Student Liena Kaģe Participates in Multilingualism EU Summer School in Luxembourg
From July 1 to July 6, Luxembourg hosted the first-ever Multilingualism EU Summer School, organized by several European Union institutions for master’s students from universities included in the European Master in Translation (EMT) network. The master’s program in Translation Studies at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences is part of the EMT network, and the university was proudly represented at the summer school by student Liena Kaģe. Liena shared her impressions of the event, which brought together 32 students from 24 countries.
Day 1 – European Parliament Secretariat General
The summer school began at the European Parliament, where participants were introduced to the week’s program and got to know each other. The linguistic and intellectual capabilities of the students were impressive, with fluency in four, five, or more languages being the norm. Some participants could effortlessly switch between six languages during conversations. Most students specialized in written translation, while a few focused on interpreting or represented the legal field.
Participants were divided into groups: some attended a subtitling and dubbing workshop, while others worked on radio production in the “Europarl” studio. Later, each student met with a translator from the European Parliament’s translation department to review pre-assigned translations and discuss the specifics of their work. The day ended with a visit to a newly established EU museum.
Day 2 – Court of Justice of the European Union
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), the largest court in Europe, is unique in its commitment to multilingualism, as cases can be heard in any official EU language. The court comprises several interconnected buildings, including four towers. Navigating the complex on foot took nearly ten minutes.
Participants attended a court hearing, where they listened to debates. The proceedings were interpreted into multiple languages, including Latvian. Liena expressed pride in the quality of the Latvian interpreters' work and admired the presence of Latvian judge Ineta Ziemele.
Later, aspiring interpreters met with court interpreters, while students specializing in translation attended a presentation on the practical application of multilingualism principles. The day concluded with a guided tour of the court.
Day 3 – European Court of Auditors and the EU Translation Centre (CdT)
The European Court of Auditors provided insights into its small translation teams—only four translators per language, with exceptions for French (eight) and English (ten). Students participated in a workshop on simplifying language in press releases.
Later, they visited the Translation Centre and learned about the IATE terminology database, observing how terms are processed before publication.
Day 4 – European Commission and EU Publications Office
At the European Commission, presentations highlighted translation workflows, AI applications, and large language models. Liena noted the growing importance of IT skills alongside language proficiency for translators.
Students also met translators, including Jānis Līmežs, a former VUAS student. Jānis shared insights about working at the Commission and living in Luxembourg.
At the EU Publications Office, participants explored the archives, which house all printed materials since the EU’s inception, including legislation translated when Latvia joined the EU. Liena described this as a profoundly meaningful moment, seeing documents that have directly influenced her life.
Day 5 – European Investment Bank
The final workday was spent at the European Investment Bank, where participants attended presentations on the bank’s operations, translation department, and Luxembourg’s multilingual education system.
Day 6 – Summer School Conclusion
The week ended with an excursion to Müllerthal, known as Luxembourg’s Little Switzerland. Hiking the scenic, rocky trails provided a relaxing conclusion to an intense and rewarding week filled with new knowledge, friendships, and experiences in a multicultural setting.
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