It is my great privilege to welcome you to the Department of Translation and Interpretation at NUML and present my thoughts about a career in translation in an increasingly multilingual, multicultural and global world. Translation has always played a vital role in human communication and of late its importance has grown dramatically as the volume of information and ideas exchanged between different language areas has increased exponentially. Communication has always been essential to our shared existence, and translation is one of the prime means of communication. So foundational is the role of translation in communication that the award-winning American author and translator Ken Liu had once said: “Every act of communication is a miracle of translation”. The increase in and diversification of individual as well as economic, political, scientific, and cultural contacts across linguistic and geographical barriers have led to an unprecedented number of translators and interpreters. Today there are precisely millions of inter-lingual and cross-lingual contacts around the globe every minute. In all such situations, it is translation which helps us steer our course through an otherwise incomprehensible jumble of sounds and gestures. One cannot help agreeing with George Steiner who perceptively remarked: “Without translation, we would inhabit parishes bordering on silence.” For exactly these reasons, translation industry today has grown into one of the largest global businesses. According to the report on “The Language Services Market: 2018” by Common Sense Advisory (CSA), the global market for translation services and technology will increase to $56.18 billion by 2021. Keeping these facts and arguments in mind, the role and significance of translation cannot be overstated.

Looking forward, and I strongly urge you to think of planning a career in translation today and let the future speak through you tomorrow.

Dr. Jamil Asghar Jami
Director, Department of Translation & Interpretation, NUML 
HEC-Approved Supervisor
Member, Translators without Borders (TWBs)
Research Fellowship in Translation Studies (USA)
PhD English Linguistics (Translation Studies)
MA Philosophy (Distinction)
MA Political Science (Distinction) 
MA English , Linguistics & English Literature