Interested in following one of our master’s programs? Come to our online event on Saturday, March 5. We’ll be hosting the following two zoom sessions:

11:30:  Humanities Research: Linguistics (Human Language Technology)

13:00: Linguistics: Text Mining 

Please drop by! This is a great opportunity to talk to teachers as well as students and get a feeling for what our programs are like. We’re happy to answer all of your questions.

For more information, please visit: https://vu.nl/en/education/more-about/vu-master-s-event

Important: Please don’t forget to register. You will receive more information about how to join once you have registered. 

Hope to see you on March 5! 

Every 1 or 2 year in December (2017 and 2019 and 2020) we are organizing a CLTL Meet & Greet where companies and students can exchange ideas and get to know each other.

This is an excellent opportunity to introduce your company or organization to Human Language Technology and Text Mining students, and for master students to present their research topic or area of expertise to you. The one-year Master Text Mining and the two-year Research Master Human Language Technology are programs by CLTL, one of the world’s leading research institutes in Human Language technology.

This year, we are meeting each other in GatherTown, an online, virtual space. The basic idea is: you are an avatar, and walk around in a space. As soon as you get close to someone else, your webcams turns on, allowing for conversation. This allows for very natural feeling social dynamics: you see someone walking past and join them, or “run into them”, or sub-groups form. Sounds (of people speaking, of a tv playing music) get more distant as you “walk away”.

Our GatherTown is a CLTL Poster Space. We have poster boards for 13 companies, and hung their poster there. Each company representative can stand at their poster, and students standing near there will hear the presenter. This allows for students to walk from poster to poster. Near the front of the room is a microphone. When you stand on it, your webcam (and, if you are sharing a screen, your screen) is broadcast to the entire room. This will be the place for room-wide presentations. We also made several tables where students and company representatives can sit and get to know eachother. Only people sitting at the table will hear one-another, a more natural form of a “break-out room”. We also have set up a table with student portfolios, so companies can get to know students as well.

We are excited to meet everybody and see everybody mingle @ the Meet&Greet2020!

• 13.45 – 14.00 walk-in
• 14.00  Welcome by Professor Piek Vossen (head of CLTL)
• 14.10  Internship procedures and details (Hennie van der Vliet)
• 14.15  Short introduction Gather Town (Myrthe Reuvers)
• 14.20  Last year’s experiences (students András Aponyi and Klaudia Bartosiak)
• 14.30  Poster session 1: 
  • MyTomorrows
  • TextMetrics
  • AUMC
  • Amberscript / Fitsurance
  • Bolesian
  • Elsevier
• 15.15  Last year’s experiences (hosting organization: Zoltán Slávik/MyTomorrows)
• Short break & walk around and meet people
• 15.30 Poster session 2:
  • CBS
  • DNB
  • IBM
  • Prolody
  • Reddata
  • Diginova
  • Underlined
• 16.15  walk around, meet people
• 17.00  end of meeting

Are you highly motivated and enthusiastic with expertise in computational linguistics? Are you interested in news recommendation systems and how to improve them by making their suggestions more divers? Would you like to investigate language models that can establish similarity and diversity and see how they can be used best in an interdisciplinary team?  Then please consider applying for this position.

Rethinking News Algorithms

In this project, an interdisciplinary team consisting of experts from Law, Computational Linguistics, Computer Science and Communication Science will study how recommendations and presentation choices can optimize the diversity of consumed news. Will you help us fix the way news is spread in the 21st century?

Specifically, in this project you will work on applying NLP technologies that can identify similarities and differences between news articles.

See http://ccs.amsterdam/projects/rethinking-news-algorithms/ for more details on the project. When contacting us with questions (see below for contacting details), please name the project in the subject of your email.

Where current algorithms mainly aim for finding things that are similar to prior consumption, we envision algorithms that optimize between sufficient diversity to keep users well informed and sufficient similarity so that the user is triggered to read (and be satisfied with) the offer. Together with law (ethics) and communication science experts, you will dive various dimensions of diversity (ranging from a different view on a specific event or political decision to diversity in topics in general) and aim to design language models that can identify articles that strike the desired balance between diversity and connection.

Your duties

• conduct reproducible computational linguistic experiments on language models for diversifying recommendation systems
• write research articles and present your work, which is to culminate in a successful dissertation, at international conferences 
• collaborate with the other junior and senior researchers on the team experience in or affinity with working in an interdisciplinary team
• organize small events such as workshops and colloquia

REQUIREMENTS

• master degree in computational linguistics or a related field (e.g. Artificial Intelligence or Computer Science with focus on NLP)
• solid programming skills
• experience in or affinity with working in an interdisciplinary team
• fluent verbal communication and good writing skills in English
• knowledge of Dutch is an advantage (but not strictly necessary) 

WHAT ARE WE OFFERING?

