MoU

UMONS, and in particular the FTI-EII, is part of the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) network of the United Nations. This is a platform for mutual collaboration between the international organisation and some twenty partner universities, with the aim of sharing information on needs and resources for training professional linguists.

Since the MoU was signed on 4th March 2010, the collaboration between the UN and the FTI-EII has slowly taken shape, thanks to the drive and determination of motivated colleagues in both institutions, in particular Anne Fassotte, a former EII student and now Head of the French Translation Section at the UN in Geneva.

During the first year of cooperation, two FTI-EII students were chosen from among the Faculty’s most promising students to go to New York for a two-month summer placement. Since then, as a result of reflection, discussions and ideas from all sides, the partnership has evolved considerably.

Collaborations

Today’s collaborative activities include translation and interpreting practice sessions supervised by UN officials and their participation in sight translation and interpreting panels, as well as a mentoring system offering students at the Faculty personalised support from a UN reviser.

Each year, several second-year Master students from the FTI-EII also carry out their work placements at the UN, in New York, Geneva or Vienna. They receive constant, attentive, personalised supervision from the revisers assigned to this task. They work just like any other translator/interpreter, with the same working hours and under the same conditions, producing texts that are then revised and published. They have the opportunity to find out how the Organisation works, being regularly invited to attend meetings of the General Assembly or even the Security Council.

This close collaboration has been made possible thanks to the enthusiasm of teachers at the FTI-EII and their translator/interpreter colleagues at the UN, who are keen to make the most of this agreement to open up real job opportunities for students.