Your research interests include the unequal global distribution of power, anti-democratic developments and the associated denial of global climate change. What is the connection between translation studies and such topics?

Translation studies is a discipline that has been firmly established for decades and sees itself as a link between the most diverse scientific fields. There are countless links, for example, to literature and linguistics, cultural and social sciences, but also to more seemingly removed fields such as computer and cognitive sciences.

At its core, this question relates to what we translation scholars call a translation-sociological problem. Translation, like all forms of communication, has a lot to do with power and ideology. When it comes to translation and interpreting processes, individual and group interests usually play a significant role. Translation always takes place via unequal power relations, usually to the detriment of the "weaker" party. At a concrete level, for example, community interpreting in asylum procedures in most countries is not yet professionalized to the extent that the concerns of asylum seekers can be negotiated in a manner which is translationally and ethically satisfactory.

On a global level, "strong" cultures – such as the Anglophone English-speaking world – tend to pay less attention to the cultural characteristics of other countries and cultures. This is often reflected in literary translations into English that ignore cultural differences. It is obvious how little foreign literature and culture is translated into hegemonic languages at all, especially into English. I myself refer to this problem as "hegemonic non-translation".

Furthermore, just imagine a re-elected President Trump establishing a flawless quasi-fascist dictatorship in North America. This would likely further cement the power imbalance between English and other languages, bring illiberal democracies to the fore worldwide. In this context, it is the task of a translational sociologist not only to sense such developments, but also to point out that global cultural and linguistic diversity is just as central to the survival of human civilization as plant and species diversity, which is much more widely discussed in the media.

What is particularly important to you in your teaching? What do you want to pass on to your translation studies students?

University teaching is not just about acquiring specialist and specialized knowledge, but increasingly also about the ability to distill the essentials from a wide range of communication and information. This is particularly true of the translation and interpreting professions, where research skills continue to play an important role, despite advances in communicative artificial intelligence! Students of translation studies gain a particularly intensive insight into the similarities and differences between cultures, languages and different forms of society. Through lectures, classes, stays abroad and practical translation and interpreting work, you will be inspired not to view yourself and the world exclusively through monocultural, or even nationalistically colored glasses. If our students complete their studies with an open-minded, interested and critical attitude, then I am satisfied. Perhaps the only thing I can give them is to simply see themselves as human beings, nothing more and nothing less. Sometimes it's just a song that gives you hope again – for me it's Ziggy Marley's I am a Human. Just give it a listen, translate it, share it, ... if you want.