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The Translation & Interpreting Practice programme at DUT subscribe to its vision and mission which is in line with the DUT vision of “Making knowledge useful” in a university of technology.

The staff and students in Translation & Interpreting Practice have engaged the community through applied research by participating in several activities in the province and in the country in order to achieve the core business of Teaching and Learning; Research and Community service. Translation & Interpreting Practice, together with the company called “translate.org” was the first and only university in KwaZulu-Natal which hosted two Translate-athons where all the computer terms were translated into isiZulu. TIP, as the only university which offers Sign Language as a subject, in collaboration with the KZN Deaf Association, trained the Sign Language trainers in South African Sign Language (SASL).

In a number of years, Translation & Interpreting Practice, in partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Language Committee (KZN PLC) which is a substructure of the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) and the Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism has hosted the International Translation Day, the International Mother-Tongue Day. Both these events are annual events which are celebrated internationally. Also, Translation & Interpreting Practice in collaboration with the South African Translators’ Institute (SATI) has hosted the SATI’s 50th anniversary. SATI, has in a number of years continues to provide bursaries for the students who study translation and interpreting. Translation & Interpreting Practice has also hosted the June 16 commemoration, where the language issues are addressed by different scholars in the field.

The Translation & Interpreting Practice staff are usually invited as guest speakers by other universities, nationally and internationally to speak on language, translation and interpreting including issues on SASL. The staff members continue to provide translation and interpreting services for both the government and private companies or organizations.

The Translation & Interpreting Practice students normally do their Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and eventually get employment in the South African parliament (in Cape Town), the provincial legislatures (in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape), the SABC and for several magazines.

The Translation & Interpreting Practice curriculum is kept abreast consultation with the industry liaisons in the field of language, translation and interpreting.