I’ve spent the last twenty years working with words. After graduating with a degree in History and German Studies from the National University of Ireland, I began working as a language teacher and freelance translator. In 2005, I co-founded an agency, Network Translators, specializing in cultural and scientific publications. Over the next seven years I personally translated more than 50 books, reports and scholarly articles, and managed another 150 translation and editing projects.
In 2012, I joined UNESCO, serving first as Head of Publications at the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (until 2015), and later as Editor-in-Chief of the International Review of Education (IRE), the world’s oldest international peer-reviewed journal of education (until 2019).
I’m co-author of The Renaissance of Renewable Energy (with Gian Andrea Pagnoni), which was published by Cambridge University Press in 2015. I’ve also edited two books for UNESCO, The Role of Higher Education in Promoting Lifelong Learning and Learning to FLY: Family-oriented Literacy Education in Schools and managed the publication of more than 30 reports, policy briefs, monographs and research compilations, as well as 40 consecutive issues of IRE.
Services
Editorial management and coordination of large and small projects from concept development to print and online publication
Substantive editing of manuscripts for publication
German-English & Portuguese-English translation
Selected projects
Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam
Co-translation of No Representation Without Participation, by Patrizia Nanz and Claus Leggewie, 2018 and translation of The Risk Paradox: Why we’re Afraid of the Wrong Things, by Ortwin Renn, 2017. Translation of various reports and articles on sustainability and environmental protection.
TMG Research, Berlin
Substantive editing of a series of reports on ecosystem-based adaptation and sustainable land management in African and Latin American countries, 2019–2020.
Textpraxis, Hamburg
Translation of Parallel Report of the German National Anti-Poverty Conference on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 2018
Junius Verlag, Hamburg
Translation of three books on architecture and design, including Hamburg Waterfront: Architecture Guide to the HafenCity, 2011–2013
Cambridge University Press
Co-author of The Renaissance of Renewable Energy. Published, April 2015
Braun Publishing AG, Salenstein, Switzerland
Translation of seven books on architecture and design, including Berlin Architecture Yearbook 2011 and Made in Germany: Best of Contemporary Architecture, 2007–2012
International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Amsterdam
Translation and editing of documentation related to various large-scale assessment studies including PISA and TIMSS, 2008–2012.
Langenscheidt Verlag, Munich & Berlin
Editing of a series of 14 bilingual novels for children and young adults, 2008–2012
University of Hong Kong: Department of History
Translation of The Imperial Chancellor: A Biography of Georg Michaelis by Bert Becker, 2011
University of Dortmund: Institute for School Development Research
Editing of the report on the 2006 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and translation of documentation for the Minority and Regional Languages in Europe study, 2010.
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Editing of Global Sustainability: A Nobel Cause (Cambridge University Press, 2010)
University of Hamburg: Centre for Economic and Sociological Studies
Translation of articles for publication in international scholarly journals, 2009–2010
Association for the Development of Education in Africa, Tunis
Translation of the Advocacy Report on Literacy in Africa, 2008
In addition to the above, I have published 20 articles and two books for UNESCO.
To view my UNESCO publications, please visit: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stephen_Roche4/contributions
Testimonials
“Stephen Roche is not only an excellent linguist but possesses the necessary professionalism, skills, and knowledge to manage scholarly and other publications in a highly effective manner. In his desire to develop personally and professionally, he embodies the spirit and practice of lifelong learning.”
“Mr. Roche made a significant mark on UIL and leaves its Publications Dept. in a much stronger position than he found it. He is an excellent communicator, both in the written and spoken word, and is highly valued by his colleagues.”
“Due to his good temper, humour and collegiality, Stephen enjoyed great respect at UIL. His social skills came particularly into operation in situations that required communication, negotiation, and consensus-finding.”
“Stephen verbindet eine offene und unkomplizierte Art mit großem Engagement, tiefer Fachkenntnis und einer hochprofessionellen Arbeitsweise. Als Übersetzer produziert er Texte, denen man nicht anmerkt, dass sie ursprünglich in einer anderen Sprache erdacht und geschrieben wurden – Texte, die man mit Vergnügen liest.”