Features

At a time when translators are facing unprecedented challenges in the face of artificial intelligence, a new graduate course will explore and celebrate translation as a creative endeavour in which the role of the human will always remain essential.

From ancient texts and contemporary novels to performance theatre, film and television, translation shapes the way we experience stories from past and present and from around the world.

Oxford’s undergraduates have long studied academic translation within Modern Language degrees, but to-date there has been no provision for graduate students. A new Masters in Creative Translation has been launched to fill this gap, coinciding with an important moment when the translation landscape is shifting and adapting to technological change.

Professor Karen Leeder is Schwarz-Taylor Chair of German Language and Literature

Led by Professor Karen Leeder in the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, the course also reflects a growing appreciation for translation as both a field of research and a creative discipline that requires not only linguistic skill, but also imagination, interpretation, and cultural sensitivity. 'It’s increasingly recognised as a literary art form,’ says Professor Leeder, herself a prize-winning translator. ‘We’re seeing a real coming of age for the field.’

The course will be based in the University’s new Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, which brings many of Oxford’s internationally recognised Humanities faculties together under one roof, with new spaces for teaching, performance, and film. ‘There is a considerable creative reservoir and appetite for this course at Oxford. This is an exciting opportunity for students who will be joining a hub of creative activity,’ says Professor Leeder.

Distinct from academic translation, creative translation explores the history, theory and methodologies of translation and interprets not just meaning but voice, considering tone, rhythm, and emotion. In recent years, campaigns such as #NameTheTranslator have sought to credit translators alongside authors on book covers and prize lists, helping to foreground their role as artists and creative interpreters.

We hope this course will...serve as a reminder that the ability to imagine, interpret, and connect across languages and cultures remains a distinctly human endeavour.

Professor Karen Leeder

As well as developing their own practice as a translator, students on the Creative Translation course will be introduced to a range of materials, from the earliest translations of ancient texts to the dilemmas of AI, examine how translations differ, and explore areas such as translation for performance, adaptation, early modern translation, translating the untranslatable, multilingualism, as well as focussing on specific languages, genres, and periods. The course will include a programme of regular industry sessions with visiting creatives and experts.

The timing of the course is not coincidental. In the UK there is a growing demand for skilled translators to support thriving creative industries. It also comes at a time when the human role in translation is more important than ever, says Professor Leeder.

The course will be based at the new Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities

Professor Leeder is pragmatic. ‘All art forms are under threat from AI,’ she says, ‘but AI is used in translation, and we must find ways to work productively with it.’ The course will encourage students to critically engage with these technologies while also recognising their limits and learning to identify what makes for ‘good’ translation.

She points to some foreign language television series which have gained global followings in recent years, but in which mistranslating (or machine translating) in subtitling is a common issue. This has led to ‘lost in translation’ moments caused by words being incorrectly translated, paraphrasing, a lack of understanding of cultural context, nuance around characters being lost, and a failure to successfully deal with humour.

Human translators, Professor Leeder explains, will always bring something that machines cannot replicate. ‘AI can’t deal with metaphor, idiom, or the stresses of word order and how this can change meaning. This is where the value of human translation lies.’ 

‘There needs to be a re-evaluation of the role of the human translator,’ she goes on. ‘It’s so important to champion their role in the future of publishing when authorship itself is under threat.

‘We hope this course will not only prepare graduates to make a real impact in our creative industries, supporting a new generation of translators as creative thinkers, collaborators, and innovators, but will serve as a reminder that the ability to imagine, interpret, and connect across languages and cultures remains a distinctly human endeavour.’

Oxford University physicists are simulating the strange, probabilistic world of quantum mechanics, opening the door to new innovations for superconductors, materials science, and quantum technologies.

It turns out that when you chill atoms to near absolute zero and suspend them in magnetic fields, the usual rules of matter no longer apply. Instead, the bizarre logic of quantum mechanics - where particles behave like waves and probabilities replace certainties- rule the day. But here at Oxford, researchers are not merely observing these strange phenomena, but engineering and controlling it with pioneering precision.

The ability to trap atoms and separate them into two distinct layers using radio frequencies is something Oxford specialises in. It has taken years of development in our group to reach this point, but it is now yielding extraordinary new insights.

Erik Rydow, DPhil student (Department of Physics)

‘It’s a bit like building a wind tunnel for quantum physics,’ explains Erik Rydow, DPhil student in Oxford’s Ultracold Quantum Matter Lab. ‘You can simulate how an aircraft wing behaves on a computer, but to really understand it, you need a controlled experiment. We’ve built the quantum equivalent of that wind tunnel.’

