Policy Translation Research Articles

Remapping the translation policies in China: contributions from Macau

Translation policy, although an essential topic in the domain of language policy, has been understudied in China. Macau, as the earliest encounter point between the western and oriental cultures in Modern China, has been undeservingly neglected in this aspect, although its translation activities have never been interrupted since the Ming Dynasty. As such, this article sets out to trace the development of the translation policy in Macau (from its establishment to its handover to China in 1999). In particular, we will focus on tracing the historical evolution and development of the translation policy in Macau in the time span of over 400 years since the Portuguese establishment in 1557. The purpose is to cast a critical eye on its experiences in translation policymaking, using examples from official regulations, existing studies, and bibliometric data. We reconceptualize translation policy to entail the aspects of translation management, translation practices, and beliefs. Overall, the translation policy of Macau contributes to remapping the translation policy of China as important footnotes to the fuller picture of several essential historical periods.

Policy Translation of Social Movements Demands: The Case of Free-Tuition in Higher Education in Chile

Chile experienced massive student protests against market-based education in 2011. In 2013, center-left President Michelle Bachelet proposed tuition-free higher education for Chile’s bottom 70%, fueling controversy due to the uncertainty and unexpected medium and long-term consequences. This study analyzes how the free-tuition policy was developed, the actors involved, the political discourse deployed during its implementation, and the strategy used to make this policy a reality. Using semi-structured interviews with key actors, such as policymakers and scholars, and a review of newspaper columns, we wanted to explore how politicians and bureaucrats translated the students’ demands into the free-tuition policy. Our findings suggest that the policy translation process involved former student leaders, free-tuition policy prioritization, and a quick, straightforward implementation process that enabled the government to fulfill its promise.

Cross-fertilizing knowledge, translation, and topologies: learning from urban housing policies for policy mobility studies

Abstract. Recently, urban housing policies in Europe have become more mobile, developing local responses to the housing question by building on examples from other cities. To understand the movement of policies, the policy mobility debate suggests sometimes irreconcilable concepts and we still need concepts that address the spatial dimension of how urban housing policies travel between places. The article reflects on the extent to which selected concepts – policy knowledge, translation, and topologies – allow an explicit treatment of movement and materiality in a geographical understanding of housing policy mobilities. To cross-fertilize these concepts, the article revisits how key definitions relate to each other, and assesses the extent to which these concepts allow to understand the mobilization and localization of urban housing policies in particular contexts. Overall, the article offers a nuanced conceptualization of interurban movements and the spatial–material dimension of housing policies, and thereby enhances future empirical studies on urban housing policy.

Transferring knowledge to/from the market – still building the polysystem? The translation of Australian fiction in Romania

AbstractThePolysystem Hypothesis, bringing together language, literature, culture and society, has hallmarked Translation Studies, while heralding the cultural turn, subsequently attributed to the study of Bassnett and Lefevere. Without a shadow of doubt, this conceptual and methodological framework continues to spark interdisciplinary research interests, allowing for recasts. In this context, the current article sets out to investigate the translation of Australian writers in Romania, from a diachronic and synchronic perspective alike. The main aims are related to featuring quantitative aspects – number of translated authors, number of translated works, etc., and qualitative dimensions – translation policies, the role of translators in the interlinguistic and intercultural transfer of texts, other controlling factors. Furthermore, the affordability, portability and ownership of literary translation underlie shifting patterns of translation knowledge creation and transfer and of translation effective practice.

The Bologna process and its impact on the higher education reforms in Kazakhstan: a case of policy transfer and translations

ABSTRACT The paper examines Kazakhstan’s decision to join the Bologna Process (BP), its implementation, and its impact on the higher education system in the country. Many post-Soviet countries have joined the BP, while many developing countries are also aligning their higher education systems with it. A diverse body of literature attempts to address the questions as to why do countries engage in policy borrowing and what makes it successful. Through our in-depth primary case study of Kazakhstan and a comparative assessment of similar cases in the post-Soviet space researched by other scholars, we make twofold contribution to this literature. First, we argue that governments often borrow policies with less clearer objectives, making it difficult to evaluate ‘success’ or ‘failure’ of the policy transfer. Second, differentiating between the success of policy transfer itself and the achievement of its perceived or real goals, we contend that the success of policy transfer is not a guarantee for the achievement of policies’ original objectives which may be disappointing for both exporting and importing parties. In that, wide-ranging socio-political institutional differences explain the varied rationales and outcomes.

