As part of its internationalization strategy, the School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music is delighted to announce the recent signing of an articulated agreement with Renmin University of China.

Professor Jianping Wang, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages of Renmin University of China, and Professor Michael Whitby, Head of the College of Arts & Law at the University of Birmingham, signed a Memorandum of Understanding relating to articulated programmes involving Birmingham’s MA in Translation Studies and MA in Chinese-English Interpreting.

Professor Jianping Wang, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages of Renmin University of China, and Professor Michael Whitby, Head of the College of Arts & Law at the University of Birmingham signing the Memorandum of Understanding, with (left to right) D

Professor Jianping Wang, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages of Renmin University of China, and Professor Michael Whitby, Head of the College of Arts & Law at the University of Birmingham signing the Memorandum of Understanding, with (left to right) Dr Berny Sèbe, Prof. Andrew Ginger and Prof. Diao Keli in attendance.

The official visit from the Renmin delegation, composed of Professor Wang, as well as Professor Diao Keli, Associate Dean of the School of Foreign Languages, has also opened potential avenues of collaboration in terms of research and teaching in Modern Languages. We have initiated in parallel a wider reflection on the purpose and remit of Modern Languages in our globalized world, with a view to developing crucial cooperation in a vital area for our subjects.

Renmin is an institution enjoying a leading position in China, ranked nationally in the top 5 by the China University Ranking. It enjoys a particularly strong reputation in the Humanities, and the School is delighted to develop this privileged partnership involving research and education activities.

Visit of the Translation and Interpreting Lab, with Dr Xiaohui Yuan, Lecturer in Interpreting and Translation Studies in LCAHM,  explaining its operation to Prof. Wang and Keli and Dr Sèbe.

Visit of the Translation and Interpreting Lab, with Dr Xiaohui Yuan, Lecturer in Interpreting and Translation Studies in LCAHM,  explaining its operation to Prof. Wang and Keli and Dr Sèbe.

Commenting on this development, the Head of School, Professor Andrew Ginger, stressed the importance of internationalization in today’s global higher education market. Dr Berny Sèbe, the organizer of this visit in his capacity as Head of Internationalization, underlined how genuine intellectual channels between East and West, such as the one which has just taken shape, are crucial to ensuring that academia’s universal relevance is upheld in an ever-changing world. This event, which has benefited from the support of the University of Birmingham’s China Institute, has provided solid groundwork for a variety of bilateral links, including staff and student exchanges. These connections will keep developing over the coming months, nurturing what we anticipate will be a very stimulating long-term process of intellectual exchanges around key issues relating to the teaching of Modern Languages, Translation and Interpreting.

Photography: © Victoria Beddoes, CAL Webteam.