Spring School of Translation: International Cooperation, Innovation, and Practice

As part of the Decade of Science, the Spring School of Translation titled “Modern trends in the field of translation” was held on April 7, 8, and 10, 2025, at the Faculty of Philology of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. The event was organized by the Department of Translation Theory and Practice in collaboration with the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia).

Over the course of three eventful days, participants had the opportunity to explore cutting-edge approaches in translation, share experiences, and broaden their professional horizons. A total of 121 applications were submitted, and more than 50 participants attended in person. Scholars and professional translators from Kazakhstan and abroad were invited as speakers.

The main speaker of the school was Dr. Damjan Popič, PhD, Associate Professor at the Institute of Contemporary History and the University of Ljubljana, who conducted a series of seminars on highly relevant topics: “(Non-) existent AI in translation: How to use Artificial Intelligence in modern translation and how to train your own AI,” “Managing translation projects in the digital era (from scratch),” and “Terminology management in the digital era (from scratch).”

During his seminars, Professor Damjan Popič clearly demonstrated how modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, can be effectively applied in translation practice, how to successfully launch and manage translation projects, and how to organize a terminology database. He paid special attention to the issue of training AI for individual translator needs and explained the risks professionals face when using neural networks without proper preparation.

Participants showed great interest in the lecture-workshop delivered by seasoned simultaneous interpreter Kulshe Mursalim, who has over 30 years of experience. She spoke about the specifics of translating and editing court rulings, as well as the unique features of interpreting in the judicial sphere. She emphasized the importance of accurately conveying specific legal terminology, especially during hearings involving convicted individuals, and shared real-life cases from her professional practice.

Professor Ainur Bayekeeva, PhD, from the Maqsut Narikbayev University, conducted an open masterclass on the use of CAT tools in translation, focusing on platforms such as Phrase and MateCAT.

Equally engaging was the lecture by Turkologist Meryem Saylak, who addressed issues related to comparative translation among Turkic-speaking countries, emphasizing the need to avoid ambiguity and highlighting the importance of developing intralingual translation.

Professional translator Meiram Islam, a representative of the CICA Secretariat, shared his experience in simultaneous, consecutive, and whisper interpreting during diplomatic events. He gave special attention to protocol aspects, conveying humor and toasts, as well as interpreting gestures and facial expressions in diplomatic discourse.

A particularly captivating session was held by translator Lyudmila Zadorozhnaya — translator for the Astana Ballet Theatre and lecturer at the Kazakhstan Branch of Lomonosov Moscow State University. She discussed the translation of Kazakh cultural realia, lexical gaps, and phraseological units in theatrical and ballet productions. Participants explored the subtleties of translating technical costume descriptions and interpreting dance movements of ballerinas and choreographers.

Simultaneous interpreter Snezhana Skakovskaya, working with English and French, revealed the peculiarities of medical translation at conferences and in hospitals. She emphasized that “medical translation” involves not only simultaneous and written translation but also sight translation with direct patient involvement, as well as interpretation during complex surgeries and international medical accreditations — situations where artificial intelligence cannot replace a human translator.

Overall, the Spring School was held at a high level and sparked great interest among both young specialists and experienced translators. All participants will receive certificates from the University of Ljubljana and L.N. Gumilyov ENU, while all speakers were awarded letters of appreciation from the organizers.

The Spring School of Translation marked another important step in developing international cooperation and promoting modern approaches in training a new generation of translators.