Language resources webinars for language professionals
A series of brief research-based webinars on current developments in the language industry.
Meet our researchers and experts once a month and stay up to date on the world of multilingual communication and language technology. Each 30-minute online session provides innovative and forward-looking input and is followed by a Q&A session where we answer your questions related to the topic at hand.
Would you like to gain insights into the future and stay up to date on the language industry and remain competitive in your profession? Or are you looking to refresh your existing knowledge that has perhaps become a little rusty, spiced up with the latest developments in each topic? If so, subscribe now to our series of micro-credential webinars.
At a glance
Target audience: Language all-rounders, translators, interpreters, editors working as freelancers or in language departments and/or LSPs, language and communication specialists, IUED alumni and alumnae, incl. continuing education graduates.
Language: English
Objectives:
- To provide short, flexible and targeted input on the latest knowledge and skills to provide the basis for future-oriented professional development in the language industry.
- To facilitate an understanding of potential future trends and share research-based innovative insights that ensure the competitiveness of language professionals.
- To offer a channel for networking with an online community of language all-rounders, researchers and experts, where questions on the latest topics are answered and explained.
Methodology: input and Q&A, discussion
Academic achievement: a certificate of attendance will be issued only for the attendance of the whole series.
Start: Friday, 14 February 2025, 12 noon CET / 6.00 a.m. EST
Duration: February to December 2025, monthly on a Friday, see calendar
Place: MS Teams, a link will be sent before the webinar.
Takeaways: presentation in PDF format, summary of the Q&A and discussion in PDF format
Application deadline: ongoing up to three weeks before each webinar.
The registration deadline for the 2025 webinar package and the 6-month webinar package (February-June) is 24 January 2025, i.e. the registration deadline for the first webinar. The registration deadline for the second 6-month webinar package (July-December) is 20 June 2025, i.e the registration deadline for the webinar in July 2025.
Cost
| Category | 2025 webinar package (12 webinars) | 6-month webinar package (6 webinars February–June) | 6-month webinar package (6 webinars July–December) | One webinar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual participants | CHF 495 | CHF 275 | CHF 275 | CHF 55 |
| Members of ASTTI / DÜV | 10% discount | 10% discount | 10% discount | 10% discount |
| ZHAW-Alumni member | 5% discount | 5% discount | 5% discount | 5% discount |
| LSPs/language departments that purchase a package/webinar for 10 employees or more | 5% discount/person | 5% discount/person | 5% discount/person | 5% discount/person |
Calendar & topics 2025
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.
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.
Janine Aeberhard is an AI solution architect at Supertext (formerly Textshuttle), a Swiss specialist for language technology. She 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.
Dalia Goldberger is the Head of Product Development Accessibility Services at Swiss TXT, where she drives the creation of innovative solutions aimed at enhancing accessibility. With a deep interest in language tools and technologies, she is passionate about minimising communication gaps and improving user experiences for everyone.
Workplace ergonomics for language professionals
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 March2025
Description of content: In this webinar, we will examine the physical, cognitive, organisational and social aspects of ergonomics and how they relate to language professionals' workplaces. We will also explore ways to prevent health problems and promote wellbeing.
Dr Andrea Hunziker Heeb is Operational Head of the Translation Science Research division at the IUED. Her research interests include translation process research, translation and cognition, translation into a second language, directionality, translation and ergonomics, and translation as a profession.
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 IUED. 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 IUED. Her research interests include audio description, human evaluation of machine translation, text simplification, and inclusive research design.
Sustainability in the language services industry: footprint ethics for LSPs
Date: 20 June2025, 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.
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.
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 IUED.
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 Applied Linguistics (IUED). His research interests include the optimisation of search results and queries as well as terminology and machine translation.
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.
How to solve common problems with CAT tools
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: In this webinar, we will examine common challenges that arise when using CAT tools in translation and present practical solutions. The aim is to provide valuable tips and strategies for increasing efficiency and overcoming everyday obstacles when using these tools. We will identify some of the most common stumbling blocks and provide practical solutions for overcoming them.
Dr Martin Kappus is a lecturer in language technology and accessibility at the IUED. His research interests include the application of language technologies and CAT tools.
Gender-inclusive language for multilingual communication
Date: 12 December 2025, 12 noon to 12.45 p.m. CET / 6.00 a.m. to 6.45 a.m. EST
Application deadline: 21 November 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.
Dr Chantal Wright is a Professor for Creativity and the Language Industry. She is interested in finding creative solutions to tricky linguistic problems.