Universities to address lack of translators in UAE

DUBAI // Two universities are trying to address the country's lack of trained translators.

The Canadian University of Dubai (CUD) will launch a bachelor's degree in English language and translation this term. Until now, most translation degrees have been at postgraduate level.

And the American University of Dubai (AUD) is to open an Arabic language and translation institute this year and start offering a translation degree next year.

Between them, they will address what experts say are two key problems of translation in the UAE: that translation training is often an afterthought; and that translators' skills are not suited to the fields in which they end up working.

The head of department at CUD, Dr Kathy O'Sullivan, hopes an undergraduate degree will encourage students to consider the field as a career option.

"What happened in this country is that people would start to work as translators usually because they spoke the language," said Dr O'Sullivan.

Only later did they realise they needed training, she said.

The degree will focus on preparing students to work in fields such as law, engineering or media.

Students must reach an International English Language Testing System score of 6 - higher than the 5.5 score needed for federal university but lower than is needed for other schools, such as the American University of Sharjah, which requires 6.5.

Students will also be interviewed and submit written work to ensure their interpretation skills match their reading and writing.

"We want the students to have a high level of Arabic as much as we want them to be strong in English," said Dr O'Sullivan.

UAE-based students, even those of Arab origin, are often stronger in written English than Arabic.

She said many sectors, including health, lack trained translators.

"In the UAE, people often think of translation in terms of literature … but [that] doesn't mean you can translate a medical text," added Dr O'Sullivan.

The media, especially television, face a similar problem, said Ali Jaber, the dean of AUD's new college and the group director of television at MBC.

Across the region, 70,000 people work in television at more than 1,100 stations.

"When you translate blogs, Twitter, online material, it's different to translate classical works from a foreign language into Arabic," said Mr Jaber. "With the explosion of news channels and broadcasters in the Arab world, it's a necessity that the media outlets cover foreign stories, which requires the editors and the presenters to know a foreign language, or at least have some translations of the material they're exposed to."

Other jobs, such as dubbing, are in huge demand and require expertise, with Arabic channels increasingly showing series from countries including South Korea and Turkey.

"Writing is at the heart of everything to do with the media," said Mr Jaber. "You write an ad, a movie, blogs. It's stupid to graduate Arab journalists who can only read and write in English. It's completely pointless."

But such degrees have not always thrived. The American University of Sharjah (AUS) dropped its bachelor's course in English and Arabic translation in 2003 because of a lack of interest.

The head of Arabic and Translation Studies at AUS, Prof Ronak Husni, bemoans the low status of language degrees.

"Language is looked down upon," he said. "Men do engineering and women do subjects like law and international studies. For translation, students would rather go to study this in Europe."

The University of Sharjah has had more success with its master's degree in translation, with former students working in government departments, media and embassies.

The university's chair of English language and literature, Dr Abdul Sahib Ali, blames the decline of classical Arabic for the decline of degrees such as translation.

"People tend to use the colloquial, daily Arabic. Standard Arabic is rarely used these days," said Dr Ali.

mswan@thenational.ae

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

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6.30pm: Al Khaleej Al Arabi – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Hawafez, Adrie de Vries, Abubakar Daud

7pm: Al Mafraq – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi

7.30pm: Al Samha – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Celestial Spheres, Patrick Cosgrave, Ismail Mohammed

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Based: Cairo, Egypt

Industry: technology, logistics

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Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
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Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

Tips to stay safe during hot weather

Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.

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To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.

The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.

Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.

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