MA student of CITS Takes Part in Student Track of Translation Forum Russia 2021

Not only CITS professors but also our students have taken part in Russia’s major T & I forum. Karine Melkonyan, a second-year student of the Master’s degree programme in translation, shares her impressions of the forum:

“It’s the first time I’ve joined an event that is entirely dedicated to our professional activity, and I really regretted that I missed such events during my bachelor years. I went to the forum with particular goals: firstly, to get inspired, and secondly, to choose the topic for my thesis, to identify the pressing issues in our professional environment and to understand which of them are really relevant to me. I achieved the desired goals, however it turned out that the forum could give me much more, that is, the T & I community.

The forum programme was divided into the main and student events. I was surrounded by peers from language educational institutions from all over the country. It was cool to compare educational programmes, to get to know about our colleagues’ professional ambitions and accomplishments, to exchange useful resources for work and education, to make friends on Instagram.

I understood that all foreign-language students have a common problem: all of us fear to show ourselves; we believe that we aren’t good enough and know nothing, and what is more, there is lack of job opportunities due to the current tough competition. These attitudes were particularly noticeable during some lectures, but Vadim Sdobnikov always came on time to give us significant support. I remember him saying there is enough work for everyone and we all will find our place if we strive for constant development.

We spoke a lot about audiovisual translation, computer game localization, work in extremely specialized spheres such as law or oil and gas. We interacted with both translation companies and independent freelancers. Many young but already successful professionals delivered speeches, shared their experience and even contact details, told about traineeships and professional courses they had completed, gave advice on the types of career start and the ways to begin. I really hope that next year I will have an opportunity to join the forum and that there will be more students from Astrakhan.”