Maria Kozan: What does receiving the IDUB Teaching Award mean to you, and which teaching activities or projects contributed to this recognition?

Dr Regina Solova: The IDUB Teaching Award is a tremendous honour for me, as well as a strong motivation to continue my teaching work. Especially in the academic system, where research achievements are primarily rewarded. It is for scientific accomplishments that we receive promotions, so naturally the system is designed for us to focus on research.

Yet teaching is equally important. We devote almost as much time to it as to research – sometimes even more. Although this work often remains invisible on a daily basis, it forms the foundation of our presence at the university. It is for the students that we prepare classes, support their development, and without them our scholarly and teaching work would have neither an audience nor, ultimately, any real purpose.

I believe that establishing this award and maintaining it is hugely significant. It sends a clear signal that teaching is valued and is just as important as research. From this perspective, allocating IDUB funds specifically to recognise teaching excellence is a brilliant initiative.

What are the criteria for this competition?

The competition regulations are very detailed and include numerous sections, from which participants may select five achievements to be assessed, with corresponding points awarded. Among the achievements I submitted was my long-term leadership of the Institute’s Quality Education Team. This team oversees existing programmes, implements new courses, and participates in their development and design in collaboration with a broader group of academic and teaching staff under the institute’s management.

As Chair of the Quality Education Team, I automatically assumed leadership of the team tasked with developing a new master’s programme. This team was larger than the Quality Education Team alone. Within this team, we prepared a new master’s degree in Romance Studies, combining three streams: French, Spanish, and Italian.

What characterises this degree programme? It is worth noting that applications remain open until the end of September, so students can still apply.

The new programme was designed to allow students to navigate the Romance-language world freely and to combine different linguistic and cultural competencies within a single master’s degree. It was also a response to the skill profiles of our academic staff, many of whom are proficient in two or even three Romance languages and cultures. In a multilingual Europe, restricting oneself to one language or culture seems outdated.

In designing the programme, we also considered real labour market needs. We observe that many students operate in multiple languages: their native language (A), another language in which they are proficient (B), and a further language (C) in which they are still developing their skills. Our Romance Studies programme enables students to develop their linguistic and cultural competencies in B and C simultaneously, while remaining integrated with their native language, Polish. Additionally, we offer a translation specialisation and a teacher-training module. For those pursuing a teaching career, there is also the possibility of obtaining a second degree in cooperation with the University of Poitiers. Prospective translators may earn a second degree through the Arqus Multiple Master’s Degree Programme in Translation (Arqus I). The dual-degree option, integrated into the Romance Studies programme, is the result of work by several teams. I emphasise this to show that our modern and, we hope, attractive teaching offer is the product of team effort, involving staff from various specialisations within the Institute of Romance Studies.

Returning to our guiding principles, we assumed that, from an employer’s perspective, it is easier to train a new employee in using a specific tool or system than to teach them two foreign languages. Therefore, it is crucial that humanities graduates already possess well-developed language skills. In practice, it often happens that Language B – for instance, French – was previously dominant, but career or life circumstances make Language C more important at a certain stage. In such cases, the languages interpenetrate, and usage varies according to context. Thus, in designing the programme, we prioritised flexibility and interdisciplinarity, enabling students to develop in a dynamically changing multilingual environment.

Is there a chance that such a programme will also be introduced at the bachelor’s level?

From the 2025/2026 academic year, modifications to the bachelor’s programmes have also been introduced, allowing students greater flexibility in navigating the Romance-language pathways. For instance, students can obtain a French Studies degree with a specialisation in Spanish, Italian, or Belgian Studies, provided they complete a specified number of courses and ECTS credits in the chosen specialisation.

These changes continue the model introduced at the master’s level, reflecting a similar idea – supporting multilingualism and diverse educational pathways. While the solutions at the bachelor’s level differ from those at master’s level, they share the same goal: enabling students to develop competencies in more than one Romance language and preparing them for a multilingual academic and professional environment.

Aside from teaching, is anything else considered in this competition?

The competition also takes into account the organisation of scientific and educational events. I submitted a seminar we organised to disseminate the results of the EFFORT project. We invited specialists from both academia and professional practice. The seminar presented the main objectives of the project, its implementation, the team involved, and disseminated results to a potentially interested audience.

