Ndongo-Keller
CURRICULUM VITAE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Name:
Ndongo-Keller née Agoh Justine Anastasie
Address:
Language Services Section
Centre for Interpretation and Translation
University of Nairobi
P.O.Box 30197 00100
Nairobi, KENYA
Phone:+1 254 737 141575
Email:
[email protected]
Date and place of birth:
15 April 1950 in Nkongsamba, Cameroon
Nationality:
Cameroonian
Profession:
Interpreter / Translator / Trainer
Gender:
Female
Languages:
French, English and Spanish, and a good knowledge
Krio / Pidgin English
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1.
PERSONAL MISSION
2.

To advance academically and enhance career as an interpreter/translator/trainer and
communication expert.

To develop the Centre for Translation & Interpretation of the University of Nairobi
to become a fully fledged Centre of Excellence for the training of Translators and
Interpreters in the African region.

To invest my skills, training and time, in collaboration with other like- minded
experts in the building and mentoring of other Centres of Excellence for the training
of translators and interpreters in Africa and beyond.
CURRENT CAREER POSITION

Senior Lecturer, Centre for Interpretation and Translation, University of Nairobi,
NAIROBI, KENYA
-
3.
Training of interpreters, English and Spanish into French.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

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Postgraduate Diploma in Conference Interpretation Techniques, Polytechnic of
Central London, University of Westminster. Course work was in Interpretation:
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English and Spanish into French, covering topics ranging from history, architecture,
geohraphy, politics, economics, law, humanitarian issues, medecine and health issues
etc. (Sept. 1979 to Apr. 1980).

Doctorat 3e de Cycle en science et techniques de la traduction et de
l’interprétation ( Doctorate degree in the Science and Techniques of
Interpretation and Translation

Diplôme d’Études Spécialisées (Diploma in Specialized Translation Studies)

Diplôme d’études approfondies

Diplôme de Traducteur
Université de Paris III, Sorbonne Nouvelle, ESIT, Paris, 1980. Course work was in
Interpretation and Translation practice, Theory of Translation and Interpretation:
Speech and Language; Synchrony - Diachrony; Theoretical non-issues; Translation
and Interpretation pedagogy; Terminology and translation; Semantics and
Translation; Socio-linguistic aspects of Interpretation and Translation; The
translation of ideas in Interpretation; The Translation and Interpretation of Words,
Research seminars; Courses in Critical reading; Analysing theoretical and translation
texts; Discussions on Research methodology; Compulsory reading programme.
(Sept. 1976 to Jan. 1980). Title of work: Hétérogénéité linguistique et problèmes que
pose la formation des Traducteurs africains (Linguistic heterogeneity and problems
encountered in the Training of African Translators).
4.

Postgraduate Masters (M.Phil) in English Language Teaching, Université Paul
Valéry Montpellier, France. Course work, in research methods in Anglo- American
studies. (Sept. 1975 to Sept.1976). Title of work : A comparison between
Shakespeare’s Richard III and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart).

Bachelor’s Degree (BA) in English / French Bilingual Letters with Specialization in
Spanish, University of Yaounde, Cameroon. Course work, in bilingual studies,
literature, grammar and history of both languages. (Sept.1970 to Sept. 1974).
SUMMARY OF PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND EXPERTISE
Fields of Expertise:
-
Conference Interpreting,
Court Interpreting,
Legal Translation,
Interpreter training,
Translator training,
Teaching
Credentials:
-
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Baccalauréat de l’Enseignement du second degree, série A (littéraire)
Licence en etudes littéraires bilingues (français – anglais) option espagnol
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-
Maîtrise faisant suite à la licence d’enseignement de l’anglais
Post-Graduate Diploma in Conference Interpretation Techniques
Diplôme deTraducteur
Diplôme d’Études Approfondies en en sciences et techniques de l’Interprétation et
de la Traduction
Diplôme d’Études Spécialisées en Traducation (Français-Espagnol-Anglais)
Doctorat de Troisième cycle en sciences et techniques de l’Interprétation et de la
Traduction
Maître de conférence, Advanced School of Translation and Interpretation (ASTI) University of Buea, Cameroon.
Senior Lecturer, Centre for Translation and Interpretation, University of Nairobi,
Kenya.
Chief, language Services Section of the United Nations Criminal Tribunal for
Rwanda.
Stakeholder, African project for the the Training of Translators, Conference
Interpreters and Public Service Interpreters.
Member of the AICC Africa Training Committee.
Related Skills:
-
Management and Management of conference services
5. SUMMARY OF RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE

Senior Lecturer, Centre for Translation and Interpretation of the University of
Nairobi, Kenya.

