Simultaneous Translation and Translation Technology laboratories opened

Simultaneous Translation Laboratory and Translation Technologies Laboratory were opened within the Department of English Translation and Interpreting at Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The laboratories, where students will receive practical training, are equipped with the technology required by the age. While the simultaneous interpreting laboratory allows students to practice in a professional cabin environment, the translation technologies laboratory offers industry-oriented courses with artificial intelligence-supported translation tools. Speaking at the opening of the laboratories, Üsküdar University Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that artificial intelligence cannot replace humans in translation. The laboratories are expected to make significant contributions in terms of providing students with professional skills and academic development.

Üsküdar University Founding Rector Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Rector Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Kaynak, Vice Dean Dr. Lecturer Dr. Nihan Kalkandeler Özdin, Head of the Department of English Translation and Interpreting Prof. Dr. Nihan Kalkandeler Özdin, Head of the Department of English Translation and Interpreting Dr. Lecturer. Prof. Dr. Hümeyra Genç, Faculty Members Assoc. Prof. Dr. Feride Zeynep Güder, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nafi Yalçın, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Melda Enginsu, Lecturer. Assist. Gözde Büklüm and Assist. Assist. Paşa Bayramoğlu, university administration and department faculty members attended the ceremony.

The laboratories, which were launched with the slogan "If we don't translate, the world doesn't turn.", are expected to make significant contributions to the education process of students.

Simultaneous Translation Laboratory opened...

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Artificial intelligence cannot be a translator-translator, but it can help"

Üsküdar University Founding Rector Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan made remarkable evaluations on artificial intelligence and translation. Tarhan stated that artificial intelligence cannot be a translator-translator. Tarhan said, "Artificial intelligence is not conscious, but human beings are. For this reason, I don't think artificial intelligence can do the translation and interpreting system correctly. It is not a conscious structure, it can be guided, manipulated and make mistakes. Therefore, the final decision has to be made by the human. This issue also comes up in psychotherapies. In human psychology, there are discussions such as 'Can the therapist be an artificial intelligence? Artificial intelligence cannot be a translator-translator, but it can help, it can make the job easier. But it cannot understand emotions. Emotions cannot be calculated and theoretically, it is something that cannot be modeled mathematically at the moment, so it cannot be translated by artificial intelligence. But consciousness is such a thing that, for example, during anesthesia, a person's consciousness is turned off, and when he wakes up, he comes back with the same consciousness. The IP of the computer may change, but the consciousness of the human being does not change as if it were its own IP. It remains the same. When a person is born, all the substances in his body change over time, but his consciousness does not change. Therefore, consciousness is a human-specific condition."

Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör: "It will make great contributions to raising well-equipped individuals"

Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör wished the laboratories to be beneficial in her speech at the opening ceremony. Stating that the education that students will receive in these new laboratories will provide them with the opportunity to act as translators in the university's international events, Güngör emphasized that this practice will be a valuable experience for students. Güngör also noted that the new laboratories will make a great contribution to raising students as individuals equipped both theoretically and practically.

Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Kaynak: "Laboratories will make learning more efficient"

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Kaynak emphasized that the new laboratories are an important step in increasing the quality of education. Stating that the laboratories will contribute greatly to the professional development of the students, Kaynak expressed his satisfaction with the opening and thanked everyone who contributed and wished the students success.

Prof. Dr. Lecturer. Member Hümeyra Genç: "Our work will continue unabated"

Head of the Department of English Translation and Interpreting Dr. Lecturer. Prof. Dr. Hümeyra Genç mentioned the important innovations that the laboratories brought to the department in her speech at the opening ceremony. Expressing her happiness with this development, Genç emphasized that the work will continue without slowing down and that they will work devotedly as a whole team to equip students in the best way.

