GALA has always shown their support for the TCLoc and CAWEB Master’s Programs, allowing students to volunteer in exchange for free entry to their annual Language of Business conference. Therefore, it is with great pleasure that we announce our official membership to the association! Read more about the great resources and opportunities that TCLoc and CAWEB students can access thanks to this valuable partnership.
What is GALA Conference?
For years, TCLoc and CAWEB students have enjoyed the opportunity to attend the Language of Business conference hosted by GALA. GALA is a global, non-profit association that unites companies in the language industry by creating connections, growing communities, and establishing professional best practices. Their annual, 3-day conference is an amazing, unique opportunity for sharing and networking in the fields of localization, translation, and interpretation (due to their partnership with InterpretAmerica).
To give an example of what their conferences are like, the 2019 conference, which was held in Munich, Germany, boasted over 500 attendees, 77 different speakers, and several different types of session formats, including short talks, interactive panels, and “KnowledgeFests”. Session categories ranged from research and technology and the future of the industry to business models and product demos, with topics focusing on the role of artificial intelligence in the language industry. In addition to the sessions, the conference also provided an orientation for newcomers, a “speed-networking”, a castle tour, and other special events. Companies in attendance included SDL, MateCat, MemoQ, Microsoft, and many more.
Opportunities for TCLoc and CAWEB students
All considered, it’s no surprise that our students make the most of this event, which turns out to be a life-changing experience for some of them. Thanks to the connections they made at the 2019 conference, CAWEB students João Antunes and Laura Jacquemin accepted job offers in the United States and Australia, respectively. Also, TCLoc student Rita Pang won the conference’s Rising Star Scholarship Contest with her article Human Problems: Machine Learning and the Language Industry, which earned her free admission to the conference and a travel stipend. Other students were able to volunteer in exchange for free entry, gaining valuable knowledge from and building relationships with established professionals from all over the world. CAWEB student Lauriane Girardeau describes the event as a great networking opportunity, organized by professionals in order to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas between companies and individuals to everyone’s benefit.
Our program director certainly agrees:
“GALA membership gives our staff and students a wonderful opportunity to access the organization’s diverse e-learning resources, connect with peers, and be part of a dynamic, global community. We look forward to sharing our knowledge and participating in GALA’s programs and activities.”
-Renate de la Paix, Program Director, Master TCLoc – Master CAWEB
As we are now official members of GALA, students from the University of Strasbourg have free access to GALA member resources, such as publications, webinars, the GALA career center, open source projects, and more. This allows students to be even more involved and up-to-date regarding new developments and opportunities in the language industry.
Year after year, GALA achieves its goal to provide an inclusive, collaborative environment for professionals in the language industry. They will continue to do so next year at the 2020 conference in sunny San Diego, California, March 15-18. The theme, “Globalization 4.0: Shaping the Future of the Language Industry”, aims to challenge out-dated methods, rethink traditional approaches, brainstorm new possibilities, and drive innovation in the language industry. Why don’t you join us next year? In the meantime, you can find out more about GALA on their website, and even access their resources online. See you next year!