Chief of the Language Services Section at the United Nations International Criminal
Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)
-
Corporate management (managing permanent staff and consultants, billing,
preparation and execution of contracts, preparation of budgets, management
of accounts, assignment of work and staff for interpretation and translation
etc.)

Head of The UNICTR Language Services Section Training Unit

Trainer/Translator/Interpreter (ICTR)

Head of the Interpretation Service (National Assembly of Cameroon)

Senior Translator/Interpreter (National Assembly of Cameroon)

Deputy Director in charge of Studies and Maitre de conférence (Advanced School of
Translation/Interpretation, University of Buea, Cameroon)

Senior Translator/Interpreter (Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon).
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6.
SUPERVISORY DUTIES

8 November 2007 – 31 July 2013: Chief, Language Services Section, UN ICTR
Language Services: (a) Plan, organize and supervise the work of the section; (b) Monitor
work priorities, in consultation with the Chambers, the Registry and the Administration so
as to ensure maintenance of UN standards; timely translation and interpretation into both
official languages of the Tribunal, and Kinyarwanda; (c) Allocate work to the section staff,
evaluate their performance and control the quality and quantity of output; (d) Guide, counsel
and train Section staff, evaluate their performance and promote the best utilization of their
skills and experience; Advise on French and English Languages matters; (e) Recommend
action on personnel, budgetary, procedural and other matters relating to the efficient
functioning of the Section; (f) Participate in the testing and evaluation of prospective
language staff, including freelance and contractual translators, revisers and interpreters, and
make recommendations concerning the selection, promotion and retention of both
professional and general services staff; (g) Undertake supervisory assignments in language
and conference services at meetings away from headquarters, assign language officers as
required to service such meetings.
Conference Services: Develop and prepare the ICTR Programme of meetings by: (a)
analyzing and collating all requests for meetings from the Registry, the Chambers and the
Prosecutor's Office; (b) coordinating with senior Officers in the Registry, Chambers and
Prosecutor's Office, reviewing requests, negotiating tentative time periods for meetings, and
reconciling any differences which may result between two or more parties requiring the
same time slot; (c) determining the justification for the recruitment of additional personnel,
special equipment, overtime; (d) assisting the administration in preliminary missions as
required and negotiating with prospective host Government representatives regarding the
physical, logistical and staff requirements for meetings.
Plan, coordinate and direct activities and arrangements with respect to all support aspects for
the conduct of conferences and meetings within and beyond ICTR by: (a) acting as
conference officer or administrative officer at ICTR meetings outside the Seat of the
Tribunal; (b) Analyzing the requirements and preparing the meeting budget allotment for
approval; (c) Effecting liaison with Chiefs of Sections to determine and substantiate their
requests for personnel, logistical and technical support requirement for meetings; (d)
Determining and authorizing the allocation of space required for conferences and meetings;
(e) Overseeing the provision of interpretation and conference facilities.

March 1998 to November 2007: Head of The UNICTR Language Services
Section Training Unit.
-

January 1990 to August 1996: Head of Interpretation Services (National
Assembly of Cameroon)
-
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Training, testing and recruitment of Kinyawranda interpreters and translators
for the UNICTR courts sessions and for translation. Testing and recruitment
of English and French Interpreters and translators of the UNICTR.
Supervision and assessment of staff interpreters;
Recruitment of freelance interpreters;
Supervised the team of Parliament staff interpreters and the freelance team;
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-
7.
Oversaw interpretation booth operations for the Assembly floor;
Officer-in-charge of the department;
Provided simultaneous and consecutive interpretation for committee
meetings, MP plenary sessions and hearings of the Speaker of Parliament;
Training and induction of new translators / interpreters and interns.
TRACK RECORD IN INTERPRETER TRAINING

September 1985 to December 1989: Deputy Director in charge of studies,
Advanced School of Translators and Interpreters (ASTI) of Buea University
Center (AIIC accredited two-star Institution).
-
Administration of all academic matters;
Officer-in-charge;
Recruitment and management of part-time lecturers;
Acted on request for language services;
Designing of curriculum and courses;
Teaching: Interpretation and Translation from English and Spanish into
French.
Training of trainers;
Supervision of students’ dissertations;
Examiner for entrance and graduation exams in translation and interpretation;
Feasibility studies for the procurement and installation of simultaneous
interpretation equipment.
Interpreter and Translator Training:

