order to meet the ever-increasing needs of today.
As of 2011, students who ranked between 31562nd and 1599th in Türkiye in the university entrance exam were deemed eligible for pursuing higher education in the Division of French Translation and Interpreting. The department started its education in the 1992-1993 academic year, and its first students graduated in 1996.
The Division of German Translation and Interpreting
The need for qualified German translators and interpreters which has arisen in the light of such facts as ongoing EU negotiations, the significance of Germany in the EU, and the fact that the countries with which we have the most intensive relations are German-speaking countries, and the aim to meet this need with the experience of the Division of German Translation and Interpreting of Hacettepe University as well as the establishment efforts having started during the last months of 2006 eventually culminated in the establishment of the Division of German Translation and Interpreting upon being confirmed by the Council of Higher Education on 24 April 2007.
As of 2011, students who ranked between 293rd and 3563rd in Türkiye in the university entrance exam were deemed eligible for pursuing higher education in the Division of German Translation and Interpreting. Division’s first students graduated in 1996.
Ongoing Programmes
Interpreter Training Programme:
Our department has also pioneered many firsts in terms of interpreting studies and practices. One of the department's lecturers participated in the Training of Trainers programme of the Vocational School of Translation and Interpreting in the University of Geneva, which is the first school launched in the field of translation, with the scholarship from the European Parliament, and is supervising the first descriptive and empirical studies and theses in the department. Our faculty members who teach interpreting courses are interpreting professionally in the practical dimension of the field; thus, they carry out their courses with up-to-date information in every field, stay active in terms of the mental skills required by the field, and direct the researches and theses in line with these experiences. In addition, professional interpreters from outside the university who are accredited in the field also give courses to our students and serve as juries in the competency exam. The simultaneous interpreting training laboratory, which was completed in 1991 to serve 36 people, will be reopened in its renewed form in autumn 2012 with brand new and unique features to serve 50 people. Following the 1999 earthquakes, the department has been actively working and providing training in the Emergency and Disaster Interpreting studies since 2000, as a unique type of translation initiated by Istanbul University in line with the tripartite cooperation of the Translation Association (Çeviri Derneği) (as a non-governmental organization), the university and the civil defense organization. With the last curriculum revision, the Emergency and Disaster Interpreting course has been included in the curriculum of the department. One of the department's lecturers has been appointed as a member of the Advisory Board of our university's HAMER (Hacettepe University Disaster Research and Application Center); therefore, studies being carried out with an "organic bond" with this center. In addition, for the first time in our country, Court Interpreting and Healthcare Interpreting courses were included in our Department's training program within the scope of community interpreting. Students who have been selected for the interpreting group through the Competency Exam and students who graduated before the exam was implemented are working as freelance conference interpreters and professional interpreters in institutions, private sector and projects. Many conference interpreters among our graduates pursue their careers within the Conference Interpreters Association of Türkiye (TKTD).
Master of Arts (MA)
The Master of Arts in English Translation and Interpreting was established in 1992. The studies, which continue in parallel with the scientific trends in it, have gained an interdisciplinary character over time by emerging from pure translation criticism to merging with fields such as sociology, cognitive sciences, psychology, medicine, law, forensic sciences, sports sciences, etc. The students benefit from modern data collection techniques such as infrared eye tracking devices and collect data through field studies. Such theses expand the boundaries of translation studies and introduce new horizons to the field. More than 100 master's theses have been written within the department since the programme began. The Master of Art Programme in the Division of French Translation and Interpreting was launched in 2018.
PhD
The purpose of the PhD Programme in the English Translation and Interpreting Division is to approach translation and interpreting as a scientific research field. The programme aims to research the phenomenon of translation and interpreting through theoretical, historical, critical and methodological approaches. In the programme, which aims to illuminate the interaction of Turkish culture with other cultures and its internal evolution through translation, cultural processes are carried out from a perspective that includes different disciplines such as sociology, literature, history, political science, linguistics, and cultural studies. In order to be accepted to this programme, which adopts an interdisciplinary perspective, candidates must meet the requirements set forth in Hacettepe University Graduate School of Social Sciences Directive. The English Translation and Interpreting PhD Programme consists of four academic years at minimum. There are no prerequisite courses in the programme. In order to graduate from the English Translation and Interpreting PhD Programme, students must meet the requirements of Hacettepe University's current Postgraduate Education and Examination Directive, take Department courses worth 240 ECTS credits in total, successfully complete the PhD qualification exam that measures their competence in the field and determines whether they are ready for the thesis writing process, and write and defend a PhD thesis that is of sufficient volume and quality to contribute to the field.
Journal of Translation Studies and Applications
The journal of Translation Studies and Applications is the first academic journal in this field in Türkiye. Our journal began publication in 1991 and has been publishing national and international academic publications since then. Translation Studies and Applications is a peer-reviewed journal and is indexed with MLA, and it is published once a year. The editorial board of the journal includes esteemed academics working at universities in countries such as Germany, England, France, Italy, Belgium, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates and Israel.
Hacettepe University Translation Community (HÜÇEV)
Hacettepe University Translation Community, commonly known as HÜÇEV, was founded in 2000 by a group of students from the Department of Translation and Interpreting under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Aymil Doğan. Since its establishment, it has initiated many conferences and talks about the translation industry in our school. In 2012, one of our university's academics, from the Department of Translation and Interpreting Elif Ersözlü, organized a conference titled ‘Challenges in Translating Proverbs’. On May 24, 2013, through our community, we hosted the conference called 'Top Çevirmenlerde' with Altuğ GÜNAYDIN, Emre ATASOY, Emre İSHAK and Mustafa KIRAN as speakers and Vuslat AY as presenter. In the same year, the 'Research Techniques Workshops', which would continue throughout the semester, were started. The workshop titled Experimental Studies in Translation Studies, organized under the leadership of Res. Asst. Alper Kumcu, is one of the first workshops held in our department on March 20, 2013. Institutions and professionals from the translation industry have given presentations in our department, such as Nubuto Cloud's conference entitled 'Cloud and Informatics' and the talk by TRT News Department translator Baybars Öncü entitled 'On the Profession of Translation'. The current academic advisors of HÜÇEV from the Department of Translation and Interpreting Asst. Prof. Dr. Elif Ersözlü . Apart from all these, HÜÇEV has been and will continue to be an active community with its bazaars, introductory dinners, trips in and out of the city, participation in conferences, and meetings with the Turkish Translation Students Association (TÜÇEB).