From Single-Protocol to Large-Scale Multi-Protocol Quantum Networks

In the initial stage of the quantum Internet, most of the practical quantum networks have been deployed relying on diverse individual quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols. However, this single-protocol paradigm cannot fulfill the heterogeneous requirements of the users, hence market-penetration of quantum networks is limited. Given the recent advances in QKD protocols, the next generation quantum networks are expected to support both legacy and emerging QKD protocols. However, the evolution from single-protocol to multi-protocol quantum networks poses numerous challenging problems. As a remedy, we conceive a practical protocol translation framework for supporting this migration from single-protocol to large-scale multi-protocol quantum networks. Furthermore, we propose a programmable multi-functional relay node architecture for harmonizing the components of a suitable relay node. A pair of protocol translation policies are presented for meeting the challenging security requirements of migration requests, which are compared to the single-protocol-based migration solutions both in terms of the translation success probability attained (i.e., the proportion of migration requests with successful protocol translation), and the average relaying risk probability encountered (i.e., the mean of the relaying risk probabilities of end-to-end key negotiation in a quantum network). Finally, we highlight a suite of open problems in both quantum secure direct communication and quantum teleportation for research into future multi-protocol quantum networks.

한국 공공기관 재난 홍보자료 번역의 오류 분석 - 중국어 코로나19 홍보지를 중심으로 -

This study aims to analyze the translation errors in Chinese COVID-19 information materials published by Korean public institutions and to explore ways to improve the translation quality of disaster information materials. First, this study discusses the factors to be considered for the quality assessment of public sector translation, as well as the criteria of translation evaluation in previous studies. Based on this, a framework for analyzing disaster information materials is identified. Then, this study analyzes the translation errors in Chinese COVID-19 information materials from January 2020 to February 2022. The analysis finds eight error types in the materials, with the most significant problem being low acceptability, as well as several mistranslations and grammatical errors. These findings suggest the need to select qualified translators and revisers, provide standard terminologies, and strengthen translation policies to convey disaster information to foreigners more effectively.

Tian Shi (Timing) Di Li (Context) Ren He (Human Capital): A New Theoretical Framework for Analyzing the Implementability of Imported Early Childhood Practices and Making a Case for a Hybrid Model

ABSTRACT In this conceptual paper, we propose a new three-pronged theoretical framework derived from Chinese philosophy: (1) Tian Shi (timing), (2) Di Li (context), and (3) Ren He (human capital). Specifically, we delineate the nature of Tian Shi, Di Li, Ren He required for the successful translation of top-down education policy into practice using Hong Kong as a case example. Applying this new conceptual framework, we conducted secondary data analysis of two cases examining the implementability of U.S.-originated and popular child-centered early childhood models by Hong Kong kindergarten teachers (serving children ages 3–6), with one case focusing on the Project Approach in one kindergarten, and the other on the HighScope Curriculum in another kindergarten. The findings revealed that Hong Kong had not yet attained favorable Tian Shi, Di Li, Ren He to render success in these kindergarten teachers’ adoption of imported early childhood approaches with fidelity due to incompatibility in sociocultural and educational realities as well as professional competence. Instead, the teachers’ implementation behaviors made a case for a hybrid model as a viable and potentially sustainable solution to reconcile these contextual incompatibilities by weaving local and global practices into a conflation.