Quantum systems can be notoriously hard to simulate because they don’t behave like the physical systems we experience day to day. In the classical world, if the starting conditions of a system are precisely the same each time, then the final result will be the same. But in quantum mechanics, particles can exist in more than one state at once. This means that simulating a quantum system in general does not give you a definite outcome: instead, it gives you a spread of probabilities for the different things that may happen.

‘You can think of it like rolling a dice,’ adds Erik. ‘In the classical world, if the starting conditions are exactly the same each time, then the dice will land in the same place. But in the quantum world, even if the starting state is exactly the same between rolls, the dice can land on different sides. This means you can’t say for certain what outcome will happen; you can only give a probability.’

The researchers use lasers and radiofrequency signals to trap and cool atoms. Credit: Caroline Wood.

This capability rests on decades of innovations to trap and cool atoms. Using finely-tuned lasers and magnetic fields, a gas of rubidium atoms is chilled to near absolute zero; cold enough that tens of thousands of atoms all occupy the same quantum state. At such a low temperature, the behaviour of the atoms is determined by their quantum wavelike nature, and the different outcomes for identical particles can reveal the probabilities predicted by quantum mechanics. This creates an extraordinary laboratory for probing quantum effects that, until recently, were purely theoretical.

A hallmark of Oxford’s expertise is precision control. By manipulating atoms with radio frequencies, the team can separate them into ultrathin layers only a few microns apart with an exactness that is challenging to achieve with more standard protocols that use lasers. Uniquely to Oxford’s apparatus, these atoms can be precisely engineered into not just a single layer, but two. This enables researchers to capture extraordinary quantum ‘tunnelling’ effects, where atoms can be present in both layers at once, or flickering between them in ways that defy classical physics.

‘The ability to trap atoms and separate them into two distinct layers using radio frequencies is something Oxford specialises in,’ adds Erik. ‘It has taken years of development in our group to reach this point, but it is now yielding extraordinary new insights.’

Left: Erik Rydow working on the Ultracold Quantum Matter group’s experiment. Right: Vacuum system and cold atom source in the Ultracold Quantum Matter group’s experiment. At the center of the round aperture, atoms of rubidium gas are cooled and pushed into the experiment using laser light. Credit for both images: Caroline Wood.

Creating new phases of matter

As well as exploring exotic physics, understanding these quantum effects could help unlock a pivotal goal: next-generation superconducting materials that enable frictionless flow of electrons at higher temperatures.

Layered quantum systems are at the heart of many next-generation materials, from superconductors to quantum devices. By recreating and tuning such systems from the ground up, physicists are testing longstanding theories and exploring new phases of matter with unprecedented control.

Dr Shinichi Sunami (Department of Physics)

In a recent study published in Nature Communications, the Oxford team were able to map out, for the first time, how their double-layer system changes under different conditions - a kind of ‘phase diagram’ for this new quantum material. What they saw was striking: when the two layers were brought close enough, quantum tunnelling between them helped the particles flow without friction, even at higher temperatures than expected for a single layer.

Normally, tiny whirlpools (known as vortices) would appear and disrupt this frictionless flow. However, the tunnelling between the layers effectively suppressed those disturbances, preserving the smooth, resistance-free movement.

‘While actual tunnelling of particles is not very frequent, the consequences are dramatic: it binds the layers into a single state with shared coherence, enabling frictionless flow across both layers. It effectively becomes a new phase of matter,’ says Dr Shinichi Sunami, a postdoctoral researcher of the group who supervised the project. Oxford’s state-of-the-art quantum simulator apparatus enables researchers to precisely control the separation and therefore quantum tunnelling rate between the layers, allowing them to investigate precisely how these phenomena invoke new properties.

Two layers of ultracold gas in the group's experiment. Credit: Ultracold Quantum Matter group.

A platform for discovery

Here at Oxford, this is just the beginning. The same apparatus that allows researchers to validate theories can also explore uncharted territory: How do quantum systems evolve when cooled suddenly? How do entirely new phases of matter emerge in real time?

‘These are questions theory alone struggles to answer,’ says Erik. ‘But with our simulators, we can perform the experiment and watch events at the quantum level unfold. I feel extraordinarily lucky to be working on this for my DPhil research. There are so many other interesting phenomena we can explore with this unique apparatus.’

