ULiège inaugurates its new language training centre

The University of Liège inaugurated its new language training centre on Tuesday 8 October 2019 at the fully renovated former Institute of Anatomy and in a new compact and energy-efficient building. This represents a total investment of 8 million euros, 5 million of which were financed by a grant awarded by the government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in 2014.

T

he site of the "rue de Pitteurs" in Outremeuse in Liège houses the entire Translation and Interpretation section from the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters as well as the Higher Institute for Modern Languages (ISLV), the Confucius Institute (Chinese language, culture and society) and the Centre for Japanese Studies.

This new language training centre (twelve languages) is located in the entirely renovated former Institute of Anatomy and in a new compact and energy-efficient building, with both buildings connected by an aerial glass walkway. Day and evening classes are now offered every day during the week, including Saturdays.

The renovation of the former Institute of Anatomy and the construction of the new building represent a total investment of €8 million, of which €5 million were financed by a grant awarded by the government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in 2014.

This project originates in a decree that promotes the integration of translator and interpreter studies at the University. Indeed, the Haute École de la Ville de Liège, with which ULiège had been organising a joint degree since 2008, lost its conditional authorisation to organise these studies in favour of ULiège at the beginning of the 2015-2016 academic year. Since then, ULiège alone has been entitled to award degrees in this programme, which nevertheless remains co-organised with the Haute École de la Ville de Liège.

These developments in the programmes in Translation and Interpretation have provided an opportunity to build a hub dedicated to the learning of foreign languages and cultures on the “Pitteurs” site, where the Confucius Institute and the ULiège Centre for Japanese Studies were already located. Another hub remains the XX-Août site, where the (modern, romance, classical and oriental) Language and Literature sections are located, although some courses are held in the new facilities at the "Pitteurs” site.

Twelve languages taught

• Translation and Interpretation section: German, English, Spanish, Dutch, Belgian French Sign Language
• ISLV: French as a foreign language, German, English, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian
• Confucius Centre: Chinese
• Centre for Japanese Studies: Japanese

Day and evening classes

In 2019, the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, in collaboration with the Faculty of Law, Political Science and Criminology, launched – in the form of evening classes - a certificate in legal knowledge for the translator and juror interpreter.

An energy-efficient building

The new building (L5) exceeds current standards for energy and environmental performance: 

• LED lighting
• Photovoltaic panels
• Rainwater harvesting
• Efficient heating and ventilation control
• Insulation of facades
• Soft mobility: bicycle parking, showers

In the former Institute of Anatomy (L3):

• Replacement of the heating control system
• Chassis replacement
• Improvement of the thermal insulation of roofs
• Replacement of office and classroom lighting with LEDs

New classrooms and equipment adapted to interpretation studies

Net usable area of the new building: 1526 m²

• Cafeteria (80 seats)
• Study room (98 seats)
• 15 to 17 classrooms, from 10 to 30 places, two with 48 places, one with 70 places (for a virtual language laboratory project), two with more than 90 places (convertible into two smaller rooms), one of which has a fixed interpretation booth

In the former Institute of Anatomy:

• Fully renovated 270-seat amphitheatre
• 15 classrooms between 20 and 30 places, three of more than 40 places (following the transformation of the former dissection room)
• The remarkable Small Dissection Amphitheatre is preserved
• Two interpretation rooms (eight double cabins and four single cabins)
• A language laboratory adapted to the practice of sign language
• Offices of the staff of the Translation and Interpretation Department, the ISLV, the Confucius Centre and the Centre for Japanese Studies.

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