The Translation and Interpreting Institute (TII) at Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), officially announced obtaining the validation for its Master of Arts in Translation Studies from the University of Geneva. With this endorsement, TII is now recognized as offering both the first graduate degree in translation in the State of Qatar as well as the first externally validated graduate degree at HBKU.
 
A ceremonial event recognizing TII’s achievement was held on May 5th at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) with members of both HBKU and TII’s faculty in attendance, as well as senior representatives and the validation committee from the University of Geneva. During the event Dr. David Prior, Executive Vice President and Provost of Hamad bin Khalifa University, commented: “Receiving this validation from the University of Geneva for the Master of Arts in Translation Studies is the first in what will hopefully be a long line of academic accomplishments on which HBKU, will continue to build. HBKU will seek to work and partner with other world-renown institutions as it continues to develop academic programs designed to prepare students to contribute to the future of Qatar.”
 
With this validation, TII receives the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting (FTI) Quality Label from the University of Geneva. This honour is awarded to MATS program that have been reviewed and assessed by the University of Geneva. During the validation process, TII received a delegation of selected University of Geneva faculty and staff, including Dr. Stéphane Berthet, Secretary General of the University of Geneva and Chair of the Certification Committee. The process began in April of 2013, with the FTI Certification Committee completing the validation process of the Master in Arts in Translation Studies in May of 2014.

Addressing the validation achievement, Dr. Amal Al-Malki, Executive Director of TII stated:  “Obtaining the FTI quality label from the University of Geneva is a testimony that TII is indeed on the right track in realizing its vision of offering top-class translation and interpreting postgraduate programs and working towards Qatar National Vision 2030. We have attracted faculty members with international profiles and sound research records, as well as certified professional translators with different language combinations to create a program upon which translation and interpreting will be built both in Qatar and the Gulf region.”
 
The validation initiative was spearheaded by TII’s Director of Postgraduate Studies and Research, Dr. Moneera Al-Ghadeer who supervised the process said on achieving this prestigious recognition: “In line with our vision to offer quality translation and professional training in Qatar, we have sought to obtain international validation for our Master of Arts in Translation Studies. We have worked diligently towards achieving international validation from the University of Geneva since the inception of our academic program.”

TII’s achievement of the FTI Quality Label from University of Geneva is a great accomplishment, and will provide a platform of opportunity for TII’s current and future students entering the global market and offer a number of opportunities to pursue their PhD. Those who recently graduated from Hamad bin Khalifa University during Convocation 2014 will have earned a degree not only characterized by the quality of TII and HBKU, but also internationally recognized and endorsed by one of the world’s most renowned translation institutes.