NEWS

Home » News & Blog » University of Leeds launches innovative interpreting suite with help from leading technology suppliers
NEWS | 17 Dec 2018

University of Leeds launches innovative interpreting suite with help from leading technology suppliers

We have been working with the University of Leeds to relaunch their upgraded and innovative interpreter training suite.

The team at buk Solutions have integrated with language teaching software provider Sanako UK, to offer a bespoke interpretation suite for the University’s Centre for Translation Studies (CTS).

Students will now have access to two interpreting labs equipped with the latest interpreting technology. In addition, CTS students also have access to two translation labs that are fully equipped with 60 workstations plus an extensive range of specialist software for translation, subtitling, and project management. 

Dr Alina Secară, Lecturer in Translation Studies and manager of the upgrade project commented on the new facilities following the overall £80,000 upgrade: “We’re very excited by this key investment. The new equipment will enhance the offering of a number of our existing courses, including the MA Conference Interpreting and Translation Studies which is included in the directory of good interpreting programmes by the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC).

“This lab will further ensure that students are trained to use modern information and communication technologies in their workplace and we will continue to align our infrastructure with that of international institutions and the professional commercial sector.”

After winning a competitive tender, our team at buk and Sanako collaborated closely to design a hi-tech solution which provides students with sophisticated learning resources and a setting that reflects that of real-life multilingual conferences and seminars. Both are major benefits in preparing students for their chosen careers.

Together with Sanako, earlier in the year we completed a similar installation at Queens University Belfast. However, the Leeds project benefited from extensive upgraded software as our Business Development Manager, Duncan Conway, explains:

 “We are proud that our collaboration with Sanako has produced an advanced learning and teaching resource for students at the University of Leeds. We have installed some of the most advanced equipment available, using an audio over IP network that eliminates extensive cabling and more importantly enables the University to run the system on its existing building network, making it simple for students to access with no disruption or confusion.”

David Binns, Director for UK Operations at Sanako, added: “Bringing together buk’s advanced conferencing technology with our market-leading language learning and voice recognition software takes interpreter training to the next level, giving universities and other course providers a real edge in what they are able to offer their students, either inside the interpreting suite or for practising remotely – another first in the interpreter training market.”

Sanako software is used by the majority of higher educational establishments in the UK for their language learning while buk Solutions currently have systems installed in 12 universities in the United Kingdom.

Professor Matthew Treherne, Head of School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, concluded: “The interpreting suites are crucial to our international ambitions, especially in terms of building key partnerships and our plans for growth in international recruitment. They also offer a valuable showcase for our outstanding activities in interpreting and translation.

“Because the facilities also support partnerships with international organisations such as the UN and the EU institutions, they help strengthen the University’s links with those partners overall, and therefore can help drive collaboration across a wide range of disciplines.”

TALK TO A REPRESENTATIVE TODAY






    NEED TO KNOW MORE?

    Give us a call on:
    01223 411601

    or

    PTZ CAMERA

    Unparalleled control

    Expert camera units, seamlessly linked to your AV system

    In any environment, whether it be at a conference, board room or court room, it is essential that those in the space can see the person who is speaking. In these scenarios, the most practical method of tracking the speaker is to direct the camera to the microphone location using camera control software.