Jose Lambert

José Lambert (born 1941) is a Professor of Comparative Literature at KU Leuven, Belgium, and is best known for his work in Translation Studies.

He is also noted for leading international initiatives in this field.

Lambert studied French Language and Literature at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

In 1972, he obtained his doctorate in Comparative Literature with work on the reception of Ludwig Tieck.

He then started teaching at the same university, becoming full professor in 1979.

He was European Secretary of the International Comparative Literature Association from 1985 to 1991.

As Lambert focused on addressing problems of interliterary contacts, he became a notable figure in the emergent discipline of translation studies.

Lambert has authored more than 150 research papers and published several books on comparative literature and Translation Studies.

In 1989, Lambert created a special research program in Translation Studies at KU Leuven.

This was to become the basis of the Centre for Translation Studies (CETRA), a research summer school of which Lambert is Honorary President.

The center, which also offers a PhD curriculum, has attracted talents from all over the world.

In 1989 Lambert co-founded, with Gideon Toury, Target, International Journal of Translation Studies.

He became Emeritus Professor of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in 2006.

Since 2011 he has been Visiting Professor at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil.

Lambert has been a guest professor at Penn State University, New York University, the University of Alberta, the University of Amsterdam and the Sorbonne.