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Emergency and Disaster Interpreting in Türkiye

Title: Emergency and Disaster Interpreting in Türkiye

Guest Speaker: Dr Rana Kahraman DuruLink opens in a new window (Dept of Translation and Interpretation, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University, Istanbul, Türkiye)

Convenor: Dr Emrah AtasoyLink opens in a new window Link opens in a new wind (English and Comparative Literary Studies & Institute of Advanced Study)

Date-Venue: 29 May 2023 Monday, 12:00-14:00 (GMT+1), TEAMSLink opens in a new window

Dear Colleagues,

We warmly invite you to our guest Dr Rana Kahraman Duru's talk “Emergency and Disaster Interpreting in Türkiye" held at 12:00 on Monday 29th May 2023.

The ARÇ Team (Emergency and Disaster Interpreters) was started after the great earthquake of 1999 in Türkiye; it was composed of different people from diverse backgrounds brought together and created an almost homogeneous group of agents which exists for a single purpose; providing interpreting services for foreign rescue and relief teams and facilitating communication between diverse cultures and settings. Emergency and Disaster Interpreters (ARÇ) as a Turkish Model aimed to be presented as an example of linguistic mediation and cultural facilitation in multilingual working environments vulnerable to disasters. ARÇ demonstrated its rapid response by deploying qualified volunteers and resources to the Kahramanmaraş earthquake site on February 6, 2023, following the catastrophic event that resulted in unparalleled devastation, fatalities, and injuries. ARÇ effectively utilised its highest volunteer interpreter deployment, collaborating with interpreting NGOs and coordinating supplementary volunteer lists as required. This event aims to present and reveal how ARÇ like organisations are necessary for community interpreting with the experience of 23 years and these recent earthquakes.

Dr Rana Kahraman Duru is an Assistant Professor and the Head of the Translation and Interpreting Department at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University. She completed her undergraduate degree in American Culture and Literature at İstanbul University in 1999. She obtained her M.A. and PhD in Translation Studies from the same faculty in 2003 and 2010. Dr Duru began her academic career as an assistant at İstanbul University's Department of Translation and Interpreting from 2000 to 2011. In 2008, she conducted pre-doctoral research at Bonn University, Germany, as part of the Erasmus program. As an Assistant Professor, she has given lectures on conference interpreting and community interpreting at various institutions, including İstanbul University, Yeni Yüzyıl University, Yeditepe University, and Marmara University Translation and Interpreting Departments. Since April 2021, Dr Duru has held the Head of the Translation and Interpreting Department position at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University. Additionally, she has been working as a conference interpreter since 2000. Dr Duru is a member and former General Secretary of the Translation and Interpreting Association in Turkey. She conducts studies and academic research on interpreting studies, community interpreting, ARÇ- Emergency and Disaster Interpreting, translation and interpreting for/with refugees, translation theories and translation history.

*This is an online event.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Best wishes,

Dr Emrah Atasoy