On World Mosquito Day, Dr Lucy Harrison, postdoctoral researcher at Oxford’s Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO) at the Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, reflects on the global impact of the mosquito and her research into malaria drug resistance.

A small insect, a global impact

Dr Lucy Harrison. Credit: James Harrison.

Every year on 20 August, World Mosquito Day marks the extraordinary role of one tiny insect in shaping human health. Mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting some of the world’s most devastating diseases, including malaria, dengue, Zika, and yellow fever.

Malaria alone causes more than 260 million cases and nearly 600,000 deaths annually. Around 95% of this burden is borne by people in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite investments of over USD 4 billion in malaria control efforts in 2023, global funding still falls short of what is needed to meet the World Health Organization's Global Technical Strategy.

The relationship between humans and malaria is ancient. Evidence suggests the disease afflicted populations from the time of the Egyptians and may even have been described by Hippocrates.

From discovery to mathematics

World Mosquito Day commemorates the discovery by Sir Ronald Ross, on 20 August 1897, that female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit malaria. Ross also pioneered the first mathematical model of vector-borne disease, showing how infected mosquitoes create infected people and vice versa.

His insights laid the foundation for malaria control strategies: if mosquito numbers are reduced, the opportunities for transmission fall. George Macdonald later refined this work, introducing the concept of the ‘reproduction number’ or 'R number' — a measure familiar today from its use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fighting back

Mosquito-borne diseases can be tackled by controlling mosquito populations, reducing human exposure, and treating infections. Approaches include removing stagnant water, spraying insecticides, releasing genetically modified mosquitoes that reduce reproduction, using repellents and bed nets, and deploying effective medicines.

Several key malaria drugs come from natural sources. Quinine, derived from the bark of the cinchona tree, was used for centuries and even gave rise to tonic water. More recently, artemisinin, discovered in 1972 from sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua), revolutionised malaria treatment. Its discovery earned Chinese pharmacologist, Tu Youyou, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015.

But widespread drug use also fuels drug resistance. Artemisinin-resistant parasites were first documented in 2008, and are linked to specific mutations in the parasite’s genes. To preserve treatment effectiveness, the WHO now recommends combining artemisinin with a partner drug to slow the evolution of resistance.

Mapping resistance

At Oxford, my work focuses on mapping the spread of genetic mutations in malaria parasites across Sub-Saharan Africa. These mutations are linked to resistance against frontline drugs such as artemisinin.

With the power of modelling, my maps use the data that is available to predict what proportion of malaria parasites may have mutations linked to drug resistance in locations where we don’t have any data.

In many regions where malaria transmission is most intense, there is little or no genetic data. Running clinical trials to test drug effectiveness is costly and resource-intensive. To overcome this, we use geospatial models that can predict the likely distribution of resistance even in areas without data.

These models combine available genetic data with information on the distance and time between data collections, and environmental conditions such as malaria prevalence. By doing so, we can predict the prevalence of resistant parasites in areas where we don’t have any data.

The maps produced at the University of Oxford will be made freely available through the Infectious Diseases Data Observatory’s Artemisinin Molecular Surveyor. The Surveyor is a living systematic review which can be used by researchers and policy-makers to visualise the current state of global drug resistance in the malaria parasite.

A screenshot of the Infectious Disease Data Observatory’s Artemisinin Molecular Surveyor, which visualises published genetic data of the malaria parasite.

This World Mosquito Day reminds us that mosquitoes remain one of humanity’s most persistent threats. At Oxford, researchers are combining field data, genetics, and advanced modelling to provide the evidence needed to guide global health decisions, helping to ensure that life-saving drugs remain effective for the communities that need them most.

The Community Impact Lab links the research talent of Oxford University graduates with local community organisations tackling environmental, economic and social inequality across Oxfordshire. Impact Lab fellows outline what it's like to be involved

The Community Impact Lab is one of four programmes set up by Oxford SDG Impact Lab to harness the skills and knowledge of the University's graduate students to advance the UN sustainable development goals. 'We recognised a gap in graduate students' experience,’ says Alex Betts, Co-founder of SDG Impact Lab and Pro Vice-Chancellor for External Engagement, Sport and Community at Oxford University. ‘They get an amazing academic education when they come to Oxford. We wanted to complement this by offering them the opportunity to use their talents to make a difference to society and the planet.'

Some of this year’s 14 Community Impact Lab Fellows outline how they feel they have made a difference to the communities and organisations they have supported – and to themselves.  

