History

A six-year translation program was introduced to Wenzao Ursuline Junior College of Modern Languages in 1987.

　Eight groups of translation students had graduated by1999.

　Experienced translators and interpreters were invited to Wenzao to share their experience with students and faculty.

Szuyuan Translation Service, a subsidiary of Wenzao, was set up in 1990.

　Szuyuan Translation Service started to offer students opportunities to practice translation and interpreting and increase their hands-on experience.

Wenzao Ursuline Junior College of Modern Languages became Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages in 1999 and the Department of English started to offer translation and interpreting courses.

　Simultaneous interpreting booths as sophisticated as those of the United Nations and the European Union were introduced.

　Staff members accumulated richer experience in teaching translation and interpreting.

In 2005, the Department of Translation and Interpreting (DTI) was established.

　27 students were enrolled in the Two-Year College Division and 47 in the Four-Year College Division at the DTI in 2005.

　All faculty members are PhD or M.A. degree holders from translation centers overseas or from graduate institutes of translation and interpreting in Taiwan. With backgrounds of long-term practice in professional translation and interpreting, Wenzao DTI teaching team is the most professional one in Taiwan.

　Our objectives are focused on training our students to become professional interpreters and translators with hands-on experience.

　Dr. Ho, Chair of the DTI, and two DTI students visited the European Union, the Interpretation Center of the European Union, and the department of translation and interpreting of three universities in Belgium in November 2005.

2006 has witnessed new developments at the DTI of Wenzao.

　Five DTI students visited Shanghai International Studies University and its Graduate Instituteof Interpretation and Translation in May 2006.

　Professor Frans De Laet, former Director of ISTI (Institut supérieur de traducteurs et interprètes) in Belgium, and several other teachers were recruited to teach in the DTI in August 2006.

　Teaching staff increased from 4 full-time teachers in 2005 to 5 full-time, 2 part-time and 2 contract teachers in 2006.

　26 students were enrolled in the Two-Year College Division and 61 in the Four-Year College Division at the DTI in September 2006.

　Four DTI students were selected to study at ISTI in Brussels, Belgium in September 2006.

　The DTI Teaching Excellence Program started to operate in September 2006.

　After-school English programs and French classes began to be offered to DTI students in September 2006.

　The Digital Training Lab for Professional Translators and Interpreters, where translation memory software TRADOS and English teaching and testing software are installed, is open to DTI students on the 4th floor of the new 16-storey Research and Conference Centre in December 2006.

　Up to 10 Year Four DTI students will be trained at Elite Translation Co. Ltd. in Taipei, the largest translation company in Taiwan, for six months starting from February 2007.

　More than 10 cooperation contracts have been signed between the DTI of Wenzao and businesses in private and public sectors, as well as volunteer service organizations in Taiwan since the establishment of the DTI.

　The second group of DTI students will go to ISTI to study in September 2007.

　Also under way are plans to establish cooperation programs between the DTI of Wenzao and its counterpart departments in Australian universities.