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VU Master’s Day, Mar. 12 2016

Visit our Research Master Linguistic Engineering at VU Master’s Day Saturday 12 March 2016
flyer Research Master Linguistic EngineeringFlyer Linguistic Engineering, Specialization of the Research Master Linguistics.
Overview Courses Linguistic Engineering.

On 12 March 2016 you will have the opportunity to visit the Master’s Day and obtain detailed information on our Research Master Linguistic Engineering, Specialization of the Research Master Linguistics.

Date Saturday, 12 March 2016
Time 9.30 am – 2.30 pm
Target Group Higher education students and professionals
Location Main Building, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105 (directions)
Please note Preregistration is open until 12.00 pm on Friday 11 March

Programme

VU_Masters_Day

Specialization ‘Linguistic Engineering’ 2017—2018

Linguistic Engineering is a specialization in the Research Master Linguistics at VU Amsterdam. More details on the: Programme, Admission and Application.

Overview Courses Research Master Specialization: Linguistic Engineering
Overview Courses Research Master Linguistic Engineering, in Research Master LinguisticsView/download flyer Research Master Linguistic Engineering. Programme, admission and application.

Language technology is a rapidly developing field of research. In humanistic research nowadays a firm background in language technology is extremely valuable in the context of manipulating large datasets. The Computational Lexicology and Terminology Lab (CLTL) offers a specialization in the research master Linguistics in which students are trained as linguistic engineer. A linguistic engineer has knowledge of language technology as used in computer applications (e.g. search engines) and of the relevant linguistics.

WHY STUDY AT VU AMSTERDAM?
• The Computational Lexicology and Terminology Lab (CLTL) is one of the world’s leading research institutes in Linguistic Engineering.
• Prof. Dr. Piek Vossen, winner of NWO Spinoza Prize, is leading the group of researchers and several national and international interdisciplinary projects, including the Spinoza project ‘Understanding Language by Machines’.
• Become part of an international group of researchers at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam!

CAREER PROSPECTS
You can set up your own field of research as a PhD student or you can embark on a career at a research institute. Other opportunities are in the industry, which is in need of linguists with a technical background. Being a graduate of the CLTL will certainly enhance your chances.

flyer Research Master Linguistic Engineering

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
• Applicants must have at least a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics, Artificial Intelligence or comparable Bachelor programme.
• Applicants who do not meet the requirement(s) are also encouraged to apply, provided that they have a sound academic background and a demonstrated interest in and knowledge of engineering and/or linguistics.

SPECIALIZATION: LINGUISTIC ENGINEERING
IN RESEARCH MASTER: LINGUISTICS
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
DURATION: 2 YEARS FULLTIME
DEADLINE: APRIL 1 2016 (NON-EU), JUNE 1 2016 FOR DUTCH AND EU STUDENTS

For more details on the programme, admission and application:
WWW.FGW.VU.NL
WWW.VU.NL/MA-LINGUISTICS
Dr. H. D. van der Vliet: +31 (0)20 598 6466
EMAIL: Dr. H. D. van der Vliet

Computational Lexicology and Terminology Lab (CLTL)
Language, Literature and Communication
Faculty of Humanities
VU Amsterdam
de Boelelaan 1105
1081 HV Amsterdam
The Netherlands

General information on the Research Master’s in Linguistics at VU Amsterdam.

Specialization ‘Forensic Linguistics/ Language and the Law’ 2016—2017

Forensic Linguistics/ Language and the Law is a specialization in the Research Master Linguistics at VU University Amsterdam. More details on the: Programme, Admission and Application.

Click for full Overview Courses Research Master Specialization: Forensic Linguistics/ Language and the Law
20151219_Forensic_LinguisticsView/download flyer Research Master Forensic Linguistics/ Language and the Law. Programme, admission and application.

Forensic Linguistics is a new and exciting field which has both a narrow and a broad definition. In its more specific sense it denotes the use of linguistic evidence in the courtroom. In its broader sense it refers to all areas of overlap between language and the law, including the language used in legal or quasi-legal settings by participants including judges, lawyers, witnesses, police officers and interpreters.  Graduates of this program will have acquired the theoretical background and practical casework experience to be able to analyze disputed texts, recognize a “language crime” such as bribery or threatening communication (nowadays often sent via social media), and identify participants in the police station or courtroom who are at a linguistic disadvantage and therefore vulnerable to miscarriages of justice.

WHY STUDY AT VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT AMSTERDAM?
• The program in Forensic Linguistics/ Language and the Law is the first program in this area to be offered in the Netherlands (and is currently the only program of its kind in mainland Europe).

