When we are translating academic certificates, we usually translate the name of the institution where it has been issued, for example we would translate Universidad de Salamanca as University of Salamanca. However, when the university names aren’t quite as straightforward, should we translate them or should we leave them in the source language?

A couple of weeks ago one of our clients asked us to translate the university name in a way which we didn’t agree with, which also differed from the name used on the English section of the university website. In this case we thought it was best to leave the university name in the source language.

If the institution is well known abroad by its English name, then hopefully translating the name wouldn’t cause any confusion. However, if the university is less well-known, and if the institution name is not as straightforward as being the name of the town where it is located, then a literal translation will not be sufficient. For example, recently we translated a certificate issued by the Université du Centre in Tunisia. We left this in French, as ‘Centre University’ doesn't mean anything in English.

If unsure, the best thing to do is to leave the name in the source language and then include your translation next to it in square brackets, or insert a footnote. In this way, the translation allows understanding and at the same time the original name is there for reference.