Corpora: ACL'2000: Infrastructures for Global Collaboration Workshop

From: Priscilla Rasmussen (rasmusse@cs.rutgers.edu)
Date: Sat Jul 01 2000 - 00:22:33 MET DST

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           Workshop Announcement and Invitation to Contribute

              "Infrastructures for Global Collaboration"

                         organized by ELSNET

                    in conjunction with ACL 2000

                       Hong Kong, October 2000

    Background:

    Language and speech technology are different from most other
    technologies in that the complexity of the problems addressed
    ('how to gain enough insight in human language behaviour in order
    to be able to automate certain communication tasks') is
    multiplied by the number of languages (every language comes with
    its own unique problems), and even by its square if one thinks of
    communication across language barriers.

    At the same time it is clear that solutions found for problems in
    one language may be fully or partially portable to other
    languages.

    Within the European Union, the above (and other) observations
    have led to the creation of major R&D programmes such as Language
    Engineering, and Human Language Technologies, where parties from
    all over Europe (and even outside) join forces in order to
    address the common problems. In addition, a number of
    infrastructures have been set up at the European level, such as
    ELRA (dealing with creating, sharing and distributing language
    resources), ELSNET (a network of key players in the European
    field of human language technologies, aiming at sharing
    information and expertise), and EAGLES/ISLE (aimed at developing
    standards in an international context).

    The existence of transnational infrastructures is not limited to
    Europe, as is demonstrated by e.g. the main international
    professional organisations in the field of language (ACL) and
    speech (ISCA) technology, and the Linguistic Data Consortium
    (LDC), but what is lacking is a clear overview of what
    transnational infrastructures exist world-wide, and how these
    infrastructures can be optimally exploited for global
    collaboration.

    Topics:

    This workshop will address the following questions:
    - what are the existing infrastructures world-wide
      = are they optimally exploited from the point of view of global
        collaboration
      = if not, how could this be improved
    - what infrastructures or interconnections are missing
      = what can we contribute to their creation
      = what are the main actors (institutions, organisations)
      = what are the main instruments we have at our disposal to
        build and operate such infrastructures

    Output:

    The intended output is a strategic report, containing an analysis
    of the present situation, and an outline scenario for steps to be
    taken (actions, actors, calendar). The workshop should be seen as
    a first consultation and round-table discussion on this topic,
    and will be followed by similar events at other events, where
    other parts of the language and speech communities (both thematic
    and geographic) will be consulted.

    Structure and audience:

    It is a half day workshop. It will start with a number of invited
    presentations addressing one or more of the topics of the
    workshop, followed by a round-table discussion in which everybody
    is invited to participate. The intended audience are people
    interested in R&D policies and infrastructures.

    Invitation to contribute:

    Everybody, both workshop participants and others, is invited to
    send his or her views on the topics addressed by this workshop to
    the organisers by email. At the workshop a summary of these
    contributions will be presented.

    Organisers:

    The workshop is organised by ELSNET, the European Network of
    Excellence in Human Language Technologies, http://www.elsnet.org

    Contact and Information:

    Steven Krauwer (ELSNET Co-ordinator)
    steven.krauwer@elsnet.org
    Utrecht University
    Trans 10 3512 Utrecht
    The Netherlands

    URL: http://www.elsnet.org/acl2000workshop.html



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