Breaking down barriers

Sana Shah is completing a DPhil in History at Somerville College and has been part of the Impact Lab team supporting Oxfordshire Football Association. Her task has been to understand how football can promote better health, equality and community cohesion across the county. 

‘I chose this project because I felt it echoed my own research as an historian and my love of stories. It was about bringing people together and really listening to them – particularly to voices often left out of formal consultation.’

Sana teamed up with her research partner Ciao Anchi, a member of Wolfson College who is taking an MPhil in Global and Area Studies. They conducted in-person interviews and community engagement sessions with people from diverse backgrounds across Oxfordshire.

‘We also attended local matches, training sessions, and community events, where we spoke informally with parents, players, coaches, and volunteers. We reached upwards of 50-60 individuals.’

They found a massive enthusiasm for the beautiful game but also financial and cultural barriers to taking part, from the cost of kit to the pub culture among some adult teams.

Sana wants the FA to do ‘more listening’ to players and the people running local football groups, when it comes to allocating resources. She also suggests that Oxford colleges could get more involved in community football – perhaps sponsoring local teams. ‘Working on this project has completely changed how I see football – I now understand it not just as a sport, but as a community lifeline for many people.’

Promoting social justice

Arden Jaeger is pursuing an MSt in History of Art and Visual Culture and is a member of Wadham College. As a Community Impact Fellow, he has been working with the Tap Social Movement, which offers employment and training to people with convictions via the brewery, bakery, café and tap bars it runs across Oxfordshire.

‘I came to Oxford with the attitude that I would say yes to opportunities that came my way. I wanted to find a more measurable way of making a social impact.’

Arden particularly appreciates the interdisciplinary nature of being a member of the impact Lab. ‘It felt slightly strange at first. I was surrounded by scientists and social scientists tackling big problems while I was looking at pictures of whales.

‘But I have been able to demonstrate that the visual arts can have a huge impact, for example as a means of communicating the complexity or urgency of an issue.’

Tap Social has worked with around 60 prisoners or prison leavers and nearly a third of its staff have prison experience. Arden’s task has been to find out what impact secure employment has on people with convictions, their families and their friends. He also needed to consider how the Tap Social Movement could be scaled for broader social impact.

With his research partner, Diya Ramful – a DPhil Environmental Research student, also at Wadham College – Arden reached out to local arts organisations and criminal justice charities working with marginalised groups as well as Tap Social staff and customers. ‘There is huge support for Tap Social’s mission. Among staff with prison experience, a secure job is more than an income. It affects their housing, social connections and their mental health.

‘This project showed me just how interlinked problems of social justice can be. Tap Social is a positive case study that should be used to inspire other employers.’

Supporting local growers

Ali Elhassan and Clara Cecil already had an interest in sustainable food systems when they opted to work on a project with OxFarm2Fork, which links the county’s institutions, including 18 Oxford colleges, with 20 local agroecological food producers.

Clara, an MSc student in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment and a member of Mansfield College, has worked with a small start-up looking at funding and technology investment in regenerative farming. Developing measurement frameworks was very theoretical and I wanted to be more involved at a community level,’ she says.

Ali is an experienced civil and environmental engineer and is taking an MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management and is a member of Hertford College. Before joining the Impact Lab he carried out his own research into food waste in Oxford and wanted to do more. ‘The OxFarm2Fork project has been a good counterbalance to my academic work, although I found it hard fitting it all in at first.’

The pair agree that it was fun too. ‘We didn’t know each other before but have become good friends,’ Ali says.

OxFarm2Fork was set up by Good Food Oxfordshire which hopes to use Ali and Clara’s findings to help extend the Farm2Fork collaboration to other institutions.

Clara and Ali visited four local farms, identified more than 80 plant and insect species and tested the nutrient content of more than 20 different crops.

‘Some crops definitely have a much higher nutrient density than supermarket equivalent,’ Ali says. ‘But it is not a consistent picture and ideally we need to find a more detailed means of measuring nutrient content.’

Clara and Ali also interviewed farmers and students and chefs in participating Oxford colleges. They think there is more mileage to be had from partnerships with Oxford colleges such as piloting contracted growing around particular crops – possibly more unusual crops that cannot be sourced elsewhere.

They certainly feel that the inspirational growers they met have the commitment and work ethic to rise to the challenge. ‘The farmers were awesome,’ Clara says.

The Community Impact Lab is supported by the University of Oxford’s ESRC Impact Acceleration Account.