The research will be carried in a great interdisciplinary team containing experts from computational linguistics, philosophy, law, computer science and communication science. You will become part of a renown computational linguistics lab (www.cltl.nl), headed by Spinoza laureat Prof. dr. Piek Vossen. The lab is embedded in the gravity project Hybrid Intelligence offering plenty of opportunity to collaborate with reseachers of various universities across the Netherlands on fundamental aspects around collaborate, adaptive, responsible and explainable AI. In this context, you will receive joint supervision by dr. Antske Fokkens (VU) and dr. Suzan Verberne (Leiden University).

For more information on employment conditions, please visit the advertisement on the VU-site

APPLICATION

Are you interested in this position? Please apply via the application button on the VU-site and upload

• your curriculum vitae (including code repository, if available)
• academic transcripts (including grades)
• a cover letter with motivation for your application 

until June 1, 2020.

The job interviews are currently planned to take place in the second half of June 2020, most likely they will take place online.

Applications received by e-mail will not be processed.

Vacancy questions
If you have any questions regarding this vacancy, you may contact:

Name: dr. Antske Fokkens
Position: Associate Professor
E-mail: antske.fokkens@vu.nl

Please mention `news recommender project’ explicitly in the subject line of your email when asking questions about this position

If you want to take on this challenge and be part of an exciting team working as a PhD on the Theory of Identity, Reference & Perspective (TIRP) on the forefront of communicating machines, please apply at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

ALANI: ALICE MEETS LEOLANI

You will build and investigate computational robot models that dynamically personalise communication to make it more efficient and to improve affective bonding of people with robots.

PHD POSITION Subproject-2:  Robot Communication evoking Affective Bonding: PhD2 investigates through quantitative tests and refining the Theory of Identity, Reference and Perspective (TIRP) with robots across various scenarios, combining Big Data models with optimization of personalized data obtained through relation-based language models.

YOUR DUTIES

• create and test adaptive communication models for robots within social contexts
• carry out your research according to international standards resulting in a PhD dissertation 
• at least one publication per year in an A or B ranked journal or conference proceedings
• make your research and experiments publicly available and reproducible.

REQUIREMENTS

• master degree in (Computational) Linguistics, Computer Science or Artificial Intelligence
• knowledge of and experience with programming in Python
• knowledge of and experience with Natural Language Processing

The research is embedded in the Computational Lexicology and Terminology Lab (http://cltl.nl), which is one of the world’s leading research groups in Human Language technology. Prof. dr. Piek Vossen, recipient of the NWO Spinoza Prize, heads the group of international researchers that are working on ground-breaking projects, among which the Spinoza project ‘Understanding Language by Machines: http://www.understandinglanguagebymachines.org. Within that framework several PhDs are working on the Leolani project, with which the PhD will also collaborate: http://makerobotstalk.nl.

Finally, CLTL and the research you are involved in is also embedded in the VU-gravity project on Hybrid Intelligence: https://www.hybrid-intelligence-centre.nl. You will collaborate with many researchers on key notions such as collaborative, explainable, adaptable and responsible AI. 

APPLICATION: 

Are you interested in this position? Please apply via the application button at the VU-site and upload your curriculum vitae and cover letter until 1 May 2020.

Location: AMSTERDAM
FTE: 0.8 – 1
JOB DESCRIPTION

MEET & GREET Human Language Technology / Text Mining / CLTL / December 13, 2019

The Computational Lexicology and Terminology Lab (CLTL) of Piek Vossen of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is organising a Meet & Greet where companies and students of our Language Technology Research Master and our Text Mining Master can exchange ideas and get to know each other.

An excellent opportunity to introduce the company or organisation to our students, and for master students to present their research topic or area of expertise to the companies.

PROGRAM

12:30 – 13:00 Walk-In / Doors open / Registration & Coffee
13:00 – 13:05 Introduction: Prof. Dr. Piek Vossen – Head CLTL
13:05 – 13:45 Company pitches I
13:45 – 14:15 Student pitches I
14:15 – 14:30 Coffee Break
14:30 – 15:15 Company pitches II
15:15 – 15:45 Student pitches II
15:45 – 16:00 Coffee Break
16:00 – 16:45 Company pitches III
16:45 – 18:00 Networking drinks

The one-year Master Text Mining and the two-year Research Master Human Language Technology are programs by CLTL, one of the world’s leading research institutes in Human Language technology.

