The European Commission cooperates closely with universities external link which provide conference interpreting training to ensure high level professional standards.
Although the Commission does not itself organise training courses in interpretation, we provide both on-site and remote assistance by experienced trainers, as well as grants to universities and bursaries for students.
On-site assistance
Training assistanceexternal link
Upon request, we provide on-site training at our partner universities conducted by DG Interpretation’s trainers with years of experience in conference interpreting and practical training techniques. This form of training can be tailored to the specific needs of the universities.
Study visits to DG Interpretationexternal link
Visits to DG Interpretation allow student interpreters to familiarise themselves with the workings of the Institutions and, in particular, the work of interpreters in meetings. The students sit in on meetings and interpret in dummy booths with their trainers, thereby acquiring a taste of their future working lives.
SCiCLOUD
SCiCLOUD consists of a wide range of digital resources (such as training videos and the Speech Repository), as well as interactive services in the form of virtual classes.
Virtual classes
We offer interactive virtual classes where our experienced interpretation trainers guide and assess students remotely via video conferencing. Naturally, Virtual Classes require an existing, compatible video-conference system (more info: SCIC-VIRTUAL-CLASS@ec.europa.euexternal link). 25 universities across Europe have already joined our 'virtual classroom'.
Speech Repository 2.0
The Speech Repositoryexternal link is an e-learning tool developed by DG Interpretation which provides tailor-made training material for conference interpreting students and trainers. It contains a collection of video-recorded speeches organised by language, level of difficulty, type of interpreting mode and subject. You have immediate access to more than 3,000 speeches but using the e-learning tool requires registration.
SCICtrain
SCICtrain is a brand new collection of video modules which cover the wide array of interpretation techniques, tools and resources through demonstrations, personal tips, and brief 'lectures' from our experienced professional interpreters and trainers.
Podcastsexternal link
European Commission interpreter podcasts address different issues in interpreting, some technical, some more philosophical. Listen to senior professionals talk about their experience and their work in international conferences.
Grants to Universities
We provide financial support to a selection of projects to ensure that a sufficient number of qualified conference interpreters are available to enable the European Union's institutions to function properly: e.g. post-graduate conference interpreting courses, cross-border cooperation projects and/or innovative projects enhancing the quality or the development of new technologies in conference interpreting teaching.
10 universities benefited from such subsidies in 2014-2015 pdf - 172 KB [172 KB] and 11 universities in 2015-2016 pdf - 234 KB [234 KB] .
Work programme 2016 pdf - 189 KB [189 KB]
Bursaries
Do you want to become a conference interpreter? You may be eligible for a study bursaryexternal link from DG Interpretation.
Work programme 2016 pdf - 189 KB [189 KB]
SCIC-Universities conference
Once a year, DG Interpretation holds a Universities Conferenceexternal link with participants from Universities, national governments and European and International Institutions.