• The program has close links with the Linguistic Engineering specialization (led by Prof. Dr. Piek Vossen, winner of NWO Spinoza Prize) giving students unique options within the area of Forensic Linguistics.

• The lecturers on the program are an international team with extensive teaching experience in the UK and USA, as well as the Netherlands, with research networks worldwide.

• Your master’s program will include a period of 2-3 months spent abroad at a university in another country.

• Become part of an international group of researchers at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam!

CAREER PROSPECTS
You can develop your own specialized research topic as a PhD student; or you can embark on a career at a research institute. Depending on the country where you are seeking to work you may find employment with a government body, such as the ministry of justice or a forensic institute. Commercial companies also often need linguists with a technical background. Being a graduate in Forensic Linguistics, especially if you have taken courses in linguistic engineering, will certainly enhance your chances.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
• Applicants must have at least an (honors) Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics, Modern Languages, Cognitive or Communication Sciences or a comparable Bachelors program.
• Applicants who do not meet the requirement(s) are also encouraged to apply, provided that they have a sound academic background and a demonstrated interest in and knowledge of linguistics and/or law.

SPECIALIZATION: FORENSIC LINGUISTICS/ LANGUAGE AND THE LAW
IN RESEARCH MASTER: LINGUISTICS
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
DURATION: 2 YEARS FULLTIME
DEADLINE: APRIL 1 2016 (NON-EU), JUNE 1 2016 FOR DUTCH AND EU STUDENTS

For more details on the program, admission and application:
WWW.FGW.VU.NL
WWW.VU.NL/MA-LINGUISTICS
CONTACT PERSON: Dr. F. van der Houwen
EMAIL: f.vander.houwen@vu.nl

Language, Literature and Communication
Faculty of Humanities
VU University
de Boelelaan 1105
1081 HV Amsterdam
The Netherlands

General information on the Research Master’s in Linguistics at VU University Amsterdam.

Video release: Meet NewsReader’s Reading Machine

A Reading Machine in 4 languages

Meet NewsReader’s Reading Machine! — Video explaining NewsReader’s Reading Machine

The volume of news data is enormous and expanding, covering billions of archived documents with millions of documents added daily. These documents are also getting more and more interconnected with knowledge from other sources such as biographies and company databases. NewsReader built a system that extracts what happened to whom, when and where from these sources and stores them in a structured database, enabling more precise search over this immense stack of information. Currently, our system supports English, Spanish, Italian and Dutch. Pilot projects are underway with government and financial information specialists, but the system can be useful to anyone looking to make sense of large amounts of news text.

NewsReader in a nutshell

NewsReader in a nutshell — From Newspapers to Knowledge, Visualised
NewsReader_in_a_NutshellThe project is described in this brochure (PDF).

http://www.newsreader-project.eu/

Logos_Partners

Master’s Evening, Dec. 01 2015

Master’s Evening 1 december 2015

On Tuesday 1 December 2015 you can visit our Master’s Evening where you can get informed about most of our Master’s degree programmes during information sessions. Please register and choose which of these sessions you would like to attend.

Date: Tuesday 1 December 2015
Time: 17:00 – 20:30
For whom: Higher education students and professionals
Location: Main building VU Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam

Please find information on our Research Master Specialization ‘Linguistic Engineering’

If you are not able to attend our Master’s Evening on 1 December 2015, you can visit the Master’s Day on Saturday 12 March 2016 or find out more about VU Amsterdam and our study programmes:
• Find your international Master’s degree programme and contact the coordinator for questions
Meet VU Amsterdam representatives in your own country
Visit our international students Facebook

Press release VU University on NewsReader: Join the hackathon!

VU-hoogleraar en Spinozawinnaar Piek Vossen presenteert NewsReader
Ontdek ook zelf deze nieuwe technologie die het nieuws leest

In 2013 startte Piek Vossen (hoogleraar computationele lexicologie), samen met onderzoekers in Trento en San Sebastian en met de bedrijven LexisNexis (NL), SynerScope (NL) en het Engelse ScraperWiki het NewsReader project om een computerprogramma te ontwikkelen dat dagelijks het nieuws ‘leest’ en precies bijhoudt wat, wanneer, waar gebeurd is in de wereld en wie er bij betrokken is. Het project kreeg hiervoor 2,8 miljoen euro subsidie van de Europese Commissie.

SynerScope‘s visualization: extraction from 1.26M news articles

Nieuws lezen in vier talen
In afgelopen 3 jaar hebben de onderzoekers een technologie ontwikkeld om de computer automatisch het nieuws te laten lezen in vier talen. Uit miljoenen krantenartikelen is nu een doorzoekbare database gemaakt waarin duplicaten zijn ontdubbeld, complementerende informatie uit verschillende berichten op een slimme manier samengevoegd is en is de informatie verrijkt met fijnmazige types zodat je niet alleen op persoonsnamen zoals ‘Mark Rutte’ en `Diederik Samsom’ kunt zoeken, maar ook op entiteiten van het type ‘politicus’.

