Mission Statement

Building on its decades-long tradition, CETRA – the Centre for Translation Studies, driven by the Translation Studies Research Unit of the KU Leuven Faculty of Arts, wants to move forward as a diversified collective of internationally recognised experts, including scholars from outside Europe, who share the ambition not only to follow but also to steer current developments and trends in translation studies.

Advocating an open notion of “translation” (e.g., textual transfer practices such as interpreting, adaptation, localization, rewriting, etc.), CETRA wants to expand the field of translation studies and embrace recent methodologies (e.g., digital humanities) in order to strengthen its intrinsic intellectual vitality as well as its relevance for the humanities and for society.

In more specific terms, CETRA wants to focus on research training, primarily by continuing to organise a yearly, intensive and interactive state-of-theart Research Summer School. Its participants include PhD and postdoctoral researchers representing a wide range of disciplinary and geographical backgrounds. Participation in the Summer School should help participants shape and refine their research projects, and also empower them to engage in international scholarly debates about translation in all its aspects. In addition, it should advance the careers of the participants both within and outside academia, as well as offering personal enrichment.

Working together with partner institutes and centres, CETRA also aims to organise a regular programme of lectures, to be made widely accessible to all interested scholars and students.

CETRA wants to continue playing a leading role in international debates about the future of PhD programmes and research education more generally, in a conscious effort to respond to continuously changing scientific, professional and societal needs.

By organising and promoting conferences and symposia, and by developing its book series in translation studies, CETRA wants to serve as a platform for scholars to discuss cutting-edge issues in the field, thus building synergy between researchers from different backgrounds and traditions.

CETRA wants to widen the intellectual horizon of translation studies through debate and discussion by hosting visiting scholars for short or long stays and by collaborating with relevant research centres.