The project, which is being funded by the UK government, was soft-launched at the UK NARIC conference in London and will operate in the UK.

The new platform aims to provide ‘highest quality’ translations of certificates and transcripts, within 24 hours, a rate that is “90% quicker” than the industry average, and will be free for universities.

“Certified translation is not a regulated profession in the UK”

CEO of Dialexy Monica Camino Moreno said that one of the main problems is that certified translation is not a regulated profession in the UK.

“It means anyone who goes and buys a stamp saying ‘certified translator’ can effectively certify translations,” she told NARIC delegates.

“This is a problem for quality because they are not qualified for this kind of work, and students need certified translations to apply for university and to apply for visas.

“[As a result] students might just go for the fastest or the cheapest option, so they can complete their applications,” she added.

“What we do at Dialexy is use AI to speed up the process of the translation. We can also track and enforce better quality measures.”

Moreno quoted figures that showed 10% of applying students who didn’t have certified translations at the point of application dropped off and did not return.

Up to 50% of translations have critical errors which can lead to compliance problems, she said.

However, Dialexy is positioning itself as a solution to such problems.

Moreno said the new platform is able to translate 40 different languages and their certified translations comply with UK Visas and Immigration and GDPR standards.

The AI technology behind Dialexy can also identify document types before translating them, including academic transcripts and degree and diploma certificates.

UK NARIC and Dialexy are following a tight time frame for the project. By next year’s UK NARIC conference they hope to complete a full launch and intend to support automated translation of documents from 12 different countries.

“NARIC and Dialexy have been working closely together. We’ve been sharing data, sharing expertise and I think that we are really helping Dialexy to evolve into a certified translation service that specialises in higher education,” a spokesperson for UK NARIC said.

“We share the same values in terms of mobility of students and professionals, and the work we are doing between our two organisations is really having an impact.”