12 April 2007
Bibliotheca Alexandrina Hosts the First International Workshop on Natural Language Processing: Using Universal Networking Language (UNL)
During the period from 4 to 7 May 2007, Bibliotheca Alexandrina will host the 1st International Workshop on Natural Language Processing: Using Universal Networking Language (UNL). The workshop comes under the theme “Breaking down language barriers”.
The workshop will inform participants about UNL as an artificial language for computers that attempts to replicate the functions of natural language in human communication, and the UNL program that aims to enable all people to have access to information and cultural knowledge in their native languages.
The goal of this workshop is to provide a forum for linguists and IT professionals to exchange comprehensive views on the recent development and progress in natural language processing technology. It also aims to promote international cooperation in related fields, to advocate universal—language independent—access to information, and to enhance the global impact of the UNL program.
The workshop will also discuss methods to promote and develop the UNL program as a communication platform that aims to enable people to share information and knowledge in their native language. It will create an appropriate environment for all UNL language centers world wide to exchange ideas, experiences, and in depth knowledge about the Universal Networking Language program. The workshop will include closed meetings for the UNL Society in which each language center will report on its achievements and progress, and discuss with other centers obstacles faced during the development phases.
It is worth noting that the Ibrahim Shihata Arabic UNL Center hosted by BA has taken wide steps in its UNL program, funded by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development—http://www.arabfund.org/.
For more information about Bibliotheca Alexandrina, please visit www.bibalex.org.
For more information about the UNL project at Bibliotheca Alexandrina and other projects by ISIS, please visit http://www.bibalex.org/ISIS.