Obtaining official recognition for a new discipline from government authorities is even more difficult in the case of TS: leaving aside the discussions among ourselves, it is a common misconception in academia and the outside world that translation and interpreting means speaking foreign languages. Linguists and literary scholars, even those writing about translation, believe that translation is a linguist's task, which has had its repercussions in methodological approaches and the validity of research results.

In 1996, two years after the submission of the initial application to the Ministry and after protracted discussions with the Ministry's Language and Literature Accreditation Board, TS was officially registered as an academic discipline in the Czech Republic. This opened the way for the production of scholars with academic and research degrees in TS. Until that time, the only degrees available had been either those in modern languages and literature or, from the late 1980s, a degree in 'translation and interpreting'- a significant misnomer for the discipline.

Arguing with academics in the field of languages and literature about the independent status of TS is difficult. The proposal must offer powerful arguments and data justifying the discipline. Amongst other things, the discipline has to present a specific title, a clearly defined object of study, a paradigm, methodology, history and track record, as well as a list of recognised scholars and institutional precedents in other countrie.

An academic institution which obtains accreditation in TS acquires a certain prestige and influence over 'expert opinion' but also responsibility for the development of the discipline.

In order to obtain accreditation and safeguard development, the Institute of Translation Studies at Charles University (Prague) introduced a series of changes at the beginning of the 1990s. One of them involved a difficult decision about the title of the discipline in Czech and, consequently the title of the Institute: the term translatologie was almost unheard of and the Institute was at the time known as the Department of Translation and Interpreting. In 1993, with institutional approval at university level, the department was renamed and restructured:  while the former title and structure reflected a practical focus, i.e. T/I training, the latter reflected an academic focus, i.e. research and teaching. Language units have been replaced by the Departments of (1) Translation Theory and Teaching Methodology, (2) History of Translation and (3) Interpreting Theory and Teaching Methodology. The three departments also correspond to the three specialisations in PhD studies and reflect a nationally acknowledged paradigm.

As one of the disciplines in the multidisciplinary T/I training programme, TS represents a fully fledged course module and is part of the final examination. 

Through its activities over the past decade, the Institute has won recognition both in the Czech academic world and in the T/I profession. The title of the discipline has become so well established that the concept is often overused and abused: teachers and MA students are referred to as translatologists' and the T/I training programme as 'translatology'.

To sum up, the following steps have been taken: the Institute was renamed and restructured; a substantial TS module was integrated into the MA course; an application was made to the Ministry and subsequently TS was officially granted independent status by the highest authority; and postgraduate studies were accredited and introduced.

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