I also submitted other activities meeting the criteria. During the period under review, I participated in professional development, taking an Academic English course at C1 level offered by the English Language Centre. English is now the primary language of academic communication, especially in my field. It is practically impossible to function scientifically without English, both in research writing and in teaching, where we increasingly direct students to literature in this language. Of course, this does not mean abandoning the promotion of Romance languages, which remain vital and actively maintained in our academic practice.

In addition to English, I also took a Spanish course offered by my Institute as part of the Romance Languages Courses for the academic community. I believe it is extremely important not only to create and lead new teaching projects but also to continuously develop one’s own competencies. Reflections and experiences from learning foreign languages often enhance the quality of our teaching and allow us to better understand students’ needs.

You teach French translation pedagogy, from oral exercises to official and commercial translations. What competencies do you consider crucial for training future translators? Have students’ needs and expectations changed in recent years?

From a translation perspective, significant changes are occurring due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence. First-year students often arrive believing that translators’ work will soon be entirely replaced by AI. We are pleased, however, to see how practical translation exercises challenge this notion. Students realise that, while AI tools are useful, they cannot fully replace the “human translator” – someone who revises, correcting errors from automatic processing and lacking contextual, pragmatic, and cultural knowledge.

I believe this moment of reflection on AI’s limitations is crucial. Five years ago, we did not have such discussions. While translation-support tools existed and were used at the master’s level, direct confrontation with AI as a potential “translator substitute” is relatively new. Practical exercises make students aware of how much depends on human competence, which cannot be learned theoretically but through hands-on experience.

Could you give an example from your classes?

One illustrative example involved students translating a French leaflet promoting the Solidarni Sąsiedzi association. The leaflet encouraged building neighbourly ties, suggesting joint initiatives such as children’s birthday parties, where adults could chat autour d’un verre. The text did not specify that this meant a glass of wine. Some students translated it as “with a glass of wine”, others as “with a drink” or “over coffee”. After discussion, we concluded that, in this context, the culturally appropriate choice was “over a cup of coffee”. Promoting alcohol in the context of children’s parties would be inappropriate.

Such nuances, dependent on social and cultural context, are still difficult for AI to detect. Decisions like these are essential to translation quality, which is why we work with real-life examples. Students conclude that the translator’s profession not only has a purpose but also evolves alongside the tools we use. AI can support translation, but only when applied critically.

What gives you the greatest satisfaction in teaching translation? How do you view the relationship between teacher and student in the learning process?

For me, mutual exchange of ideas with students is vital. I do not treat classes as one-way communication but encourage active discussion around the translations we analyse. Students often notice nuances I had not previously considered. Their observations provide new perspectives and inspire me to reconsider my interpretations. This exchange is invaluable for both students and myself. We collectively realise that no one holds a monopoly on the “correct” interpretation or definition of a good translation. I always emphasise that there is no single ideal translation. Ten people may produce ten different versions, each valid in its own way.

Where do you draw inspiration to develop and refine your teaching methods, especially in translation pedagogy? How do you approach working with students in this field?

I constantly monitor current trends in pedagogy, particularly translation pedagogy. The hottest topic now is, of course, artificial intelligence. This issue is intensively discussed both within our university and in collaboration with international academic centres.

Through the Visiting Professors programme, I invited Prof. Nicolas Froeliger (Université Paris Cité) and Prof. Tomáš Duběda (Charles University, Prague) to deliver public lectures for students and faculty on AI’s impact on translation practice and pedagogy. They shared doubts and questions faced by educators in seemingly different but related academic contexts, emphasising that dynamic changes require ongoing reflection and collaborative solutions. Prof. Duběda, for instance, analysed AI use in legal translation, highlighting that it may cause serious errors and over-interpretation, reinforcing the human translator’s role, particularly in post-editing. Ethical considerations were also discussed, including marking translations to indicate whether they were human-generated, AI-assisted, or fully AI-produced, and the potential impact on perceived value.

You were part of the University of Wrocław team in the international Erasmus+ EFFORT Translation Studies project, alongside dr Anna Kuźnik, prof. Natalia Paprocka, dr Kaja Gostkowska and prof. Marcin Walczyński. What challenges did you encounter, and what outcomes can you highlight?

