CLARIN Newsflash: CLARIN2020

The 2020 edition of the CLARIN Annual Conference will be organised as an online event. Remember the previous CLARIN conferences? This year’s edition has been designed to attract a wider audience and get the most out of the innovative options that come with a virtual format, so be prepared for a different experience: the conference will consist of special sessions and will be enriched with an informal programme. Detailed information on the innovative programme elements is available below.

With the virtual format we can accommodate more visitors than ever, and #CLARIN2020 welcomes both the attendants of previous years and all newbies with an interest in getting familiarised with what CLARIN is about.

PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE

Among the innovative programme elements of #CLARIN2020 are the following:

• The plenary paper presentation sessions will be shaped as moderated discussions and are aimed at fostering interaction between the participants and the authors. 
• Interaction with the authors of the accepted submissions can take place in online poster sessions which give room for Q&A, debate and one-on-one chats on technical details with interested participants.
• Slides, posters and recorded pitches will be available on the website prior to the conference.
• Special sessions are also devoted to both PhD students and lecturers who use CLARIN tools and resources in their work.
• All three lunch breaks will be featuring a special appetizer (see below).

Have a look at the full conference programme for 5-7 October, and also check the details for the pre-conference webinar scheduled for 14 September (see below).

INVITED TALK

Dr. Antske Fokkens  (Faculty of Humanities, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) will give the keynote talk. More details will be published on the conference website.

ABSTRACTS - PROCEEDINGS

The Book of Abstracts with short paper summaries and the Conference Proceedings are already available online so that the participants have the chance to prepare their questions and comments in advance and be ready to engage into discussions during the sessions.

INFORMAL PROGRAMME ELEMENTS

Café@CLARIN2020: This is CLARIN. How Can We Help You?
5 October 2020 from 11:30 to 12:30 

On Monday 5 October you can join The Café "This is CLARIN. How can we help you?". The café aims to give an overview of CLARIN in a nutshell. It is a part of the CLARIN Café series. You can register on the Café event page.

Social Networking session
6 October 2020 from 11:00 to 12:45

Participants of the conference can interact and have impromptu additional meetings in the virtual rooms that will be made available. For more details see the event page for the conference.

Improbotics: Improvised Theatre Show
7 October 2020 from 12:00 to 12:30

Improbotics is a tech-infused improvised theatre and comedy show and a live Turing test-based scientific experiment. An actual artificial intelligence-based chatbot is performing in the show and tries to pass as human as it sends lines to one of the improvisers. Our impossible and hilarious challenge is to attempt to justify, physically and emotionally, AI-generated lines even when they make no sense at all.

At #CLARIN2020 Improbotics will present the online version of the show, previously performed at the online Paris Fringe in June 2020, winning the Most Innovative Show award and the Binge Fringe Ballsy award. Read more 

REGISTRATION

Make sure to register for the CLARIN conference by filling out the registration form in order to receive all the instructions on how to access the virtual facilities on the days of the event, and other relevant information. You should receive these instructions via email by the end of September. 

Registration is free of charge; the deadline for guaranteed* access is 25 September 2020
* in case of high registration numbers we need some time to adjust the capacity of the virtual platform

OPEN CALLS FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST AND PARTICIPATION

Calls for interest in the following special programme elements of the CLARIN Annual Conference are still open:

CLARIN Student Session

At the CLARIN Student Session PhD students can present their work in progress . The aim of the session is to enable students to share the next generation of research supported by or contributing to the CLARIN infrastructure and receive feedback on their work from CLARIN experts. Learn more and express your interest in participation

CLARIN Consultation Session

The CLARIN Consultation Session, which is open to all conference participants, is an informal opportunity for early career researchers to discuss their work with CLARIN experts one-on-one or in small groups. Learn more and express your interest in participation

CLARIN in the Classroom

CLARIN in the Classroom is a new initiative open to university lecturers who have used CLARIN resources, tools or services in their courses. They are invited to present their experience and suggest future steps that can help facilitate and accelerate the further integration of CLARIN into university curricula. Learn more and express your interest in participation

CLARIN Bazaar

The CLARIN Bazaar is an informal space at the CLARIN Annual Conference where you can meet people from other centres and countries, find out about their work in progress, exchange ideas, and talk to people about future collaborations. Learn more and express your interest in participation 

Pre-conference webinar 
14 September, 15.00-17.00 CEST. Follow up Q&A session, 17.00-18.00 CEST

This virtual seminar is organised for the members of the CLARIN User Involvement Committee and for the presenters and participants of CLARIN2020. The seminar will be conducted by experienced lecturers from The Floor is Yours. Please register in order to receive the details of the meeting room. 

COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

Follow the conference on Twitter via #CLARIN2020

The latest information can always be found on the event page for the conference.