The Institute of Multilingual Communication is the ZHAW competence centre for multilingualism and language mediation. We are actively engaged in conducting research, offering degree programmes and continuing education courses and in providing services and consulting in these fields.

Our BA in Multilingual Communication and the specialisations in Multilingual Communication Management and Conference Interpreting within our MA in Language and Communication are practice-focussed. At the Bachelor level, students train as communication specialists who can move confidently between different languages, cultures and domains. At the MA level, they acquire the skills and knowledge to become professional translators or conference interpreters, and to take on leadership roles within the language industry.

Our diverse, practice-focussed continuing education programme gives our graduates and anybody interested in communication and language mediation the chance to advance and broaden their expertise.

Our research addresses topical issues within  translation studies, interpreting studies, applied text and discourse linguistics, accessibility studies, human-machine communication and creativity in the language industry. We also offer customised services and consulting in these fields.

The IMK is part of a well-established international network. We are a member of CIUTI (the international conference of university institutes of translation and interpreting), and we also have close ties with numerous partner institutes and universities in Switzerland and abroad (networks, professional organisations and practice partners of the IMK; page in German). We regularly welcome visiting international doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows for research periods of up to three months.

Our modern infrastructure combined with a personal atmosphere creates a professional but friendly study and work environment.