In 2016, the School of Education and Social Sciences at Polytechnic Institute of Leiria (ESECS-IPL) celebrates 30 years of teaching whilst its Portuguese-Chinese/Chinese-Portuguese Translation and Interpretation degree course also celebrates 10 years of activity. This course is a pioneering and innovating joint project established between Polytechnic Institute of Leiria (IPL) and Macau Polytechnic Institute (MPI), and has opened up a path for concerted cooperation between these institutions, with this cooperation having also been extended to Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU).
Over the last 10 years, the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria has been developing activities in the area of languages and cultures, with a particular focus on the teaching and learning of Portuguese and Chinese, aimed at catering for each of these contexts. The collaboration which has been put into practice has allowed for the creation of spaces which encourage the exchange of knowledge and experiences and the broadening of dialogue to other people and institutions whose work is carried out in this area. The “Bridges: EUROPE-CHINA” Conference constitutes one of these spaces. After the first conference in Leiria (2012), and the second in Macau (2014), the third conference, to take place this year, as part of the commemorations associated with both ESECS-IPL and the Translation and Interpretation course, aims to further celebrate the space and institutions that promote the establishment of dialogue between Europe, more specifically Portugal and China.
In the present national and international context, the consolidation of closer relations between Europe and China is clearly evident. These closer relations create challenges of understanding and mutual knowledge, not only in the linguistic domain, but also in cultural and social domains too. With significantly different languages and cultures, bridges of understanding need to be encouraged and are regularly established through the learning of the language of the other and the experiences of the uses and habits which are so particular to each culture. Further exploration of the dialogue between people and institutions will allow the bridges that unite people and cultures to be strengthened.
The 3rd International Conference “Bridges: EUROPE-CHINA” aims to bring together researchers, teachers, students and other individuals with an interest in this area, in order to share knowledge on broad-based themes such as society(ies), language(s), culture(s), teaching and learning and translation and interpretation in the context of developing relations between Europe and China.
Objectives
• Promote forms of cooperation and mutual knowledge between Europe and China.
• Share experiences in the area of teaching and learning European and Chinese cultures and languages;
• Explore further issues related to European and Chinese languages and cultures;
• Reflect on models of training in the context of relations between Europe and China;
• Question practices of linguistic and cultural mediation between European and Chinese cultures and languages.
Themes:
Society(ies): Centring on European and Chinese societies and the relationships formed between these;
Culture(s): The cultural dimension in each of the contexts and intercultural relationships between these;
Languages and Discourses: Description of languages in focus, from the perspective of their knowledge and contrastive study, and the analysis of discourses in the contexts in question;
Teaching and learning of languages: Processes, strategies and results of the teaching and learning of the languages in focus, on the part of the learners from each of the societies;
Translation/interpretation: Between the languages in focus.
Working Languages:
Portuguese, Mandarin, English
Organising Committee:
Luís Filipe BARBEIRO
Inês CONDE
Mark DAUBNEY
Romain GILLAIN MUÑOZ
Catarina MANGAS
Susana NUNES
Yuqi SUN
Daisy LI LI
Scientific Committee:
Alda MOURÃO
Ana MADEIRA
Ana Vieira BARBOSA
António AVELAR
António LÁZARO
Aurélia ALMEIDA
Carlos MORAIS
Carmen MENDES
Catarina MANGAS
Catarina MENEZES
Choi Wai HAO
Cristina MARTINS
Cristina NOBRE
Daisy LI LI
Fátima SILVA
Gorete MARQUES
Goreti MONTEIRO
Graça RIO-TORTO
Helena BUESCU
Jean MERCEREAU
Jorge COSTA
Lei Heong IOK
Li CHANGSEN
Lola XAVIER
Luciano ALMEIDA
Luís Filipe BARBEIRO
Luís GUERRA
Lurdes GODINHO
Manuel Célio CONCEIÇÃO
Maria José GAMBOA
Maria José GROSSO
Mark DAUBNEY
Marta ALEXANDRE
Micaela RAMON MOREIRA
Nuno MANGAS
Paula Cristina FERREIRA
Romain GILLAIN MUÑOZ
Rosa BIZARRO
Susana NUNES