Archive of past webinars
2025
Gender-inclusive language for multilingual communication
Date: 21 November 2025, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 31 October 2025
Description of content: As our societal understanding of gender changes, so too does the way we represent gender in language. How do we talk about and address our fellow human beings in a manner that is respectful of identity and personal choice? How do we choose the right pronouns and make sure that all genders feel included in our multilingual communications? How do we negotiate a situation where societal attitudes and linguistic norms are still evolving? This webinar will give some background on the development of gender-inclusive language as a general concept and provide some practical solutions for sensitive gendering in German, English, French and Italian.
Prof. Chantal Wright is a Professor for Creativity and the Language Industry. She is interested in finding creative solutions to tricky linguistic problems.
Translation risk management in the age of AI
Date: 24 October 2025, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 3 October 2025
Description of content: AI has become a very important instrument in the translation business. In this webinar, we will look at the basic principles of risk management. We will also talk about the risks involved in using AI for translation purposes and how to mitigate them appropriately.
Angelika Ottmann and Dr Carmen Canfora are both translators with long-standing experience in the translation industry. Their company "Die RisikoScouts" offers consulting services on quality management and risk management in the translation business.
Creating terminology databases (with a little help from AI)
Date: 26 September 2025, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 5 September 2025
Description of content: In this webinar, we will first answer some basic questions such as how are terminological entries structured, what basic principles apply when creating entries and what requirements are placed on data categories? In the second part of the webinar, we will show how AI applications can be used to support the creation of entries.
Christian Kriele is a terminologist and lecturer in the Bachelor’s degree programme in Multilingual Communication and in the Master’s degree programme in Language and Communication (IMK). His research interests include the optimisation of search results and queries as well as terminology and machine translation.
Innovative subtitling technologies – what they can and can't do
Date: 29 August 2025, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 8 August 2025
Description of content: The wave of new technologies that have emerged in the haze of AI have also reached the world of subtitling. In addition to increasing efficiency, the workshop will also highlight the possibility of using CAT tools and the impact of new technologies on the quality of products and the work processes of the people utilising these tools.
Peter Jud is a lecturer in audiovisual translation and subtitling, as well as a freelance audiovisual translator. He is also an associate team member of the Accessibility Professorship at the IMK.
Computer-assisted interpreting in augmented reality
Date: 11 July 2025, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 20 June 2025
Description of content: This webinar will explore the evolution of computer-assisted interpreting (CAI). In doing so, it will highlight findings gleaned by “The Augmented Interpreter” project, which saw specialised terminology displayed to interpreters, whose views were subsequently gathered during interviews. Participants will gain insights into how augmented reality can be applied in practice in the interpreting sector and how users experience this new technology.
Dr Anne Catherine Gieshoff is a research associate and lecturer at the IUED. Her research interests include cognitive load in conference interpreting, augmented reality and visual input in interpreting, as well as interpreting in healthcare.
Sustainability in the language services industry: footprint ethics for LSPs
Date: 20 June 2025, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 30 May 2025
Description of content: This webinar will provide an overview of the environmental impacts of the material infrastructures that facilitate AI technologies such as neural machine translation and large language models. In particular, it will look at their carbon emissions and water consumption, as well as the mining pollution generated along the technology's entire production chain. The webinar will then critique the limitations of solely focusing on making these technologies more efficient in terms of their energy/resource consumption, instead proposing some steps that LSPs could take in order to more fully account for their environmental footprints.
Dr Matt Riemland is currently an Assistant Professor of Translation Studies in SWPS University's Department of English Studies in Warsaw, Poland. He holds a PhD from Dublin City University's School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies. His research focuses on the intersection between translation and power, highlighting the inextricable links between language, land and labour.
Plain language made easy: the new ISO standard and other developments
Date: 23 May 2025, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 2 May 2025
Description of content: What is plain language? And why do we need a new ISO plain language standard? In this webinar, we will explore the concept of text accessibility and present the latest guidelines and strategies for communicating effectively with intended readers.
Luisa Carrer is a research associate and lecturer at the IMK. Her research interests include manual text simplification, human evaluation of automatic text simplification, accessible communication terminology, and inclusive research design.
Alexa Lintner is a research associate and lecturer at the IMK. Her research interests include audio description, human evaluation of machine translation, text simplification, and inclusive research design.
Recent developments in machine translation
Date: 11 April 2025, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 21 March 2025
Description of content: Current developments such as LLMs have opened up a new world of possibilities in the area of machine translation. In this webinar, we will take a look at these new developments, the opportunities and challenges they present and what might come next.
Alex Flückiger is an AI solution architect at Supertext (formerly Textshuttle), a Swiss specialist for language technology. He is responsible for creating tailor-made machine translation solutions for the company’s clients.
Current and future trends in speech-to-text interpreting: innovations and challenges
Date: 21 March 2025, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 28 February 2025
Description of content: As automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology continues to evolve, it is transforming the way we handle real-time transcription and live multilingual translation. This webinar will delve into key advancements, address the persistent quality challenges and highlight the increasing necessity to pre-edit ASR output to enhance both accuracy and reliability.
