“Izmir University of Economics Leaves Its Mark on the Translators Contest”

Türkan Şimal Geyik, a student in the Department of English Translation and Interpreting at Izmir University of Economics (IUE), ranked third in the “14th Young Translators Contest” organized by the Directorate for EU Affairs. A total of 164 students from 47 universities across Türkiye took part in the contest, where criteria such as accuracy of meaning in translation, fluency and naturalness of language, use of terminology, grammar and spelling were evaluated. Geyik, whose translation was highly appreciated by the jury, also earned the right to participate in the “European Union Basic Training Program” organized by ATAUM thanks to her achievement. Geyik will receive her award at a ceremony to be held at the Directorate for EU Affairs in Ankara on June 8.

Organized since 2010 with the aim of raising awareness among young translators preparing for the profession about Türkiye’s EU accession process and contributing to the training of qualified human resources in this field, the contest saw students compete to produce the best translation. In this challenging competition, Türkan Şimal Geyik, a fourth-year student in the Department of English Translation and Interpreting at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at IUE, successfully won an award by ranking third.

“MY INSTRUCTORS SUPPORTED ME A LOT”

Stating that she entered the contest with the encouragement of her academics, Geyik said, “During the preparation process, our Dean Prof. Dr. Neslihan Yetkiner, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ilgın Aktener, and our research assistants Aslı Melike Soylu and Doğa Taşlı supported me a lot. I translated texts published in the Official Journal of the European Union that my instructors brought, as well as various texts I found myself. My instructors gave me the necessary feedback and pointed out the areas I needed to improve. Since I also had exams, oral exams and presentations during the same period, it was a very intense process for me. While preparing for the contest, I was also memorizing the terms in the EU acquis book down to the smallest detail. Even the slightest word or spelling mistake could lead to a loss of points,” she said.

“I AM HAPPY AND PROUD”

Expressing her great happiness at achieving success in such a challenging contest, Geyik said, “I first learned that I had ranked in the contest through a message from a friend. I was very surprised and happy. Throughout the day, because of my excitement, I kept going back to the website where the results were announced and checking it again and again. In a field such as EU texts, which requires serious and in-depth knowledge of terminology, having my translation appreciated by experts in the field is a great source of pride for me. I am also very happy to have brought this award to my university. I would like to thank all my instructors who contributed to my development,” she said.

“MY GOAL IS TO GO ABROAD”

Stating that the achievement she earned and the EU Program training she qualified for have given her an important advantage, Geyik said, “After graduating, I aim to pursue a master’s degree abroad. After gaining experience in the field of the EU or foreign affairs, I may also choose to pursue an academic career in the future,” she said.

“THE RESULT OF DISCIPLINED WORK”

Prof. Dr. Neslihan Yetkiner, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at IUE, stated that they were proud of their student’s achievement and said, “Şimal’s success in the translation contest is an important indicator of disciplined work, language competence and academic guidance. The Young Translators Contest makes a significant contribution to increasing the visibility of the translation profession and strengthening the academic motivation of translation studies students. While I sincerely congratulate our student, who has added yet another achievement to the successful results our department’s students have earned over the years, I also wholeheartedly congratulate our valuable faculty members who contributed to the process with their efforts and guidance,” she said.