Facts and figures

Aims and Tasks

UNIVERSITAS Austria has been representing the interests of Austrian interpreters and translators for more than 65 years and acts as a point of contact for clients, educational institutions, politics, the media, government agencies, and the interested public. The association also represents professional interests in an international context (see Collaboration).

Our aims are:

• doing PR work regarding the profession of interpreting and translating and the importance of the translation profession for state and society;
• lobbying legislative bodies, public authorities and business representatives;
• ensuring quality and professionalization in all areas of language mediation (e.g. through Certification, Code of Ethics [available in German only]);
• providing an information platform and communication forum for interpreters and translators;
• providing and finding industry-specific continuing education;
• linking professional practice and academic training (Mentoring, Internships);
• collaborating and communicating with other stakeholders in the professional field (Collaboration).

Who is "Sealvia"?

“Sealvia” is the centerpiece of UNIVERSITAS Austria’s English-language marketing campaign which shines a spotlight on one of the biggest difficulties in interpreting and translating: homonyms. The original German-language marketing campaign featured a rooster. The German word for rooster, “Hahn,” can mean either rooster or faucet.

Services

As a hub for information in the field of interpreting and translation, UNIVERSITAS Austria offers numerous services for members and non-members alike.

For Clients

Perhaps the most valuable service UNIVERSITAS offers is for clients to conduct a targeted search of the association’s database. It allows clients to find professional interpreters and translators who have provided proof of their quality standards through our UNIVERSITAS Austria certification.

Additionally, our fee guide for interpreting and translating (available in German only), which we update on a regular basis, provides a good overview of prices and services in the industry.

Furthermore, the association’s website as well as the association’s quarterly member magazine, Mitteilungsblatt (available in German only), provide interesting news about the world of language services, for example information concerning job descriptions and services.

For Members

Our members benefit from a wide range of services, such as:

• networking and establishing contacts with colleagues;
• information on current professional topics;
• access to particularly relevant information (e.g. guidelines) and private communication forums in the members-only area of the website;
• continuing professional development and training events;
• UNIVERSITAS Austria certification after completion of the qualification procedures;
• use of the UNIVERSITAS Austria logo in client communication;
• personal mini-websites on the domain universitas.org;
• fee guides for interpreting and translating as a price reference (available in German only);
• free subscription to the quarterly member magazine Mitteilungsblatt of the association (available in German only);
• legal advice (terms and conditions);
• special terms, e.g. for professional liability insurance;
• career start support through mentoring, internships, guidelines, and tutorials.

Statutes and Code of Ethics

The work of the association is based on its statutes. They govern the UNIVERSITAS Austria membership and the duties of the bodies of the association.

As an association that stands for quality and professionalism, we require our members to comply with our Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. The code deals with questions about appropriate behavior of our members towards clients and each other.

Collaboration

Collaboration Within Austria

UNIVERSITAS Austria is a founding member of Translationsplattform, an alliance of professional associations in Austria for translators and interpreters (launched on September 30, 2009).

The association also collaborates and organizes joint events with the team of language provider specialists at the WKO, the Austrian Economic Chambers (website available in German only).

Furthermore, the association maintains close ties with educational institutions and university-based research (the Centre for Translation Studies at the University of Vienna – ZTW, the Department of Translation Studies at the University of Innsbruck – INTRAWI, and the Department of Translation Studies at the University of Graz – ITAT).

International Collaboration

UNIVERSITAS Austria is a member of FIT (Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs / International Federation of Translators), the umbrella association of language service provider associations, and more specifically of the European regional center of FIT (FIT Europe).

Currently, Alexandra Jantscher-Karlhuber, a UNIVERSITAS Austria member, is part of the FIT Council, the governing body of FIT.

UNIVERSITAS Austria maintains good relationships with sister associations on a bilateral basis and participates in collaborative events such as the Réseau Franco-Allemand or the Anglophoner Tag.

The Bremer Runde is an informal network for the exchange of information among associations based in countries with German as an official language. Every six months, the presidents of each respective association meet in different cities to discuss current topics. Associations for translation and interpreting from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Belgium are part of this network.

UNIVERSITAS Austria Elisabeth Markstein Award

To mark the occasion of the 60-year anniversary of UNIVERSITAS Austria, honorary members, in particular Liese Katschinka, Gerhard Reinagel and Annie Weich, proposed the introduction of the award.

The Elisabeth Markstein Award recognizes outstanding contribution to the translating and interpreting profession and aims to raise the public profile of the language-mediating profession.

The nominations of UNIVERSITAS Austria members and/or others for the award are proposed to the UNIVERSITAS Austria Board of Directors. Nominations may be submitted by members of UNIVERSITAS Austria and others. The nomination should include a description of the nominee and their achievements and can be supported by others.

A jury of three people, preferably honorary members, decides on the submitted nominations. The three honorary members mentioned at the beginning were the jury for the Elisabeth Markstein Award in the years 2014 to 2018. Following the death of Gerhard Reinagel, Ingrid Kurz took over the role of jury member.

By virtue of their office, the UNIVERSITAS Austria President or one member of the Board of Directors is an additional part of the jury.

This jury member has no voting rights, but rather fulfills an advisory role. If a jury member with voting rights ceases to be a member of the jury, the remaining two members (honorary members) co-opt a new third jury member, preferably an honorary member. If all jury members who are not members of the jury by virtue of their office cease to be members of the jury, a new jury is appointed by the UNIVERSITAS Austria Board of Directors.

The Elisabeth Markstein Award was first presented in September 2014 in celebration of the 60-year anniversary of UNIVERSITAS Austria. Since then, the award has been awarded every other year, whenever no elections to the UNIVERSITAS Board of Directors are held.

The award ceremony takes place on the occasion of the Annual Member Meeting or at a different event to which all members of UNIVERSITAS Austria are invited. At the ceremony, the award winners and their achievements are presented to the members. The PR team introduces the award winner to the public (via press conference, press release, interviews in print, audio and/or video, etc.), shining a spotlight at our profession as a whole.

The Elisabeth Markstein Award includes a medal and a certificate, but does not include a monetary prize.

Award Recipients 2024

Award recipient: Mira Kadrić-Scheiber
Certificate of Appreciation: Judith Platter

© Lea Blagojević