Presentatie NewsReader
Op dinsdagmiddag 24 november 2015 organiseert de onderzoeksgroep Computational Lexicology & Terminology Lab (CLTL) van Piek Vossen een workshop waarin de eindresultaten van het project gepresenteerd worden. Ook zijn er diverse sprekers die hun visie op het project geven, zoals VU-hoogleraar Frank van Harmelen (Knowledge Representation & Reasoning), Bernardo Magnini, onderzoeker bij FBK in Trento en Sybren Kooistra, data journalist bij de Volkskrant en medebedenker en hoofredacteur van Yournalism, het platform voor onderzoeksjournalistiek.

Doe mee met de Hackathon!
Op 25 november kunnen gebruikers zelf aan de slag met de nieuwsdatabase die is opgebouwd uit miljoenen krantenartikelen. Meer informatie en aanmelden.

NewsReader Workshop & Hackathon, Nov. 24—25 2015

Car Wars: Industrial Heroes Going Down Fighting

On 24 and 25 November 2015, we will showcase the NewsReader project and invite you to come explore our technology and its results yourself during our NewsReader Workshop and Hackathon.

Event Details
We have developed a powerful new tool called ‘NewsReader’ which utilises natural language understanding and semantic web technology. This helps you to better understand the interactions between companies and key individuals, derived from news articles.
Our dataset encompasses 12 years of news charting the struggle of automotive players to rule the global market, to satisfy the expectations of the shareholders, and their suffering from the financial crisis and new economies: industrial heroes going down!

The Workshop
Tuesday 24 November 2015, 14:00 – 18:00 Amsterdam Public Library
In this workshop, we will bring together start-ups, companies, researchers and developers to present and discuss the NewsReader project, the technological domains it draws from and future applications for these technologies.
This afternoon will feature invited talks, demos, a panel discussion and a networking reception.
Confirmed Speaker:
Prof. dr. Frank van Harmelen, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Frank van Harmelen is a professor in Knowledge Representation & Reasoning in the AI department (Faculty of Science) at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. After studying mathematics and computer science in Amsterdam, he moved to the Department of AI in Edinburgh, where he was awarded a PhD in 1989 for his research on meta-level reasoning.

The Hackathon
Wednesday 25 November 2015, 10:00 – 18:00 Amsterdam Public Library
In June 2014 and January 2015 we ran several hackathons in both London and Amsterdam in which NewsReader enabled the attendees to pull out networks of interactions between entrepreneurs, politicians, companies and thoroughly test drive our technology. This November, we’re releasing a new version of our processing pipeline and we’re scaling up to 10 million processed news articles from sources about the automotive industry to obtain a searchable database of the news. At the hackathon, you can play with this dataset and explore the processing pipeline.
The global automotive industry has a value in the order of $1 trillion annually. The industry comprises a massive network of suppliers, manufacturers, advertisers, marketeers and journalists. Each of these players has his/her own story, often with unexpected origins or endings; one day you may be CEO of a big car company, the next you are out and making pizzas. With NewsReader, you can uncover these stories to reconstruct the past.

This event may be of interest to you if:
You’re interested in natural language processing and/or semantic web technology
You’re a data journalist on an automotive desk;
You’re an analyst sifting daily news looking for information on your company or on competitors;
You’re a data analyst looking to understand how your customers operate their supply chain
You’re an analyst trying to find secondary events that could influence an investment decision;
You’re interested in visualising big data

Attendance is free, but please register by Sunday 22 November 17:00 CET. .

NewsReader helps you find a needle in a haystack.
#NewsReader

VU University scientists cluster responses NWO’s National Research Agenda

Led by Piek Vossen, a group of scientists at VU University automatically divided 11,700 questions from NWO’s National Research Agenda into clusters. On the basis of language technology and mathematical equations of the most important words, there were slightly over 60 clusters of questions found which at their turn were classified in a few hundred sub-clusters. Important themes are health and energy, but also big data, art, and sports. NWO is happy with this analysis. The VU Topic Browser allows NWO to quickly and efficiently process the large number of responses.

National Science Agenda VU Topic Browser — by Emiel van Miltenburg, Kasper Welbers, Hennie van der Vliet, Wouter van Atteveldt, Piek Vossen
National Science Agenda VU Topic BrowserNational Science Agenda VU Topic Browser The graph shows 60 clusters and a few hundred sub-groups found in 11,700 questions from NWO’s National Research Agenda.

Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO): Dutch Science Agenda
Scientists determine the Dutch Science Agenda together with companies, civil society organisations and interested citizens. The agenda consolidates the themes that science will focus on in the coming years. What are the favourable opportunities for Dutch science and how can science contribute to finding solutions for societal challenges and making the most of economic opportunities?

Position AAA Data Science Postdoc or PhD Student in Computational Linguistics

We are hiring: Postdoctoral researcher/PhD candidate in Computational Linguistics

AAA Data Science Postdoc or PhD Student in Computational Linguistics

The Amsterdam Academic Alliance (AAA) is a joint initiative of the two Amsterdam-based universities – VU and the UvA – aimed at intensifying collaboration with each other and with other knowledge institutions in the region. The objective of the AAA is to cement Amsterdam’s position as a major international player and hub of academic excellence. The alliance is to result in different outcomes in each scientific field.

This advertisement concerns one of the 14 positions. The Network Institute of the VU University of Amsterdam is looking for a motivated Postdoctoral researcher or PhD student for the project “From text to Deep Data”. The candidate will be part of the Network Institute of the VU University Amsterdam and will work within multidisciplinary teams of humanities researchers and computer scientists.
The work will be done in the context of a larger research program called “QuPiD2: Quality and Perspectives in Deep Data” in collaboration with other researchers aiming all together to achieve a formal modeling of quality and perspectives.

As part of the QuPiD2 research team, the candidate will develop 1) a perspective model for representing the subjective relation between the source of information and the statements in it, and 2) software to detect such interpersonal communication layers and perspectives from text. The project will transform big unstructured text data into deep data that show the emotions, opinions and view points on the changing world. It will reveal the social networks and dynamics within trust networks that influence our world views.

Tasks
1. Studying existing models for handling provenance, attribution, sentiments, opinions and emotions as expressed in text.
2. Developing an overarching perspective model for representing the subjective relations between sources and their statements. The model will initially be based on textual data but should show the capacity to model perspectives on any type of (big) data.
3. Using semantic web standards, e.g. RDF, SPARQL, to represent and access the data within the project
4. Studying existing NLP approaches to detect perspective relations in texts. Both English and Dutch texts will be considered.
5. Developing a machine-crowd empowered processing of textual sources for populating the QuPiD2 model
6. Creating data sets for training and evaluation through expert annotation and crowd annotation.
7. Developing new components and approaches to obtain the perspective values within the model from textual data.
8. Evaluate the components against the data sets developed and within an application environment.
9. Collaboration with the QuPiD2 program research team
10. Publish the results of the work as scientific articles in high ranked journals and conferences, as well as present the work at relevant scientific venues

Requirements
The candidate should have a strong background (MA) in computational linguistics and semantic web technology with expertise in data modelling, modelling perspectives, subjectivity and attribution relations expressed in natural language. The candidate should have sufficient programming skills and experience with data engineering and text mining.

Further particulars
The appointment will be for a period of three years for a postdoc and four years for a PhD student. You can find information about our excellent employment conditions at www.workingatvu.nl such as:
• Remuneration of 8,3% end-of-year bonus and 8% holiday allowance;
• Solid pension scheme (ABP);
• A minimum of 29 holidays In case of full-time employment;
• Possibilities to save up holidays for sabbatical leave.

Salary
For a postdoc, the salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel, and depending on experience, range from a minimum of € 2,476 gross per month up to a maximum of € 3,908 gross per month (salary scale 10) based on a full-time employment.

For a PhD student, the salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel, range from a minimum of € 2,125 gross per month in the first year up to a maximum of € 2,717 (salary scale 85.0-3) based on full-time employment.

Information
For additional information please contact:
Prof. Piek Vossen
phone: +31 681773878 or +31 20 59 86457
e-mail: info@cltl.nl / attention Piek Vossen
website: http://www.cltl.nl

Dr. Lora Aroyo
Phone: +31 620329972
e-mail: lora.aroyo@vu.nl
website: http://lora-aroyo.org, http://wm.cs.vu.nl

Application
Applications may only be submitted via informatica.secretariaat.few@vu.nl. To process your application immediately, please quote the vacancy number and the title of the position you are applying for in the subject-line. Applications must include a detailed curriculum vitae, a motivation letter explaining why you are the right candidate, list of projects you have worked on with brief descriptions of your contributions and the names and contact addresses of two academic references from which information about the candidate can be obtained. All these should be grouped in one PDF attachment.

Applications will be accepted until 10 May 2015.

Any other correspondence in response to this advertisement will not be dealt with.