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(1998-2007) Chief, Training Unit, Language Services Section (UNICTR)
-
Selecting, training and testing for recruitment of Kinyarwanda interpreters;
-
Lectures and Training: sight translation, Consecutive interpretation, notetaking in interpretation, Simultaneous interpretation, terminology;
-
Training of all interested colleagues of the LSS;
-
Selecting and testing English and French Interpreters for recruitment by the
ICTR language services;
-
Lecturing and Training of interpreters at the Special Court for Sierra Leone in
the framework of inter-tribunal cooperation, in April and May 2004, from
English into Krio and Krio into English, so as to enable judges start their
trials on the simultaneous mode;
-
Managing the continuous teaching/training programing of the Section;
-
Member of the Jury for the testing and recruitment of P1 interpreters for the
International Criminal Court at the Hague, The Netherlands, October 2007;
-
Simultaneous and Consecutive Interpretation from English into French (the
working languages of the Tribunal) for the Trial Chambers, and where
necessary, for the Appeals Chamber during Court hearings, Plenary sessions
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and various other meetings and by implication to all parties to the
proceedings before the Tribunal.

8.
3 July 2013, appointed, Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Translation and
Interpretation, Department of Linguistics and Languages, College of
Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Nairobi, KENYA
ACADEMIC SUPERVISION
1. Mariette Ella Menye – Glossaire anglais-français de l’analyse des projets de
développement agricole dans le tiers-monde, MA in Translation, ASTI, University of
Buea, 1987
2. Emmanuel Njandeu - Glossaire anglais-français des termes de conditionnement du
cacao – MA in Translation, ASTI, University of Buea, 1988
3. Jean Remy Tadie Dzetchun - Traduction commentée d’un extrait de ‘’Dangerous
waters’’ de Maurice Sotabinda – MA in Translation, ASTI, University of Buea, 1988.
4. Dieudonné Moto - Glossaire anglais-français des termes relatifs aux principes,
techniques et applications de l’épidémiologie – MA in Translation, ASTI, University
of Buea,1988.
5. Moussa Mefire - Traduction commentée d’un extrait de the ‘’Taboo Kingdom’’ de
Joseph Anchangnayuoh Ngongwiko - MA in Translation, ASTI, University of
Buea,1988.
6. Jean Marcel Ngoua - Glossaire anglais-français des termes relatifs à l’épidémiologie
du SIDA – MA in Translation, ASTI, University of Buea, 1988.
7. Marie Bernadette Ngah Ngolo - Traduction commentée d’extraits de ‘’The good foot’’
de Nsanda Eba Peter - MA in Translation, University of Buea, 1988.
8. Annie-Chantal Kom Kamning – Glossaire anglais-français des termes relatifs à
l’onchocercose humaine, MA in Translation, ASTI, University of Buea, 1991.
9.
STAFF TRANSLATOR / INTERPRETER/TRAINER

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August 1996 – 2007: Court Interpreter / Legal Translator/Trainer, UNICTR
-
Simultaneous and Consecutive Interpretation from English into French (the
working languages of the Tribunal) for the Trial Chambers, and where
necessary, for the Appeals Chamber during Court hearings, Plenary sessions
and various other meetings and as such, to all parties to the proceedings
before the Tribunal;
-
Translation from English into French (the working languages of ICTR) for
the Chambers of ICTR and the parties to the proceedings before the three
Trial Chambers and the Appeals Chamber of the Tribunal.
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

