The College of Graduate Studies hosted Prof. Yves Gambier from the University of Turku, Finland, as a visiting expert to evaluate the Master’s Program in Translation at the College of Arts. The meeting was attended by Acting Dean of the College of Graduate Studies, Prof. Ahmed Al-Mekhyal, Acting Dean of the College of Arts and Head of the Arts Program, Prof. Faisal Al-Kandari, Director of the Master’s Program in Translation, Prof. Mashael Al-Hamali, as well as Dr. Mohammed bin Nasser, Assistant Professor of Translation, and Dr. Abdullah Bazi'e, Assistant Professor of Translation Studies.
At the outset, the visiting expert noted that the Master’s in Translation - Linguistics and Translation Teaching specialization is one of the distinguished programs at Kuwait University. He emphasized that it adds great value to the academic offerings, especially through the engagement of distinguished faculty members and the interactive work between students and professors. He also addressed the admission policy for the Translation Master’s Program.
Prof. Gambier emphasized the importance of identifying the link between the Master’s program and the Bachelor’s degree in English Language - College of Arts, and the need to establish a strong connection between the two. He reviewed the course syllabus and expressed satisfaction with the program’s performance and objectives, highlighting several key points: the program is highly theoretical and needs to incorporate more practical translation training, there is a need for consistency across course offerings, outdated concepts in the graduation plan should be updated through the use of modern technology, the department should offer workshops and training courses for faculty members to enhance their teaching and applied translation skills.
Additionally, he stressed the importance of organizing research seminars for students to support academic writing and the use of technology in research, especially given the rapid technological advancements in the field today.