Closing the Industry-Academia Gap in Translation Education; Exploring Collaborative Strategies as Tools for Effective Curriculum Alignment

Abstract

The translation industry has evolved extensively to reflect the transformations in the communication industry and the impacts of the technological advancements. As such, this paper explored the implications of closing the gap between academic and industry systems in the training of translation graduates. The aim is to explore collaboration strategies to bring translation practice experts and lecturers together to enhance the productivity of translation graduates. A total of 97 critical stakeholders were engaged in this quantitative survey. Data was collected through digitally designed questionnaire and analysis was conducted using relevant statistical measures. The survey's results show that, when it comes to integrating industry involvement into translation education programmes, participants typically see methods like guest lectures, internships, advisory boards, industry events, and communication channels favourably. These tactics are essential for closing the knowledge gap between business and academia and improving students' readiness for the translation field. However, the ambivalent and often contradictory answers indicate that putting these tactics into practise could need giving them some thought and perhaps tailoring them to the particular requirements and setting of translation education initiatives. Additional investigation and examination of optimal methodologies are necessary to maximise the efficacy of these approaches in mitigating the disparity between industry and academics. The results of this survey highlight the positive attitudes expressed by participants towards the potential influence of cooperation between professionals in the translation sector and educators in the development of curriculum design. The statement emphasises the general agreement that these collaborations have considerable potential in improving the preparedness of translation graduates for the evolving demands of the profession. The results of this study are consistent with the current body of research on the cooperation between business and academia in the area of translation education. These findings highlight the potential advantages of such collaboration in equipping graduates with the necessary skills and flexibility for prosperous careers in the translation sector.