Speech Technology: Charting New Futures

Host Institution: University Groningen
Website: https://www.rug.nl/education/summer-winter-schools/speech-technology/?lang=en

Dates: 03-Jun-2024 - 07-Jun-2024
Location: Leeuwarden, Friesland

Focus: == What will you learn? ==
- Foundational knowledge: Grasp the core principles of speech technology, gaining insights into its current landscape and future potential.
- Creative application: Creatively apply speech tech principles through engaging activities.
- Futuring skills: Develop skills in future trend forecasting and scenario planning. Anticipate and shape the future of this field.
- Design thinking: Explore speculative design to materialize your ideas. Transform abstract concepts into tangible prototypes for articulating and visualizing tomorrow’s of speech technology applications.
- Ethical insights: Gain understanding of the ethical implications in speech tech. Explore the balance between innovation and ethical responsibility.
- Collaborative synthesis: Bring together your learnings to collaboratively craft a manifesto for inclusive speech interfaces, embodying a collective vision for the future of speech tech.

== How will you learn it? ==
- Engaging lectures and discussions by field leaders.
- Hands-on lab work for practical experience.
- Collaborative group activities and scenario mapping workshops.
- Inspirational guest speakers and panel debates.

Don't miss this chance to be part of a community redefining the intersection of technology, ethics, and the arts. Apply now and shape the conversation on the new era of technological innovation!
Minimum Education Level: Bachelor's / Master's

Special Qualifications:
This program is designed for anyone interested in the topic. It is an entry-level summer school for all. No prior knowledge is required.

We predict the students from some disciplines may be particularly interested. In order of relevance:

- Emerging Tech and Innovation Studies: Those involved in broader fields of emerging technology, innovation studies, or science and technology studies will find the course's focus on the future implications and ethical considerations of speech technology particularly relevant.

- Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Responsible User Experience (UX) Design: Students and professionals in HCI and UX Design programs will benefit from exploring how speech interfaces can enhance user experience and accessibility in technology design. The course provides practical examples of user-centered design principles in speech technology applications.

- Computer Science and AI students: Ideal for those enrolled in BSc or MSc in Computer Science, particularly with a focus on Artificial Intelligence. This summer school offers a reflection on how speech technology is developed and integrated into AI systems, providing valuable insights for both theoretical research and practical application.

- Linguistics and Phonetics students: Students in Linguistics and Phonetics will find this summer school bridges the gap between theoretical linguistic models and their application in speech synthesis and recognition, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of language and technology.

- Cognitive Science and Psychology: For those in Cognitive Science or Psychology, especially those focusing on human-computer interaction, this summer school offers topics of interest.

It is expected that the participants have a sufficient command of the English language to actively participate in the discussions and to present their own work in English. Some programming skills would be an asset but this is not a requirement.

Description:
== What is speech technology now and what can it become? ==
Join this five-day journey designed for the innovators, the dreamers, and the hands-on learners. Dive into a dynamic curriculum that blends the arts, ethics, design and technology. Engage in stimulating discussions and thought-provoking lectures. Experience a unique convergence of human-centered design and futuring, opening new horizons in how we think about and interact with technology.

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics
Clinical Linguistics
Cognitive Science
Computational Linguistics
Forensic Linguistics

Tuition: euros
Tuition Explanation: Our summer school adopts a proportional fee structure, which amounts to 1.5% of the per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the student's country of residence. However, this fee is subject to a maximum limit of €250. We use this website to see GDP per capita https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDPDPC@WEO/IND/BGD

For instance: A student residing in Ukraine would be charged a fee of €75. This figure is calculated as 1.5% of Ukraine's GDP per capita in 2024, which is €5,027 ($5,530) . Conversely, a student from the Netherlands would pay a fee of €250. Although 1.5% of the Netherlands' GDP per capita in 2024 (€60,000) would ordinarily amount to €900, the fee is reduced to €250 to adhere to the maximum cap.

Registration: 18-Mar-2024 to 15-Apr-2024

Email: [email protected]

Apply on the web: https://www.rug.nl/education/summer-winter-schools/speech-technology/speech-technology

Registration Instructions:
To apply, kindly fill out the online application form in the link above. Please note that you will be asked to upload the following documents:

A one paragraph motivation letter in which you (a) introduce yourself and your research interests; (b) mention what part of the summer school appeals to you the most and why; (c) let us know what you hope to achieve by attending the summer school