The academic from the Institute of Translation Studies at CU FA received the prize on 27 April 2024 in Paris at the prominent school of interpreters and translators ESIT (Ecole supérieure d’interprètes et de traducteurs), part of the Sorbonne Nouvelle University.
The Prix Danica Seleskovitch is the only internationally recognised prize in the field of interpreting. It is awarded every two years for merit in spreading awareness of the interpreting profession, longstanding training of future interpreters, and research work in the field of translation studies.
It is the first time this award was given to a laureate from Central Europe. On this occasion, Prof Čeňková gave a lecture on the convergence of the East and the West from the perspective of a Prague interpreter, teacher, and researcher.
Prof. PhDr. Ivana Čeňková, CSc., studied French and Russian at the Department of Translation and Interpreting at CU FA (now the Institute of Translation Studies at CU FA) in 1973–1978, where she still works. In 1980, she received her PhDr degree and, in 1986, her PhD thesis Teoretické aspekty procesu překladu a tlumočení (na rusko-českém materiálu) / Theoretical Aspects of the Translation and Interpreting Process (on Russian-Czech material). In 1993, she habilitated as the first associate professor of translation and interpreting in the Czech Republic, and in 2008, the President appointed her professor of translation studies.