PROGRAM PITCHES

13:05 – 13:45 Company pitches I:

• ABN AMRO, Jeroen Das: Product Owner
• CLOUDFLIGHT (vh Catalysts), Clemens Rath: Location Manager Amsterdam
• BUNQ BANK, Art Koci: Data Scientist
• NETHERLANDS ESCIENCE CENTER, Dafne van Kuppevelt: eScience Research Engineer
• STATISTICS NETHERLANDS (CBS), Arnout van Delden: Programmacoördinator Data Science
• DELOITTE NEDERLAND, Evert Haasdijk: Senior Manager and AI Expert
• AMSTERDAM UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTERS (AUMC), location VUmc, Edwin Geleijn: Health Care Innovator

13:45 – 14:15 Student pitches I:

14:30 – 16:15 Company pitches II:

• DE NEDERLANDSCHE BANK (DNB): Shirley Pfeiffer: Project Coordinator AI
• PATYNA: Reinier Hakvoort: Adviseur HT / Informatiemanager
• ING GROEP NV: Flavia Barsotti: Collaboration with Academia / Model Risk Oversight
• NATIONAL LIBRARY OF THE NETHERLANDS(Koninklijke Bibliotheek), Martijn Kleppe: Advisor Digital Scholarship and InternationalRelations
• MEDIQUEST / TIMEFF, Daniel Kapitan: Chief Data Scientist
• MYTOMORROWS, Zoltán Szlávik: AI Research Director
• SPEAKSEE, Jari Hazelebach: CEO & Co-Founder

15:15 – 15:45 Student pitchesII:

16:00– 16.45 Company pitches III:

• UNDERLINED, Max Werkhoven: Customer Journey Analytics Consultant
• TEXTGAIN, Gijs van Beek: Societal & Business Innovator
• IBM, Benjamin Timmermans: Lead IBM Center for Advanced Studies Benelux
• TAUS, Amir Kamran: Senior Data Engineer
• ORACLE, Fabrice Nauze: Senior Manager
• REDDATA, Marcel Henriquez (Managing Director)

ALSO PRESENT

• CLTL: all staff members
• ABN AMRO: Karan Chhabra (Technical Lead) + Yassine Karimi (Data Scientist) + Loes Horselenberg (UX Designer) + Willem Don (Copywriter)
• CLOUDFLIGHT: Milly Muschitiello (Talent Manager and HR operations) + Manuel Knott (Data Science Engineer)
• BUNQ BANK: Daniela Zamora Uribe (Data Scientist) +Evgeny Mironov (Team Lead)
• NETHERLANDS ESCIENCE CENTER: Willem van Hage (Technical Lead) + Meiert Grootes (eScience Research Engineer)
• STATISTICS NETHERLANDS (CBS): Bart Bakker (Programme manager CBS Academy)
• DELOITTE NEDERLAND B.V: Wesley van Saane (Manager, Deloitte Forensic & Financial Crime)
• DE NEDERLANDSCHE BANK (DNB): Wessel Reijngoud (Innovation Lab Intern)
• PATYNA: Femke de Jong (Global Head Wholesale Banking Lending & PCM)
• ING GROEP NV: Marcel van der Kuil (Collaboration with Academia / Model Risk Oversight)  + Marzieh Bakhshandeh
• MYTOMORROWS: Robert-Jan Sips (CTO) + Selene Baez Santamaria (Data Scientist/Developer)
• UNDERLINED: Theo van der Steen (Partner & Data Driven CX Expert)
• TAUS: Jaap van der Meer (Director) + Dace Dzeguze (Program Manager)
• ORACLE: Agata Cybulska (Senior Applications Engineer)
• TOTTA RESEARCH: Erick Wilts (Data Scientist)
• Tim Barenbrug (Consultant NLP)

LOCATION

Friday December 13, 2019
Main Building: conference room: HG-12A00
Vrije Universiteit
De Boelelaan 1105 
1081 HV Amsterdam 

Routebeschrijving (ov)
Routebeschrijving (auto)

All information is subjective but how do we automatically detect conflicting information? Very interesting talk from @ChantalvanSon. October 24, 2019, Amsterdam Data Science.

On Friday the 6th of September, 2019, Filip Ilievski defended his Ph.D. thesis “Identity of Long-tail Entities in Text”.