Keynote Speakers
Sabine Braun is a Professor of Translation Studies, the Director of the Centre for Translation Studies at the University of Surrey, UK, and a Co-Director of the Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI. She specialises in human-machine integration in translation and interpreting to improve access to information, digital content and public services. In 2019, the research centre she leads was awarded an ‘Expanding Excellence in England’ (2019-24) grant by Research England to expand the centre’s research in this area. For over a decade, she spearheaded a European-funded research programme investigating video-mediated interpreting in legal proceedings to improve language access in the justice sector (AVIDICUS 1-3; 2008-16), while contributing her expertise in video interpreting to other justice sector projects (e.g. QUALITAS, 2012-14; Understanding Justice, 2013-16; VEJ Evaluation, 2018-20). Subsequently she advised justice sector institutions on the use and risks of video-mediated interpreting, delivered training/CPD on interpreting and technologies, developed European guidelines, and co-authored a DIN standard. She also explored the use of video and virtual reality platforms for training interpreters and users of interpreting services (IVY, 2011-3; EVIVA, 2014-15; SHIFT, 2015-18; EU-WEBPSI, 2021-24) and is currently involved in projects investigating the application of communication technologies and AI-enabled language technologies in different settings (MHealth4All, 2021-24; Interpret-X, 2021-24; EmpASR, 2024-25). Furthermore, she conducts research on audio description and other translation modalities related to accessible communication. In the Horizon 2020 project MeMAD (2018-21), she explored the potential for (semi-)automating audio description to enhance digital media inclusion. In 2024, she launched a Leverhulme Trust-funded Doctoral Training Network on AI-Enabled Digital Accessibility (ADA). Her overarching interest centres on fairness, transparency, and quality in the use of technology in language mediation.
Amparo Hurtado Albir holds a PhD in Translation Studies from the ESIT of the Université Paris III, she is a French-Spanish translator and Professor emeritus of translation and interpreting at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). She has been the principal investigator of the PACTE research group since its creation in 1997.
She has supervised 10 funded research projects about the didactics of translation, translation competence, as well as its acquisition, levels and evaluation. In recent years she has been the principal investigator of the NACT (Establishing Competence Levels in the Acquisition of Translation Competence), EFFORT (Towards a European Framework of reference for Translation) and EACT(Evaluation in the Acquisition of Translation Competence) projects.
She is the author of over 150 publications about translation theory, the didactics of translation and translation competence, including La notion de fidélité en traduction (1990); Enseñar a traducir (1999); Traducción y Traductología (2001; 2022, 13th ed.); Aprender a traducir del francés al español. (2015); Researching Translation Competence by PACTE Group (ed., 2017); Hacia un marco europeo de niveles de competencias en traducción. El proyecto NACT del grupo PACTE / Towards a European Framework of competence levels in translation. The NACT project by PACTE group (ed. with P. Rodríguez-Inés, 2022); and Translation as a Cognitive Activity (with F. Alves, 2025). Her publications include articles in Meta, ACROSS, The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, TTR (Traduction, Terminologie, Rédaction), Perspectives, Onomazein, MonTI, etc. She is also director of the Aprender a traducir series.