EFFORT was a major Erasmus+ project under Strategic Partnerships, aiming to develop a European Translation Competence Framework (A, B, C levels), similar to the CEFR. Experts from ten universities with diverse traditions and translation specialisations participated. Achieving consistent results was challenging, especially as English – a foreign language for many – was the working language. Each group had its own terminology and theoretical approaches, requiring precise alignment of definitions and continuous clarification.

The experience was fascinating and instructive, yielding both project outcomes and reflections on interdisciplinary communication. We published an article, Entangled in Terminology: Translators’ Challenges in the Erasmus+ EFFORT Project, and reported the project in two languages.

One concrete outcome is an online self-assessment tool for translation competencies, hosted in the Repository of the University of Wrocław. It includes a guide for levels A, B, and C, allowing anyone – professional or amateur – to assess their translation skills. Inspired by the CEFR, EFFORT provides a model for assessing competence in academic and professional contexts.

You wrote about the Traducteur en herbe project at the University of Wrocław. Could you explain its educational goals, especially for high school students, and how you engage them in translation and French culture despite it not being part of the official curriculum?

This “beloved child” of ours started in 2014. Its main aim is to invite high school students to literary translation. They work in small teams translating a literary text for the first time. Translation is virtually absent from high school curricula, yet students daily encounter translated literature without recognising translators’ roles. We aim to introduce students to translation as a complex, multifaceted activity and expose them to academia, potentially guiding them towards language and translation studies in the future.

The project is a competition: students translate, our students evaluate the work under faculty supervision, and the best translations are awarded. Workshops and lectures accompany the translation, designed to be interactive. Inspired by this, in 2022 we created a Czech-language equivalent, Cesta k překladu, now in its fourth edition. Both projects aim to familiarise students with translation and academic life.

How are results announced, and are awarded translations publicly presented?

In the French-language competition, the jury reads submissions aloud, students identify authors, and awards are given. Short commentary addresses key challenges, creative solutions, and good teaching practices.

Have participants subsequently chosen to study Romance languages at your university?

Yes, some participants later enrolled in our programmes, completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Participation may have influenced their decisions.

You are part of the team developing a new Translation Studies degree at the Faculty of Languages, Literatures and Cultures for 2026/2027. What are its main assumptions and courses?

Previously, we did not offer a master’s fully dedicated to translation. Current programmes in English, Romance, or other languages cover translation partially. We noticed a gap for graduates wishing to specialise. The new programme targets them, initially offering English, French, Spanish and Dutch. Led by prof. Marcin Walczyński, our team has been working on the curriculum. The programme includes courses absent or limited in typical language degrees, such as computer-assisted translation tools and terminology, emphasising practical and modern translation skills.

Terminology and multilingualism are crucial, alongside advanced skills in at least two foreign languages, integration with Polish (native language), and languages B and C. This offer will attract students aware that translators remain indispensable despite AI. Our master’s programme will not only demonstrate this but allow them to experience it firsthand.

What motivated you to participate in the “Best of the Best – in Search of Teaching Excellence” competition? What benefits do you see for academic teachers?

The competition highlights our daily work, often invisible. Completing the forms helps realise the sheer volume of effort over the past three years, increasing awareness of our achievements. The procedure is straightforward, forms simple, and completion does not take much time. The satisfaction of participation and potential recognition is enormous.

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Applications for the third edition of the teaching award are now open! We encourage you to take part in the competition!!!

The IDUB Teaching Excellence Awards competition, “The Best Among the Best – In Pursuit of Teaching Excellence”, is one of the initiatives under the “Excellence Initiative – Research University (IDUB)” programme, financed by the Polish Minister responsible for higher education and science for the years 2020–2026. The competition aims to enhance the quality of education and promote best practices in teaching at the University of Wrocław. Across the two previous editions, a total of 75 laureates have been recognised.

Academic staff from all units of the University of Wrocław are eligible to apply for the IDUB Teaching Excellence Award, provided they are employed on a full-time basis in a teaching, research-teaching, or research position on the day the competition is announced. Full details on how to apply for the award can be found on the IDUB website.

Read about other winners of the IDUB teaching award:

Prof. dr hab. Dagmara Jakimowicz, Wydział Biotechnologii

Dr hab. Maciej Matyka, prof. UWr, Wydział Fizyki i Astronomii

Prof. Paweł Gawrychowski, Wydział Matematyki i Informatyki

Added by: M.K.
Date of publication: 7.08.2025