17 Apr 2024

Towards a National Collection Webinars, May 2024

If you're interested in topics like global sharing of cultural heritage data, the development of Finland's national ontology and LOD infrastructure, or the integration of Indigenous and African languages into computational processes, don't miss these upcoming webinars.

They'll cover Human Language Technology, inclusive NLP models, research ethics in multi-partner projects, and innovative approaches to connecting UK heritage collections. The Discovery Project Webinar Series 2024 and International Webinar Series 2024 feature a lineup of distinguished speakers. These events are free and open to everyone, so feel free to share this invite with anyone interested in these cutting-edge topics.

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DISCOVERY PROJECT WEBINAR SERIES: Research Methods & Ethics: Connecting UK Heritage Data

01 May | 14:00 - 15:30 GMT

BOOK A PLACE: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/875901042597?aff=oddtdtcreator

Learn from two of our Discovery Project researchers about their individual contributions to the Unpath’d Waters and The Congruence Engine projects and actively engage in a Q&A session.
This webinar will explore how specific research methods and value frameworks may lead to improved practices when combining UK heritage data.

•       Arran Rees, University of Leeds: Action research, complexity, and the Congruence Engine project
•       Katrina Foxton, MOLA: Research ethics in multi-partner research projects: Lessons learned from the Unpath’d Waters values framework

Arran Rees will reflect on the Congruence Engine project’s range of approaches to connecting digital heritage collections, and the use of action research within this context. Katrina Foxton will discuss how shared value frameworks in multi-partner research projects may lead to more relevant and ethically sound practices, reflecting on lessons learned from the Unpath’d Waters (UNPATH) project.

Towards a National Collection: https://www.nationalcollection.org.uk/
Discovery Projects: https://www.nationalcollection.org.uk/Discovery_Projects
The Congruence Engine: https://ceblog.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/
Unpath’d Waters (UNPATH): https://unpathdwaters.org.uk/
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INTERNATIONAL WEBINAR SERIES: Linking Digital Collections Globally

02 May | 09:30 - 11:00 GMT

BOOK A PLACE: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/873251698337?aff=oddtdtcreator

This Towards a National Collection (TaNC) webinar will focus on digitalization projects in the Pacific and Finland, exploring how cultural heritage data and digital collection contents could be shared globally.

•       Tim Kong, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa | National Library of New Zealand: Reflections on making the digitised heritage of the Pacific visible and accessible for those in and of the Pacific
•       Eero Hyvönen, Aalto University & University of Helsinki, Creating and using a national linked open data infrastructure for cultural heritage applications and Digital Humanities Research: Lessons learned

This webinar will begin with a talk by Tim Kong, focusing on the design, development and functionality of the site digitalpasifik.org, exploring how Western institutions could make their records accessible to the people of the Pacific. Eero Hyvönen will talk about the development of a cross-domain national ontology and Linked (Open) Data (LOD) infrastructure in Finland, share lessons learned during this work and introduce the so-called Sampo model that evolved from it.

Eero Hyvönen/ Semantic Computing Research Group (SeCo): https://seco.cs.aalto.fi/u/eahyvone/
Tim Kong: https://www.continue.nz/about/
https://digitalpasifik.org/
Towards a National Collection: https://www.nationalcollection.org.uk/
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INTERNATIONAL WEBINAR SERIES: African & Indigenous Futures: Harnessing AI for Global South Languages

08 May | 14:00 - 15:30 GMT

BOOK A PLACE: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/880260341377?aff=oddtdtcreator

This Towards a National Collection (TaNC) will focus on the integration of Indigenous and African languages into computational processes, bringing together Robert Pugh from Indiana University, Bloomington and Ignatius Ezeani from Lancaster University:

•       Robert Pugh, Indiana University, Bloomington: Indigenous voices past, present and future: Digital technologies for Nahuatl and Maya
•       Ignatius Ezeani, Lancaster University: NLP and Large Language Models: A Case for Inclusive Language Technologies.

Showcasing the role of innovation in preserving and revitalising African and Indigenous cultural heritage, these speakers will discuss the dynamic intersection of Human Language Technology (HLT) and inclusive Natural Language Processing (NLP) models. The webinar will address important topics when working within African and Indigenous spaces, such as:
•       the importance of collaborative efforts
•       accessibility of resources
•       careful design of bias-aware language models.

Robert Pugh: https://robertpugh.me/
Ignatius Ezeani: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/scc/about-us/people/ignatius-ezeani
Masakhane, a grassroots organisation whose mission is to strengthen and spur NLP research in African languages, for Africans, by Africans: https://www.masakhane.io/