We are delighted to share that the Queen’s Translation Exchange (QTE) has been recognised with a prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Local Community Engagement.
The Local Community Engagement Award recognises projects and activities designed to increase educational and employment opportunities for young people, increase access to Oxford’s facilities and resources, or support communities through policy development and capacity building. QTE was announced a winner for their work partnering with schools to raise the profile of languages and develop inclusive, creative, and cultural connections to the University.
“We share this award with our fantastic community of student ambassadors,” said Dr Charlotte Ryland, Founding Director of the Queen’s College Translation Exchange and Honorary Research Fellow in the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages.
“Every year we support around 25 Oxford undergraduates and postgraduates to develop Creative Translation workshops, based on texts that they love, in a language of their choosing.
“We then match them with schools across Oxfordshire, where they deliver these workshops to young people aged 8-18 — sharing their love of language and literature and inspiring the next generation of linguists.
“Our student ambassadors represent the best of our languages community here at Oxford — young people living the mind-broadening experience of being a linguist — and are superb advocates for languages.”
This year’s Vice-Chancellor’s Awards included 170 entries across 13 categories with more than 1,000 individuals featured in the nominations.
The annual awards recognise the achievements and celebrate success across the collegiate University, from academics and researchers to professional, technical and support staff.
“This year’s Awards ceremony and showcase celebrated the exceptional people and partnerships that underpin Oxford’s success and impact, highlighting the creativity, dedication and ambition that is evident across our University community,” said Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor CBE FRS FMedSci.
“I was delighted to meet colleagues and collaborators from across Oxford and beyond, and to celebrate their outstanding achievements in the new Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities.
“The Awards not only recognised remarkable accomplishments, but also strengthened connections, inspired new collaborations and reinforced our shared commitment to excellence in teaching and research.”
QTE presented alongside fellow nominees at the 2026 Awards Showcase in the Schwarzman Centre, prior to the announcement of this year’s winners. Staff, students and the general public were invited network with the nominees and learn about the projects and initiatives making a difference in Oxford and beyond.
Charlotte was joined by colleagues and student ambassadors at the all-day event and added: “It was a fantastic opportunity to explain what we do to the wider University community and to members of the public.
“QTE is a national programme, with well over 25,000 young people and their teachers participating in our programmes over the past year alone.
“But we’re thrilled, with this award, to have been recognised for the impact we’re having locally, across Oxfordshire.
“We’re convinced that Oxford linguists play a key role in widening participation in languages study, in the Humanities and in higher education more broadly.
“This award confirms QTE’s flagship role in this essential endeavour — more important in the context of the new technological and geopolitical challenges facing the rising generation — and it inspires us to broaden and deepen our work.”
The Queen’s Translation Exchange was established in 2018 to enrich and transform the teaching and learning of languages across the UK. It is engaged in several transformative projects including the Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators – its flagship national translation competition open to all UK pupils aged 11-18 – and the Creative Translation Ambassadors training programme for Oxford students. QTE also organises the Think Like a Linguist programme for Year 8 pupils in Rochdale and Blackpool, in collaboration with the Faculty's Outreach Officer and other key partners.