P01-14 National policy response to the Sustainable Development Goals: a physical activity case study of Wales

IssuePopulation level changes in physical activity (PA) may benefit from policy intervention. In response to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Wales introduced legislation (the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015) to holistically improve health and well-being, including the translation of national policy into practice. This audit provides a case study approach that could be replicated by researchers in other countries to appraise the role of PA actions in national and sub-national policies.DescriptionAn audit of policies published by national and sub-national public bodies between 2015 and 2020 was conducted. The list of identified policies was reviewed by an external panel to act as a ?critical friend? to verify its inclusiveness. Content of the policies were extracted and synthesised to determine: (i) how many policies included a PA action; (ii) what the drivers of those policies were; (iii) the content of the PA actions; and (iv) how the PA actions aligned with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.ResultsA final list of 73 policies was obtained. Only 16 national-level documents had a PA action, which had been published by 4/13 public bodies (who are bound by the Act). Of the 19 sub-national well-being policies, 15 included PA actions. Most policies were considered reactive and varied in terms of the clarity and specificity of the actions, the assignment roles/responsibilities, and the setting of targets; all overarching principles which can be used to strengthen national and sub-national policy in the future. The most common theme of action across the national-level documents was the broad action of PA promotion, which was identified in nine of the 16 documents. The actions within the national-level documents were reflected in the sub-national well-being plans.LessonsThis research used a novel approach to assess alignment of policies related to PA and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Wales. It provides an overview of the current status of policy related to PA in Wales, which can be used in manifestos and frameworks to shape the subsequent actions of public bodies.Main messagesThis case study provides a valuable example of how to utilise PA to address broader health and wellbeing agendas, and specifically the SDGs. It also demonstrates an approach to achieving stronger connections between national and sub-national policy to support the translation of policies into practice.

پروژه‌ی تأسیس در فکرِ متجدد: بازاندیشیِ استقبالِ روشنفکری معاصر ایران از گفتار در روشِ دکارت

Descartes’s Discours de la Méthode has been translated into Persian three times in three separate historical periods, each with a unique incentive, from 1241 (1863) to 1310 (1932). Today, this text is one of the topics of interest in the intellectual movements of Iran as a pre-history of the emergence of Modern European philosophy in the Persian language. The book “Seyri Hikmat Dar Urūpā” [The Course of Philosophy in Europe], which was and still is one of the most significant sources for acquainting Persian speakers with European philosophy in the 14th century, is the result of the last translation of Descartes’ book. It has played a crucial role in creating the translation policy, choosing equivalences, and influencing how Western ideas were introduced in Iran. Regarding Descartes and the “establishment” project, it can be seen that Mohammad Ali Foroughi’s thoughts on Descartes gradually changed in the succeeding volumes of the book. As a result, we may outline a pathway regarding the development of contemporary intellectual consciousness in Iran by following the viewpoint that emerged in Descartes’ thought, particularly in Discours de la Méthode. The critical rethinking of this consciousness by focussing on the so-called “establishment of science” or “promoting the basis of wisdom” among Iranian intellectuals can reveal aspects of this imaginary vision which still relevant today in many conservative or reactionary blocs concerning the “establishment of civilization” or “science production.” Taking the above-mentioned into account, we can better explain these tendencies and their ideological patterns. The task of critical thinking in such a situation is to provide critical arguments against all these ideological forms of the “establishment” and to remove the intellectual obstacles to empower civil society through developing historical knowledge regarding the objective and subjective origins of those ideologies. The most exemplary illustration of this project in the early Iranian intellectuals can be observed in Mohammad Ali Foroughi and his book Seyri Hikmat Dar Urūpā, in which the author’s views progress as the book goes forward. After the Second World War and the erosion of the image of progressive Europe, the establishment project adopted a different approach. It redirected its focus from modern Western ideas to indigenous and Eastern ideas.

Translation policy in health care settings in Ontario

Abstract In a world of increasing globalisation, governments, including Canada, face ongoing challenges in their efforts to integrate immigrant languages and to communicate with their users in public service settings. By exploring the translation policy in health care settings in Ontario, Canada, this research investigates how immigrant language barriers in health care access are addressed there, and probes into ideologies around the issue of immigrant language integration. Ontarian translation policy in health care settings is pragmatic yet cautious and laissez-faire. It indicates inclusiveness to accommodate immigrants; but it also reveals considerable tensions and hesitations. The belief that translation is a necessary measure to secure immigrants’ equal health care rights has been largely overridden at the regional and institutional level in Ontario, hindering further planning and more effective provision. The inadequate value designated to translation in terms of immigrant integration by government authorities, the ambiguous and ambivalent stances of Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network and some hospitals on translation provision against budgetary concern and the expectation for linguistic homogeneity all play roles in determining the flexibility and fluctuation of translation policy in health care settings in Ontario.

