On Saturday, 16th January 2021, Global Translation Solutions (GTS) proudly announced a long-term collaboration with l-Għaqda tal-Malti (Università), the University of Malta Association for Maltese language students. The collaboration, inaugurated during the online event It-Tradutturi Jgħidu Tagħhom, will see continued support and collaboration between GTS and GħMU based on a mutual passion and respect for the Maltese language and its place in the field of translation services as a profession.
Link of the live video https://www.facebook.com/ghaqdamalti/videos/2995566157329921/
Link to the Facebook post https://www.facebook.com/ghaqdamalti/posts/3794274710636636
L-Għaqda tal-Malti (Università), founded in 1931 by Rużar Briffa and Ġużè Bonnici, is one of the most active student associations at the University of Malta aimed at promoting and celebrating the Maltese language across educational and professional sectors as well as in its day-to-day use.
Over the years, GħMU has boasted high-profile members including Pawl Saydon, Ġużè Aquilina, Dun Karm Sant and Oliver Friggieri. More recently, its members have included some of Malta’s most promising contemporary literary talent and academic minds including Leanne Ellul and Dr Josette Attard. GħMU’s yearly calendar is a dense one. The Association is a regular fixture at the National Book Festival and co-organises the Book Festival on Campus at the University of Malta. It organises events like Żanżan Kelma, a competition related to orthography, and Tuna t-Toga, a discussion about the different professional opportunities for Maltese Bachelors graduates. It also continues to publish Leħen il-Malti, a periodical featuring writings by students, staff and authors which dates back to the very start of l-Għaqda tal-Malti’s inception.
“There has always been a special connection between the GħMU and GTS” says Dorothy Scerri, Officer Manager at GTS. “Afterall, many of our staff pursued Maltese studies at the University of Malta.” Both entities constantly strive to promote the Maltese language and its use, not just in the professional sense but also in everyday life.
The collaboration between the two organisations will create a number of opportunities aimed at strengthening and enriching the work being done on both sides.
It is an opportunity to reach out to language students (particularly those studying Maltese) at the University of Malta and promote the translation services industry as a viable career path.
GTS prides itself on offering the highest quality translation services which are reflected in the scopes of their ISO standards (ISO9001:2015 & ISO17100:2015). “Our standards and the emphasis on offering quality services to our clients is one of the main drivers of this collaboration. It is important for us to reach out to the associations and institutions that are at the forefront of their sector, such as the GħMU.”
Finally, the collaboration between l-Għaqda tal-Malti and GTS will open the channels for dialogue, professional input and mutual linguistic consultancy. “With many recent changes and updates in the Maltese orthography, we must continue to provide adequate, ongoing training for our translators as well as recruit the best people to offer the highest quality, Maltese language translation services. Collaborating with GħMU will boost our efforts on this front.” Ms Scerri continued. “Furthermore, a number of joint linguistic projects are already being planned and we hope to announce more information in the coming months.”
The collaboration was launched during the online event It-Tradutturi Jgħidu Tagħhom; a discussion focused on the translation industry covering both technical and literary translation. Suzanne Carbonaro and Russell Grixti, translators from GTS, were two of the panellists along with Prof. Charles Briffa, a translator and ex-lecturer from the Department of Translation, Terminology and Interpreting Studies at the University of Malta.
Ms Scerri concluded “we would like to see GħMU as one of the leading local associations in the country and we will do our part to help them in their efforts to promote the Maltese language. We should be proud of our mother tongue and the cultural and linguistic exchanges that have shaped our history and heritage through it.”
