IJCAI95-workshop: Learning for Natural Language Processing

[Stefan Wermter]

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                       CALL FOR PAPERS AND PARTICIPATION


                            IJCAI-95 Workshop on


         New Approaches to Learning for Natural Language Processing


       International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI-95)
                      Palais de Congres,  Montreal, Canada

                     currently scheduled for August 21, 1995



ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
--------------------

Stefan Wermter          Gabriele Scheler              Ellen Riloff
University of Hamburg   Technical University Munich   University of Utah


PROGRAM COMMITTEE
-----------------

Jaime Carbonell, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
Joachim Diederich, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Georg Dorffner, University of Vienna, Austria
Jerry Feldman, ICSI, Berkeley, USA
Walther von Hahn, University of Hamburg, Germany
Aravind Joshi, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Ellen Riloff, University of Utah, USA
Gabriele Scheler, Technical University Munich, Germany
Stefan Wermter, University of Hamburg, Germany


WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
--------------------

In the last few years, there has been a great deal of interest and activity  in
developing  new approaches to learning for natural language processing. Various
learning methods have been used, including

- connectionist methods/neural networks
- machine learning algorithms
- hybrid symbolic and subsymbolic methods
- statistical techniques
- corpus-based approaches.

In general, learning methods are designed to support  automated  knowledge  ac-
quisition,  fault  tolerance,  plausible  induction, and rule inferences. Using
learning methods for natural language processing is  especially  important  be-
cause  language learning is an enabling technology for many other language pro-
cessing problems, including  noisy speech/language integration, machine  trans-
lation,  and information retrieval. Different methods support language learning
to various degrees but, in general, learning is  important  for  building  more
flexible, scalable, adaptable, and portable natural language systems.

This workshop is of interest particularly at this time because systems built by
learning  methods  have reached a level where they can be applied to real-world
problems in natural language processing and where they  can  be  compared  with
more traditional encoding methods. The workshop will bring together researchers
from the US/Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia and other countries working on new
approaches to language learning.

The workshop will provide a forum for discussing  various  learning  approaches
for  supporting  natural  language processsing. In particular the workshop will
focus on questions like:

- How can we apply suitable existing learning methods for language processing?

- What new learning methods are needed for language processing and why?

- What language knowledge should be learned and why?

- What are similarities and differences between different approaches for
  language learning? (e.g., machine learning algorithms vs neural networks)

- What are strengths and limitations of learning rather than manual encoding?

- How can learning and encoding be combined in symbolic/connectionist systems?

- Which aspects of system architectures and knowledge engineering have to
  be considered? (e.g., modular, integrated, hybrid systems)

- What are successful applications of learning methods in various fields?
  (speech/language integration, machine translation, information retrieval)

- How can we evaluate learning methods using real-world language?
  (text, speech, dialogs, etc.)


WORKSHOP FORMAT
---------------

The workshop will provide a forum for the interactive  exchange  of  ideas  and
knowledge. Approximately 30-40 participants are expected and there will be time
for up to 15 presentations depending on the number and quality of paper contri-
butions received. Normal presentation length will be 15+5 minutes, leaving time
for direct questions after each talk. There may be a few invited talks of  25+5
minutes length.  In addition to prepared talks, there will be time for moderat-
ed discussions after two related sessions. Furthermore, the  moderated  discus-
sions  will provide an opportunity for an open exchange of comments, questions,
reactions, and opinions.

PUBLICATION
-----------

Workshop proceedings will be published by AAAI.  If  there  is  sufficient  in-
terest  of  the participants of the workshop there may be a possibility to pub-
lish the results of the workshop as a book.

REGISTRATION
------------

This workshop will take place directly before the general IJCAI-conference.  It
is  an IJCAI policy, that workshop participation is not possible without regis-
tration for the general conference.

SUBMISSIONS
-----------

All submissions will be refereed by the program committee and other experts  in
the  field.  Please submit 4 hardcopies AND a postscript file. The paper format
is the IJCAI95 format:  12pt article style latex, no more  than  43  lines,  15
pages  maximum,  including title, address and email address, abstract, figures,
references. Papers should fit to 8 1/2" x 11" size. Notifications will be  sent
by email to the first author.

Postscript files can be uploaded with anonymous ftp:

ftp nats4.informatik.uni-hamburg.de (134.100.10.104)
login: anonymous
password: <your email address>
cd incoming/ijcai95-workshop
binary
put <yourfile.Z or yourfile.gz>
quit

Hardcopies AND postscript files  must arrive not later than 24th February  1995
at the address below.

##############Submission Deadline:  24th February 1995
##############Notification Date: 24th March 1995
##############Camera ready Copy: 13th April 1995



Please send correspondence and submissions to:


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Dr. Stefan Wermter
Department of Computer Science
University of Hamburg
Vogt-Koelln-Strasse 30
D-22527 Hamburg
Germany

phone:  +49 40 54715-531
fax:    +49 40 54715-515
e-mail: wermter at informatik.uni-hamburg.de
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