Die abrupten Wenden in der Übersetzungspolitik in Lettland während der Besatzungszeit (1939-1946)

Within the period of changing occupations and ideologies shifts in the translation policies in Latvia were incredibly fast. The independence period saw a developed translation industry with a great variety of source languages, literature and quality. The soviets nationalized the publishers, ideologised the system, introduced censorship. Russian was made the main source language. After the German invasion the publishers regained their printing houses and a partial return to normality occurred. Most of the source texts now were German or Nordic - classics, travel literature and biographies. There were surprisingly few ideologically motivated translations. Most translators left for the West in 1944 when the soviet system was reinstated. The new occupation regime was even more repressive than in 1940/41. During these years Latvian translation agents adapted to the ideological dictum of the times and tried to retain their own agendas.

Tackling the implementation gap of climate adaptation strategies: understanding policy translation in Brazil and Colombia

ABSTRACT National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) have been characterized by complex implementation and coordination gaps, related to uneven framings in domestic contexts. This study analyzes these framing processes in Brazil and Colombia by examining the translation of global prescriptions into tangible policy instruments. It combines a policy translation analytical framework with the processes of layering, drift, conversion, and replacement. It draws on semi-structured interviews with institutional actors and it examines (i) agenda-setting and elaboration of the NAPs, (ii) the different roles and interactions of sector-based actors in agriculture and land-use, and (iii) the distinct concepts of adaptation put forward and their subsequent policy outputs in relation to national institutional trajectories. In Brazil and Colombia, the initial ambition of mainstreaming climate adaptation into sector-based policies resulted in a divergent patchwork of policies, which is characterized by limited means, capacity and other resources dedicated to coordination and implementation. Key policy insights The study examines the processes through which international prescriptions influence concrete policy outcomes. The ambition of establishing new climate policies resulted in a patchwork of policies, characterized by low levels of coordination and limited means of implementation. In Brazil, adaptation goals were layered in with existing sector-based policies with some operational capacity, while in Colombia the national adoption of several adaptation goals has not translated into implementation. The article addresses the politics of policy transfer, knowledge interpretation, and policy change. It considers the possibility of actors interacting to reframe concepts according to their ideas and interests, while also aiming to assure stability. Climate policy requires efforts to alter policy priorities at the sector level, to create cross-sectoral balances, and strengthen the means of implementation, actions which intimately relate to power relations and institutional settings.

Size matters: contextual factors in local policy translations of National School Digitalisation Policy

National policies on school digitalisation take shape in their local contexts. Consequently, to understand the outcome of national policy, the local translations must be set within a contextual perspective. This article explores how four contextually different municipalities in Sweden translate national school digitalisation policy. It draws on a comparative cross-case study with data gathered from interviews, and over 150 local documents dating from 2018 to 2020. The results show how contextual aspects affects responses to national policy, and that municipalities approach school digitalisation in two distinct ways. The first, general approach, emphasises competitiveness and the creation of an enabling environment for the teachers. This is manifested in the development of special support organisations, and generous access to digital technology. The second, specific approach, emphasises local consensus in policy translations along with unity in policy adherence. Here, critique of national policy is explicit. The two approaches exemplify how translational power may be distributed differently, the former prioritising individual translational precedency for teachers over a unifying policy translation controlled through local governance. The paper suggests that contextual factors matters in the choice of approaches, one in which size matters. The paper concludes that policy makers need to acknowledge contextual dimensions within governance by weighing translational power in relation to translational coherence.

The power of policy translators: New university governing bodies in Hungary and Poland

The study investigates the reforms of university governing boards in Hungary and Poland. It seeks to fill that void and advance existing knowledge about the implementation of boards (councils) in CEE countries despite the great interest in HE dynamics in the region. The juxtaposition of the two countries is intentional because both share key characteristics, such as a common historical background (e.g. a communist past), geopolitical location (Central and Eastern Europe), the same institutional foundation for universities (i.e. the Humboldtian tradition) and domestic politics dominated by right-wing populism. With this in mind, it is interesting to note that the two countries, which are inspired by the same hegemonic policy ideas of NPM and had considerable similarities with respect to HE, arrived at different outcomes. This study therefore focuses on the process of policy translation and attempts to identify critical junctures that have led to structural divergence in the university governance model in the two countries. To achieve this, the research examines two parallel reforming processes that led to the introduction of new university governing bodies: consistories (2015) in Hungary and university councils (2018) in Poland.

