From left to right front: Vice-President Annette Schiller, Ireland; Secretary-General Alexandra Karlhuber-Jantscher, Austria; President Alison Rodriguez, New Zealand; Vice-President Alejandra Jorge, Argentina; Vice-President Eleanor Cornelius, South Africa;
From left to right rear: Jan Christian Næss, Norway; Jørgen Christian Wind Nielsen, Denmark; Guillaume Deneufbourg, Belgium; Viktorija Osolnik Kunc, Slovenia; Olga Egorova, Russian Federation; Tiina Tuominen, Finland; Gao Anming, China; Hasuria Che Omar, Malaysia
Photo Credit: Jana Petrak Zajc
Artificial intelligence has sparked one of the most significant shifts across the translation and interpreting profession. Over the past two years, it has dominated academic and professional discourse, prompting translators and interpreters to reflect on their roles, tools, and the future of their work. In this context, FIT Council’s recent gathering in Slovenia – accompanied by a well-received public forum – offered a timely opportunity to take stock, exchange ideas, and demonstrate how FIT helps shape sustainable responses to change.
The final in-person meeting of FIT Council before the end of its three-year mandate – and ahead of the XXIII FIT World Congress in Geneva from 4–6 September 2025 – was intended to be a landmark gathering. In the summer of 2024, a decision was made: after previous sessions in Barcelona and Kuala Lumpur, it was now Central Europe’s turn. Slovenia was selected as the closing venue of this mandate.
With great enthusiasm, the Association of Sworn Court Interpreters and Legal Translators of Slovenia (SCIT®), under the leadership of its re-elected president and FIT Council member Viktorija Osolnik Kunc, took charge of hosting Council’s weeklong visit to Ljubljana. The hospitality, cultural depth, and precision of the Slovenian hosts turned the visit itself into a highlight of the mandate.
Over three working days, with almost all FIT Council members present, along with Honorary Advisors and several observers, including representatives from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which will serve as the venue for the upcoming Congress, participants met to discuss pressing issues facing T&I associations. Topics ranged from the future of the profession and Congress planning to the vital work of FIT’s Standing Committees, copyright advocacy, and human input in a technology-driven era. The newly opened Grand Plaza Hotel, in the heart of Ljubljana, proved an ideal setting for productive and at times spirited dialogue.
The high point of the visit was undoubtedly the International Forum on Translation and Interpreting 2025 with the theme ‘The power of words and the intelligent future’, held on Saturday, 29 March 2025. Eight invited panellists, members of FIT Council and Slovenian academia, addressed key issues, including AI creativity, translator training in Slovenia, copyright in translation, audiovisual and legal translation, translation labelling, and continuing professional development. Visitors from neighbouring Croatia, Serbia, Austria, and the Czech Republic joined a large local audience, including many students. The forum, held in its classic, authentic format, showcased what FIT does best: disseminating knowledge, fostering community, and promoting sustainability in the language professions.
Moderated by BBC journalist Guy De Launey, the event created a warm and dynamic atmosphere. A networking buffet followed, serving as the social hub of the day. Forum recordings, photos, and press material are available at http://forum.sodni-tolmaci.si/
with video highlights to follow.
Slovenia offered more than a meeting – it offered inspiration.
See you in Geneva at the XXIII FIT World Congress, 4–6 September 2025. Visit http://fit2025.org/
Viktorija Osolnik Kunc (FIT Council)
There’s more to discover – https://en.translatio.fit-ift.org/
