Global computing and localisation at the university of limerick

Limerick, Ireland, 27 April 2007:  Multinational games, web and software publishers are making their products available simultaneously in an increasingly large number of languages and for many different cultures. Experts estimate that the localisation industry servicing this sector is worth US$ 9 billion and growing. This is leading to an increased demand for professional localisers with a thorough understanding of the technical and business issues involved.  Responding to this demand, the University of Limerick (UL) will be offering two new postgraduate programmes in localisation, starting in September 2007.

The Graduate Diploma in Localisation Technology and the Master of Science in Global Computing and Localisation have been developed in close cooperation with eminent industry and academic leaders. Both will be offered on a full-time and part-time (one-day-a-week) basis and it is expected that significant grants will become available greatly reducing registration costs for EU-students.

Reinhard Schäler, director of the Localisation Research Centre (LRC) at the University and course coordinator for these programmes, said “With the new programmes, we will prepare students both for demanding job opportunities in localisation and for serious research and development work in industry and academia. An increased emphasis on technical and business aspects together with the involvement of the internationally renowned Kemmy Business School at UL will prepare students for the most demanding jobs in the industry.”

Ireland has been a world centre of localisation since the mid 1980s, with companies such as Microsoft, Oracle, Symantec and Google locating their European Headquarters here. International academic and business leaders have described the University of Limerick as “the Mecca of Localisation”, “teaching the best minds in the internationalisation and localisation business”. UL has been offering postgraduate courses in localisation since 1997, is the home of the EU-funded Localisation Tools Laboratory and Showcase (LOTS) and is the publisher of the peer-reviewed and indexed Localisation Focus – The International Journal of Localisation. More information on these programmes is available on www.localisation.ie/education.

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