Axel "Axelio" Schiller is a full-time language professional based in Tallinn, Estonia. As a certified speech-to-text interpreter with several years of experience, he provides live captions and other language-based accessibility services to clients with hearing difficulties and wider audiences as well as in multilingual settings. His experience in the speech-to-text field also includes automatic speech recognition (ASR) and translation as well as pre- and post-editing for ASR.
Recent developments in machine translation
Date: 28 February 2025, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 17 February 2025
Description of content: Current developments such as LLMs have opened up a new world of possibilities in the area of machine translation. In this webinar, we will take a look at these new developments, the opportunities and challenges they present and what might come next.
Chantal Amrhein is a Senior Research Scientist at Supertext (formerly Textshuttle), a Swiss AI provider with a focus on translation. She is part of the AI Research team, which is responsible for creating tailor-made machine translation solutions for the company’s clients.
How does the world view language professions?
Date: 14 February 2025, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 24 January 2025
Description of content: The advent of neural machine translation, followed by the dawn of generative AI, has changed the way in which the general public perceives translation. This seminar will look at how language professions are currently viewed by society, and offer key points as to how language professionals can gain more control of the narrative surrounding their field of expertise.
Prof. Alice Delorme Benites is Head of the Institute for Translation and Interpreting and Professor of Human-Machine Communication. Her research interests include the use of machine translation in foreign language teaching, MT literacy and the new professional roles emerging in the language industry.
2024
Language AI for language professionals
Date: 6 December 2024, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 15 November 2024
Description of content: We look at a selection of language AI tools that offer the potential to complement the work of language professionals. We review new tools and technologies that were released in 2024 and look at what may be in the pipeline for 2025.
Florian Faes is the Managing Director of Slator and is based in Zurich. Slator is the leading source of research for the global translation, localisation and language technology industry. Our advisory practice is a trusted partner to clients looking for independent analysis.
Extended reality technologies – potential for interpreters
Date: 15 November 2024, 3 p.m. to 3.45 p.m. CET / 9.00 a.m. to 9.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 25 October 2024
Description of content: What are extended realities? And how can they be used for interpreting? In this course, we distinguish between different forms of extended realities (augmented reality, virtual reality, etc.) and highlight different applications for interpreting.
Dr Anne Catherine Gieshoff is a research associate and lecturer at IMK. Her research interests include cognitive load in conference interpreting, augmented reality and visual input in interpreting, as well as interpreting in healthcare.
Dealing with different file formats (JSON, XML)
Date: 25 October 2024, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadlines: 4 October 2024
Description of content: File formats like XML or JSON can be a closed book, even for experienced translators. In this webinar, we will explore the basics of these and similar data formats. We will learn how these formats are structured and how to configure translation tools to work with such data formats.
Dr Martin Kappus is lecturer in language technology and accessibility at IMK. His research interests include the application of language technologies and CAT tools.
Basic concepts of terminology (in times of AI)
Date: 20 September 2024, 3 p.m. to 3.45 p.m. CET / 9.00 a.m. to 9.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 30 August 2024
Description of content: The course provides the theoretical foundations that are still needed in times of AI to build or operate professional terminology work in a company. It also provides brief insights into areas where AI is already being applied in terminology work.
Christian Kriele is a terminologist and lecturer at IMK in the Bachelor’s degree programme in Multilingual Communication and in the Master’s degree programme in Applied Languages. His research interests include the optimisation of search results and queries as well as terminology and machine translation.
Translating for social media
Date: 6 September 2024, 3 p.m. to 3.45 p.m. CET / 9.00 a.m. to 9.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 16 August 2024
Description of content: Companies reach most (potential) customers via social media channels. Translations carried out with machine translation systems often do not provide satisfactory results to achieve the defined communication objectives. In the webinar, participants will learn about the challenges involved in transferring social media content to another linguistic and cultural area, what needs to be considered to make the transfer successful, and what skills are required.
Andrea Imbescheid is a translator/revisor at Vaudoise Insurance in Lausanne and a graduate in business administration with many years of experience in international marketing. She teaches the course ”Transcreation as a trend service” as part of the CAS in Translation – IMK.
Translation management systems: a selection, pros and cons
Date: 12 July 2024, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 21 June 2024
Description of content: Get an insight into the world of translation management systems (TMS) in the ”Translation management systems: a selection, pros and cons” webinar. Join us as we explore the intricacies of two leading TMS platforms and learn about their unique features and benefits and explore application examples. Whether you are already experienced or new to language management, this webinar promises to offer valuable insights that will help you make informed decisions and optimise your translation workflows.
Patricia Kamer’s mission is to improve the lives of translators with the help of language technologies and tools. As Head of Development at Supertext, she translates high demands into efficient IT solutions. As a guest lecturer in translation management at the ZHAW, she introduces these solutions to aspiring language experts.
Consultancy skills for language professionals
Date: 7 June 2024, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 17 May 2024
Description of content: This webinar focuses on consultancy skills for translation and multilingual communication professionals. It outlines why and how consultancy is becoming increasingly relevant for their work and what key skills language consultants need.
Prof Dr Caroline Lehr is a Professor of Translation Studies at IMK. Her research interests include translation processes and multilingual text production, the use of artificial intelligence in multilingual communication and AI literacy as well as cognition, emotion and motivation in multilingual communication and language professions.