The afterlives of urban megaprojects: Grounding policy models and recirculating knowledge through domestic networks

This paper interrogates and expands understandings of agency in processes of knowledge circulation by focusing on actors switching their position from the demand-side to the supply side of policy knowledge. In doing so, we contribute to recent debates about the importance of accounting to other scales beyond the local–global binary that dominates the policy mobility literature and to the politics of policy translation and dissemination. Emphasis is given to the performative role of domestic actors and their practices in localising mobile policies of urban regeneration in ‘gateway cities’ while leveraging and recirculating knowledge within their national contexts. Conceptualised as policy brokers and policy entrepreneurs, such actors are attuned to the local dynamics and able to distil context-specific lessons that are sensitive to national regulatory frameworks, funding and political contingencies. We focus on two urban megaprojects of waterfront regeneration in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro that introduced new practices of land monetisation while making use of inter-referencing, drawing on in-depth interviews with policy actors and archival material. We argue that an attention to ‘follow the reformatted model’ reveals how policy models mutate as they conform to contextual factors and to particular interests. The analysis of such processes allows us to transcend the local–global dichotomy and to trace multiscalar connections between multiple projects.

Behavioural science applied to risk-based decision processes: a case study for earthquake prone buildings in New Zealand

ABSTRACT Policy and technical guidance are only as good as their implementation. Often well-meaning legislation has unintended consequences, as individuals and organisations overlay their own risk perceptions and understanding to an issue. This paper illustrates how behavioural science can be applied to risk-based engineering decisions to improve decision outcomes. It is framed around an analysis of the management of earthquake prone public buildings in New Zealand. It demonstrates how the individual, social and cultural contexts can influence how risks and impacts are perceived, evaluated, and communicated. The framing of the decision, unconscious biases, cognitive limitations, trust, and other social influences are all critical factors in translation of technical policy to effective outcomes.

National Policy Response to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: A Physical Activity Case Study of Wales.

Population level changes in physical activity (PA) may benefit from policy intervention. In response to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Wales introduced legislation to holistically improve health and well-being, including Public Service Boards, to improve the translation of national policy into practice. An audit of policies published by national and subnational public bodies since 2015 was conducted. Content of the policies were extracted and synthesized to determine: (1)how many policies included a PA action, (2)what the drivers of those policies were, (3)the content of the PA actions, and (4)how the PA actions aligned with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. Sixteen national-level documents with a PA action were published by 4 of 13 public bodies. The policies vary in terms of the clarity and specificity of the actions, the assignment of clear roles/responsibilities, and the setting of targets. Of the 19 subnational Public Service Boards well-being policies, 15 included PA actions. This audit provides a valuable example of how connections between national and subnational policy can be achieved. The appointment of Public Service Boards has supported the translation of policies into practice in Wales, and similar approaches could be utilized in other countries.

Knowledge translation and evidence-informed policy challenges: the implementation of the Brook Traffic Light Tool in Cornwall

Knowledge translation and evidence-informed policy challenges: the implementation of the Brook Traffic Light Tool in Cornwall

Knowledge translation and evidence-informed policy challenges: the implementation of the Brook Traffic Light Tool in Cornwall

ABSTRACT A critical discussion of the Brook Traffic Light Tool (TLT) is provided. The TLT supports professionals assessing sexual behaviour in children and young people (CYP). This critical commentary formed part of a wider evaluation of the TLT. The approach taken uses evidence-based, policy transfer and policy success frameworks. Conceptually, questions were raised about empirical research that underpins the TLT. The transfer of the TLT to the UK gave varied results with questions raised in relation to the suitability of the TLT for the UK context. Both successes and failures were evident within the UK. The findings suggest that more work needs to be done on TLT. Rigorous planning needs to be conducted when transferring to differing contexts. A more robust evidence base is required for the UK context and continuous evaluation is required. Yet the TLT exists where no other tool related to CYP and sexual behaviours is available for professionals.