Regional lectures

After a long break, HDKP is once again working together with universities throughout Croatia to bring our profession, conference interpreting, closer to students pursuing degrees in languages and/or translation/interpretation. Sandra Breznički Ucović, HDKP president, held the first presentation on 11 May, to an audience of third-year students of English language and literature at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Split. This was part of the Friendship in May programme, aimed at establishing contacts between the faculty and other institutions. The next day, our president was hosted by the students from the German department at the University of Zadar. The presentation was attended by students from the Department of French and Francophone Studies and from the Russian Department.

The HDKP tour continued at the Rijeka Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; Nuša Torbica, the chair of the HDKP Admissions and Mentorship Committee, and Ivanka Rajh, member of the Committee for Professional Affairs and Cooperation with Institutions, spoke to the first-year graduate students. The lecture was also attended by colleagues from STIP, the Association of Court Interpreters and Translators from Rijeka. The last in this series of regional presentations was held on 22 May in Pula, at the Faculty of Humanities, Juraj Dobrila University, by Sandra Palihnić Jurina, member of the HDKP Steering Board, and Toni Luburić, president of the Court of Honour. The lecture was attended by undergraduate and graduate students from the department of Italian, English and Japanese studies.

Students who attended the lectures were given the basic information about conference interpreting, where and how to obtain the necessary skills, where conference interpreters work and who their clients are, the standards of the profession, the current situation on the market and the activities pursued by the HDKP to promote the profession. The lectures drew sizeable audiences, students were eager to learn and asked many questions, taking an active part in the discussion.

HDKP would like to thank the hosts for the great organisation and hospitality. In Split, we’d like to thank senior lector Ana Bakašun, external associate Mara Ruža Blažević, and the department head, Professor Simon Ryle. Thanks to our hosts in Zadar, senior lectors Žaklina Radoš and Marina Lovrić, head of the German Studies Department, Professor Anita Pavić Pintarić, and her deputy, Professor Helga Begonja. The lecture in Rijeka was a great success thanks to associate professors Petra Žagar-Šoštarić and Suzana Jurin. In Pula, our thanks go to Ivana Lalli-Paćelat, assistant professor from the Italian Studies Department.