The Department of Translation was established in 1989, and degree students were first admitted to the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Translation programme in 1991. Since then the Department has continued to grow, and currently we have about 230 undergraduate students. In 1995 the first students were admitted to our Master of Philosophy programme. We launched our first Doctor of Philosophy programme in the academic year 2000-2001.

Our programme has three major aims:

• to develop students' oral and written as well as social skills to a stage where they will be able to serve as effective and responsible intermediaries between texts and speakers in English and Chinese;
• to develop students' capacity to make independent and objective judgements, so that they will be prepared for employment as language specialists or leaders in government, business, industry and other professions; and
• to help students develop a better understanding of themselves as a person and of their place in Hong Kong's community, so that they will be able to create a fulfilling personal life for themselves and make contributions to the well-being of the community.

Our graduates can expect to find jobs as translators and interpreters, in the media, and in a wide range of businesses where bilingual skills are required. Other students have successfully gone on to pursue postgraduate studies in a number of disciplines, both in Hong Kong and overseas.