Admission requirements
In addition to LIAS PhD students, this course is open to students of the MA Middle Eastern Studies (research and the MA Asian Studies (research). Interested students from other relevant PhD and Research MA programmes are kindly advised to contact the course convener and the education coordinator before registering for this course.
Description
THE USES OF TRANSLATION
Translation is everywhere, and it is never innocent. It is driven by curiosity but also by pragmatic needs; it raises questions of authenticity and appropriation; it reflects power relations, norms, and values; and yet it rarely comes under scrutiny, even if we engage with it all the time and it helps shape our lives. Taking a text in one language and reproducing it in another is a complex activity shaped by many different actors and factors—not to mention the notion of cultural translation, which has gained traction over the last few decades (and, according to some, need not involve more than one language). Translation operates in vastly different places: from bookstores to courtrooms, from philological analysis to ethnographic fieldwork, and so on. This course invites you to explore the notion and the experience of translation in an interdisciplinary conversation, and to link this exploration to your own research and that of others. We will work from various angles summed up in real-world keywords (e.g. empire, gender, globalization, artificial intelligence) but also look at translation in different ecologies of scholarship (e.g. philology, ethnography, archival work). Throughout, we will ask: What is being translated? By whom, and for whom? To what effect? What questions does this raise?
Course objectives
An awareness of issues surrounding the notion of translation
The ability to position your interests in a wider landscape of academic inquiry
Sensitivity to your positionality in scholarship and that of others
Academic skills (e.g. reading outside your field, academic debate, presenting, writing)
Generic skills (e.g. teamwork, group work).
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
The deadlines for paper submission in MyTimetable are set for administrative purposes only. The actual deadlines are set (for ResMA students only) by the course convener after consultation of the students, at a date that enables marking and administrative processing within maximally six weeks after the Seminar’s final session.
Mode of instruction
Seminar.
Attendance and active participation are obligatory for seminars. Students are required to prepare for and attend all sessions. The course convener needs to be informed without delay of any classes missed because of illness or misadventure. In these cases it is at the discretion of the course convener(s) whether or not you will have to compensate by doing an extra assignment. Missing class for no valid reason and/or failing to notify the convener of your absence can result in a no-pass grade for the course or exclusion from it.
Assignments may include web posts, presentations, moderating the discussion etc, at the discretion of the convener.
Assessment method
ResMA students take the course for credit and will write a paper worth about 70 hours of work. The course convener will provide Information on the requirements for the paper at the start of the course.
Academic integrity
Students should familiarize themselves with the notion of academic integrity and the ways in which this plays out in their own work. A good place to start is this page. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students may not substantially reuse texts they have previously submitted in this or other courses. Minor overlap with previous work is allowed as long as it is duly noted in citation.
Students must submit their assignment(s) to Brightspace through Turnitin, so they can be checked for plagiarism. Submission via email is not accepted.
ChatGPT: What is possible and what is allowed? Dos and Don'ts.
Assessment and weighing
| Partial Assessment | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Contributions to in-class debate and any assignments (see above) | 50% |
| A paper (see above) | 50% |
The final mark for this course is formed by the weighted average.
In order to pass the course, students must obtain an passing grade, i.e. 5.50 (=6) or higher, for both components of the assessment.
The course is an integrated whole. All assessment parts must be completed in the same academic year. No partial marks can be carried over into following years.
Inspection and feedback
Feedback will be supplied primarily through Brightspace. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the assessment results, a review will be organized.
Reading list
Prior to the start of the course, the course convener will provide detailed information on the material to be reviewed and any other preparatory activities for each session through Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office Herta Mohr
Remarks
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