About the Leader/Instructor
Mazen Alfarhan
Alfarhan has 22 years of successful experience in translation and interpreting, both in a professional capacity and as a trainer. As a professional, he has interpreted at over 200 events and for several world leaders, including Kofi Annan, Mahatir Mohammad, Pervez Musharraf, Romano Brodi, Javier Solana, and Sergio de Mello, while in his role as a trainer he led 30 training workshops and programs between 2013 and 2023 (+500 hours). As a lecturer, he has taught translation (BA level, 2002-8) and conference interpreting (MA level, 2009-13).
He has two MA degrees (Diplomacy, SOAS, 2005; Translation & Interpreting, Heriot-Watt, 2001), a graduate diploma (Arabization, Damascus, 2000) and a BA degree (English, Damascus, 1999). He also regularly attends CPD courses, including Train the Trainers of Interpreting Studies (London Met. Uni.), Legal Translation (Geneva Uni.), and Interpreting Techniques (Saint Joseph Uni.).
He is a regular guest on Qatar Radio and Qatar TV, where he continues to raise awareness on translation/interpreting issues. He also publishes on the topic in local newspapers. He has received three Professional Excellence awards from Qatar Foundation and won the Best Translation Poster 2017 (HBKU) for his translation of a healthcare interpreting manual, published by Geneva University Hospitals in 2016. He also won a Chevening scholarship (2004-5) and a Said scholarship (2000-1).