Translators, Texts, and Contexts: Reclaiming Human Agency in the Age of AI

We welcome contributions that foreground human agency, textual depth, and contextual richness in translation research. Topics may include (but are not limited to):

• The translator’s voice, visibility, and ethics in AI-assisted workflows.
• Textual analysis and literary criticism are augmented (not replaced) by technology.
• Contextual frameworks (historical, cultural, political) that challenge algorithmic neutrality.
• Theoretical reappraisals of traditional paradigms (e.g., Skopos, Descriptive Translation Studies, Polysystem) in contemporary digital contexts.
• Pedagogical approaches highlighting humanistic skills amid technological evolution.
• Pedagogical strategies for developing translators’ ethical and intercultural competencies amid technological revolution.

Our goal is to reaffirm that contextual intelligence, textual fidelity, and translatorial responsibility cannot be automated—and that the deepest questions of meaning, power, and representation still demand human-centred scholarship.

We aim for a collected volume with an international publisher, and full submission of papers will be considered by Translation Quarterly, published by the Hong Kong Translation Society, for the post-conference publication.

The conference will also include two master classes and one workshop as an additional series of events:

• 10 December: Master Classes by Prof. Theo Hermans and Prof. Haun Saussy
• 11 December: Literary Translation Workshop by Prof. Alexander Bubb

Please see details of the additional series of events below.

Master Classes Speakers and Conference Keynote Speakers

Theo Hermans (Master Class and Keynote Speech)	Emeritus Professor of Dutch and Comparative Literature University College London
Haun Saussy (Master Class and Keynote Speech)	University Professor of East Asian Languages and Civilisations University of Chicago
Yifeng Sun (Keynote Speech)	Chair Professor of Translation Studies University of Macau
Rachel Lung (Keynote Speech)	Professor and Department Head Lingnan University, Hong Kong
Dechao Li (Keynote Speech)	Professor The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Workshop Guest Speaker

Alexander Bubb	Associate Professor  University of Roehampton, London
Workshop Title	Asian Classics on the Victorian Bookshelf: The Agency of Amateur Translators and Non-expert Readers

Detailed information about the conference and an additional series of events is as follows:

Abstract submissions must include the following information in English:

• Name(s) of author(s)
• Institutional affiliation(s)
• Email address(es)
• Title of presentation
• An abstract of 250 to 400 words in English
• A list of keywords (up to 5)

For submission of new papers, please create an account via EasyChair. Please also submit an Author biographical note(s) of 50 to 100 words each through the File Submission in the submission page as PDF files.

Fees

REGISTRATION FEES must be paid for attending this conference, with fee standards as follows:

• Full-time Professionals: HK$1300
• Full-time Students (with proof): HK$800

Registration fees will cover conference bags, programmes, souvenirs, refreshments, coffee breaks, and two lunches (on both conference days).

• Conference dinner: HK$450

  Conference dinner is provided only on the second day of the conference, with EXTRA fees.

Important Dates