Fathi M. A. Ahmed Co-Leds Workshop at University of Leeds on Working with International Organizations
Fathi M. A. Ahmed Co-Leds Workshop at University of Leeds on Working with International Organizations
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Leeds, 30 June 2025
As part of the pre-Congress programme of the European Society for Translation Studies Congress at the University of Leeds, Fathi M. A. Ahmed co-led the workshop Working with International Organisations, alongside Natalie Lowe of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Summer Mouallem, Owner and Director of Arabic Translation Solutions Limited and a freelance conference and public service interpreter. The session was facilitated by Prof. Hanem El-Farahaty, Professor in Comparative Linguistics, Translation, and Interpreting at the University of Leeds.
Held in person on the morning of Monday, 30 June 2025, the workshop formed part of the long-standing EST Congress tradition of offering pre-Congress professional development sessions. Like the other four workshops offered that morning, it was fully subscribed, with 30 participants attending.
The workshop offered an up-to-date perspective on working with international organisations, guiding participants through the many pathways available to language professionals seeking careers in multilingual institutional settings. Drawing on the facilitators’ extensive professional networks and experience, the session brought together insights from seasoned translators, editors, and interpreters who discussed the realities of working with international organisations in a variety of capacities.
Particular attention was given to the application process and assessment tests commonly used by international organisations, helping participants better understand what such institutions look for in candidates and how applicants can prepare strategically. The workshop also explored the range of working arrangements available in this sector, including in-house and freelance positions, internships, and consultancy roles. In doing so, it shed light on both entry points into the field and the professional demands associated with each type of appointment.
Ahmed, identified in the workshop materials as Arabic Translation Team Leader at the Centre for International Law Research and Policy (CILRAP) and Translation Consultant to the United Nations system, contributed to the discussion from the perspective of a practitioner with deep experience in international institutional environments. Together with his co-speakers, he helped participants better understand the skills, flexibility, and subject-matter awareness required to navigate the highly specialized world of international organisations.
The session also addressed the evolving role of Machine Translation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in international organisations, a topic of growing relevance across the language professions. Participants were introduced to the technological platforms used in such settings and invited to reflect on the opportunities and challenges that new tools present in diverse professional environments. This discussion highlighted not only the increasing importance of digital competence, but also the need for critical judgment when working in contexts where precision, consistency, and institutional standards are essential.
By combining practical guidance with first-hand professional insight, the workshop gave participants a clearer and more realistic understanding of what it means to work with international organisations today. It also underscored the diversity of roles available in the sector and the importance of informed preparation for those aiming to build careers in translation and interpreting within international institutions.
The Local Organising Committee expressed its thanks to Visit Britain and Visit England for funding four of the workshops, and to Conference Leeds and Leeds City Council for their support in the application process.
Beyond the workshop itself, Ahmed attended several Congress sessions that examined the changing role of AI in translation and interpreting such as panels and roundtables on topics such as Adapting to Change: The Impact of Generative AI on Translator Education, AI-enabled Accessibility, Changes to the Economic Value of Translation in the Face of AI, Ethics and Multilingual Communication Using Generative AI, GenAI in Domain-specific Translation and Interpreting Studies, Fostering Human-Centred, Augmented Machine Translation, and Reshaping Interpreter Education in the Age of AI.
The Congress also featured a number of thought-provoking keynote speeches, including one by Emeritus Professor Jeremy Munday of the University of Leeds, who highlighted the need for translation studies to engage more fully with the cultural, sociological, historical, ideological, philosophical, and ethical dimensions of translation and interpreting. His reflections echoed broader efforts within the discipline to move beyond purely technical understandings of translation and to embrace approaches that recognize its human and social impact. In this regard, such perspectives resonate strongly with service-learning models, which encourage students and practitioners alike to reflect not only on how translation is carried out, but also on why it matters and how language work can make a tangible difference in community settings.
These discussions closely aligned with the wider theme of the 11th EST Congress, The Changing Faces of Translation and Interpreting Studies, and took place under the leadership of conference committee chair Sara Ramos Pinto.
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