Assist. Gör. Gözde Büklüm: "Students gain one-to-one experience"

The responsible of the laboratory is Lect. Assist. Gözde Büklüm emphasized the technical infrastructure of the laboratory and its importance in education. Büklüm; "We have 20 headsets in our laboratory and our classroom has a capacity of 30 people. We do most of our interpreting classes in this laboratory. The importance and value of our newly opened laboratories is very great. Because thanks to the work done here, students gain experience by simulating the interpreting booths they will work in real life. This experience provides them with both experience in preparing for different scenarios they will face in the future and the opportunity to get to know the equipment they may see in different fields. In this laboratory, we conduct our Introduction to Interpreting, Note Taking Techniques, Consecutive Interpreting, Simultaneous Interpreting courses. In a fully soundproofed environment, our students listen to different speeches with a high quality sound system and translate English-Turkish and Turkish-English. We can host 30 students as listeners in our laboratory. We also have two translation booths where four students can translate at the same time in rotation. In interpreting practices, we usually rotate with our cabin mate every 20 minutes. Our students enter the booths in groups of two and learn this practice in practice. These booths were built according to international standards in the market. There are headphones, microphones and sound systems inside. We wish our students success in advance and we can promise that they will receive a well-equipped education that keeps up with today's technologies."

Prof. Dr. Lecturer Member Nafi Yalçın: "Our dream came true"

Prof. Dr. Lecturer. Prof. Dr. Nafi Yalçın stated that the opening was the realization of a goal. Yalçın; "One of our goals when opening the department was to establish this laboratory. We especially wanted our senior students to receive training in this laboratory before graduating. We prepared a project together with our department professors. As part of the project, we applied a pre-test to our students at the beginning of the semester. At the end of the semester, we will conduct a post-test. Thus, we will be able to measure the contribution of the training in this laboratory to our students' translation experience. Then we aim to evaluate the data we have obtained and publish this study as an article that can be included in Scopus."

Second opening of the Translation Technologies Laboratory

Research Assistant. Gör. Paşa Bayramoğlu: "We offer a practical and contemporary education"

Laboratory supervisor, Assist. Assist. Paşa Bayramoğlu gave information about the content of the second laboratory. Bayramoğlu said: "In the spring semester, courses on artificial intelligence translation are taught in the Written Translation Technologies Laboratory. Then, in special field translation courses such as law and medicine, these contents are handled in an integrated manner with translation technologies. In the fall semester, more introductory compulsory courses are offered. In this context, basic translation technology training is offered especially to second and third year students. Our laboratory has a capacity of 35 people and provides our students with hands-on training. In particular, we actively use the most up-to-date artificial intelligence tools of our time. In addition, we work with practical and web-based versions of the most widely used computer-aided translation tools in the sector. Thus, we train our students in accordance with the current dynamics of the sector. To summarize, our training offers an up-to-date and practical content that combines translation technologies and artificial intelligence. In this semester, we have put a special emphasis on artificial intelligence training. In our courses, we cover current translation trends as well as special fields such as medical and legal translation integrated with technologies. In the fall semester, we offer compulsory courses to our students at a more basic level and in preparation for the sector."

Simultaneous Translation Laboratory features

• Equipped with 20 headphones.
• It has a class capacity of 30 people.
• 30 students can be in the laboratory at the same time as listeners.
• There are 2 translation booths.
• In each booth, 4 students can translate alternately (in groups of two).
• Booth practices are rotated every 20 minutes as in professional life.
• It offers a fully soundproofed environment, external sound isolation is provided.
• It has a high quality sound system.
• Students will be able to translate by listening to English-Turkish and Turkish-English conversations.
• Courses such as Introduction to Interpreting, Note Taking Techniques, Consecutive Interpreting, Simultaneous Interpreting are conducted here.
• The cabins are built in accordance with international interpreting standards.
• The booths are equipped with headphones, microphones and professional sound systems.

Translation Technologies Laboratory features

• Classroom capacity of 35 students.
• Students have direct access to translation tools through practical classes.
• Artificial intelligence translation tools are actively used.
• Artificial intelligence translation courses are offered in the spring semester.
• Special field translations such as medicine and law are carried out in integration with translation technologies.
• In the fall semester, basic translation technology courses are offered to second and third year students.
• Training is provided through web-based and computer-assisted translation tools.
• The course content has an up-to-date and practical structure that combines translation technologies and artificial intelligence.
• The courses provide technological skills in line with current translation trends and sectoral needs.