Two “Innovation in Education Awards” for the Department of Translation and Interpreting

The 2026 Innovation in Education Awards, presented as part of İzmir University of Economics’ 2026-2027 Academic Year Opening Ceremony, have found their recipients. Faculty members from the Department of Translation and Interpreting were recognized in two different categories for their innovative approaches to education and original course designs, bringing great pride to our department and faculty.

During the ceremony, our faculty members received their awards from the Rector and the Chair of the Board of Trustees. They were also presented with sapling certificates for trees planted in their names in recognition of their achievements.

Innovative Course Design for Sustainable Development Award

Prof. Dr. Neslihan Yetkiner and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ilgın Aktener received the “Innovative Course Design for Sustainable Development Award” for their project titled “From Translation to Social Transformation: Participatory and Activist Translation Education with a Focus on SDG 5,” carried out as part of the ETI 320 Specialized Translation course, together with Prof. Dr. Gönül Dinç Horasan and Dr. Helin Kardelen Kavuş.

Centering on Gender Equality (SDG 5), one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, this innovative course design combined critical social issues such as dating violence and safe and healthy relationships with activist and feminist approaches to translation. The course aimed to help students develop greater social awareness through translation practices.

Innovation in Assessment and Evaluation Award

Assist. Prof. Gülden Taner Yavuz, received the “Innovation in Assessment and Evaluation Award” for her project titled “Constructive Alignment-Based Assessment and Evaluation, Formative Portfolio Project Simulation, and Peer Assessment Practices in Translator Education,” carried out as part of the ETI 124 Introduction to Translation II course.

Bringing real-world industry dynamics into the classroom, the simulation model required students to complete three different projects throughout the semester. For each project, students worked with randomly assigned team members and took on the roles of project manager responsible for revision and final proofreading, terminologist, and translator on a rotating basis.

As part of the project, a peer assessment system was also implemented and directly contributed to students’ course grades. This approach enabled students to experience professional translation workflows firsthand while objectively evaluating one another’s performance throughout the project process.

We congratulate all our faculty members for their contributions to our students’ development and the academic community through their commitment to excellence and innovative approaches to education, and wish them continued success.