January 1990 to August 1996:
Assembly of Cameroon
Senior Translator/Interpreter, National
-
Translated and revised legal, economic and technical texts;
-
Simultaneous and consecutive interpretation for committee meetings,
Parliamentary plenary sessions, audiences and other meetings of the Speaker;
June 1980 to September 1985: Senior Interpreter/Translator, Presidency of the
Republic of Cameroon
-
Translation of legal, procedural, general and legislative texts including the
Official Gazette;
Interpreting during high-level meetings of the Head of State;
Interpreting during meetings chaired or held by the Secretary-General of the
Presidency;
Interpreting on other official assignments;
Interpretation at national and international conferences in Cameroon and
abroad.
10. PUBLICATIONS
a) Vicarious Traumas – Case Study on the Impact of Translating and interpreting in
Criminal Courts (to be published in the Routledge Hanbook on Interpreting).
11. FREELANCE TRANSLATOR / INTERPRETER / LECTURER:
Iinterpretation for various Specialized agencies of the UN and Other international and local
organizations, including WHO, FAO, UNESCO, UNDP, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNEP, ILO, ECA,
PTA (Preferential Trade Area for East and Southern African countries), APPA (Association des
pays africains producteurs de pétrole), PAPU, OAU, African Union Council on Corruption, African
Court of Justice, ANSTI, IPD (Institut panafricain de développement), CBLT (Commission du
Bassin du Lac Tchad, ADB (African Development Bank) ACP/CEE, MULPOC, CREPLA,
Commission Sud-Sud, Association des juristes africains, NEPAD/IPPF, Association des hommes
d'affaire africains etc.
12.
RELEVANT FACTS AND ACTIVITIES
I have travelled all over Africa, Europe and North America. Countries visited include Gabon,
Central Africa Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Angola, Nigeria, Niger, Sénégal, Togo, Benin, Tchad,
Burkina Faso, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Rwanda,
Ethiopia, Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Sudan, Mozambique, France,
Italy, Great Britain, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Germany,
Sardinia, United Arab Emirates, USA
Moderator, at the 1st Pan-African Conference for the Training of Translators, Conference
Interpreters and Public Service Interpreters, organised by the United Nations Regional office in
Nairobi (February 2009).
Speaker, at the 1st Pan-African Conference for the Training of Translators,
Conference Interpreters and Public Service Interpreters organised by the United
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Nations Regional office in Nairobi (February 2009): Title: Practical Issues and
Challenges in the training of Interpreters for the International Criminal Tribunal for
Rwanda (ICTR).
-
Stakeholder, African project for the the Training of Translators, Conference
Interpreters and Public Service Interpreters.
-
Speaker, at 2nd Pan-African Conference for the Training of Translators, Conference
Interpreters and Public Service Interpreters organised by the United Nations
Regional office in Addis Abeba, May 2012, Title: What is interpreting for the public
service? Training of interpreters for the public service in Africa and concept of
Africanophonie.
-
Lecturing and Training of interpreters at the Special Court for Sierra Leone in the
framework of inter-tribunal cooperation, in April and May 2004, from English into
Krio and Krio into English, so as to enable judges start their trials on the
simultaneous mode.
-
External Examiner, end of cycle exams for the recruitment of interpreters at the ICC,
The Hague, September 2007.
-
External Examiner, end of cycle exams for the recruitment of interpreters at the ICC,
The Hague, November 2009.
-
External Examiner, end of cycle exams at the School of Translation and
Interpretation of the School of Languages, University of Nairobi, August 2012.
-
External Examiner, competitive entrance exam for the recruitment of interpreters at
the School of Translation and Interpretation of the School of Languages, University
of Nairobi, 12 to 14 February, 2013.
-
Expert mission to the ECOWAS Court of Justice to assess the functioning of the
Language Services Section and propose solutions, Abuja, June 2012.
-
Cambridge Conference Interpretation Course (eighteenth Cambridge interpretation
course), 18 to 31 August 2002, Cambridge, Great Britain.
-
AIIC Training of Trainers Rome, Italy, 25 to 26 January, 2012 – Students progress:
a practical approach to matching classes with sutdents needs.
-
AIIC Training of Trainers Barcelone, Spain, 27-28 April 2013 – Teaching
consecutive interpreting.
-
Keynote speaker at th “Talking the World Conference”, University of Newcastle,
Great Britain, 11 to 14 September 2013. Theme of the paper : The Practice, Training
and Ethiscs of Interpretation in a Judicial and Multicultural Environment, the
experience of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
-
Traning of Trainers Maputo, Mozambique, 5-7 october 2013- Blended learning IT
and Interpreter training.
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13.
-
AIIC Training of Trainers, Rome, 26-27 January 2014 – Teaching into B, challenge
or opportunity?
-
Vice Chairperson, CRB (UNICTR Recruitment Board)
-
Chairperson, UNICTR Property Board, (UNICTR).
-
Represented the UNICTR at various meetings of the International Annual Meeting
on Language Arrangements, Documentation and Publications (IAMLADP), which is
a forum and network of managers of international organizations employing
conference and language services providers – mainly translators and interpreters:
2012-New York, 2011-Rome, 2010-Paris, 2009-Tunis, 2008-Strasburg.
AWARDS & ASSOCIATIONS

Honorary Member, Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters of
Cameroon (APTIC)

Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary International Foundation
(In appreciation of tangible and significant assistance in furthering better
understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world).

Member of AIIC (Association internationale des interprètes de conférence).

Member of the Africa Region Training Committee (AIIC).

Former Regional Commissioner, Girls Scouts of Cameroon.
REFERENCES
Alassane Diatta
Chief, French Translation Service Documentation Division,
DGACM
Room AB-0736
Albano Building
305 East 46th Street
New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 963-6717
Email: [email protected]
Clare Donovan
Conference Interpreter
Former Director of ESIT, Paris
Chief Interpreter at the OECD
Paris, FRANCE
Email: [email protected]
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Adama Dieng
Assistant-Secretary General of the United Nations
Former Registrar of the UNICTR, Arusha.
United Nations, New York
Email : Adama Dieng/NY/UNO
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