An Inaugural Event from the Department of Translation and Interpreting Studies
Thursday, 26 February 2026 | 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Arts Complex
We live in strange times. The world feels simultaneously more divided and more interconnected than ever before. While walls go up between nations, our daily lives cross borders constantly, through the media we consume, the products we buy, and the people we work with online. Someone has to build the bridges that make those connections work.
That's where professional linguists come in. Not just people who swap words between languages, but cultural mediators who help ideas travel intact across the gaps that separate us.
Come See What Languages Actually Do
This event is open to everyone, whatever you're studying. You don't need to speak multiple languages or know anything about translation or interpreting theory. If you've ever wondered how books get translated, how international organisations actually communicate, or what people with language degrees end up doing for a living, you'll find answers here.
We've invited Professor Martin Palmer and Dr Yukteshwar Kumar - both brilliant speakers who work at the intersection of language, culture and real-world impact. They'll talk about their work in ways that make sense whether you study Engineering, History, Languages, or Philosophy.
Thinking about postgraduate study but not sure where your degree could take you? Come along. The Q&A sessions are genuinely useful, and you can chat with academics from the Department of Translation and Interpreting Studies afterwards. No one will pressure you to sign up for anything, just honest conversations about what further study looks like and whether it might suit you.
Let's Talk
This is a chance to hear from leading figures working in a truly interdisciplinary capacity across literature, politics, international finance, and cultural diplomacy, and meet colleagues from across Arts and Social Sciences who share research interests in intercultural communication. Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences have never been more needed than they are at this moment in time, and sharpening our perspective together will help us better articulate what it is we do at a time when popular culture is overtaken by predictions about 'AI'.
Practical Details
It's free. It's three hours, with a break. Register through Eventbrite so we know numbers for catering. The Arts Complex is the building you think it is (3-5 Woodland Road).
Come if you're curious. Leave if you're bored. But if you've ever wondered how ideas cross borders, this is your afternoon.