The 2019 International Symposium on Natural Language and Semantic Computing was held at Shanxi University on Oct 26-28, which the organizers said proved to be a complete success.

The symposium, jointly sponsored by Shanxi University and Peking University, had as its theme “semantic resource construction and semantic computing”.

The organizers said it focused on the important role of semantic resources construction in the understanding of natural language machines. It also focused on the methods and techniques of semantic resources construction -- and the cutting-edge theories and technology of the integration of semantic resources and machine learning.

The symposium was attended by more than 80 experts and academics.

Among them were professor Collin Baker from the International Computer Science Institute at University of California, Berkeley; Li Xiaoli, chief scientist of the data analysis department at the Institute for Infocomm Research in Singapore; professors Reng Suizhi and Chang Baobao from Peking University and professor Dai Xinyu from the School of Artificial Intelligence at Nanjing University.

Officials said the symposium was of great significance to further strengthen the long-term cooperative relationships between Shanxi University, the University of California at Berkeley and the Institute for Infocomm Research in Singapore, among others.

That was in relation to the construction and application of natural language semantic resources, and to expand the international vision of the natural language processing research team at Shanxi University.

After the symposium, vice principal Liang Jiye on behalf of Shanxi University announced Collin Baker was being appointed a guest professor, as was Li Xiaoli.

Getting together for a nice chat: Attendees of the 2019 International Symposium on Natural Language and Semantic Computing pose for a group photo at Shanxi University on Oct 28. [Photo/sxu.edu.cn]

Vice principal Liang Jiye (R) on behalf of Shanxi University, presents Li Xiaoli with a guest professor’s appointment letter on Oct 28. [Photo/sxu.edu.cn]

Vice principal Liang Jiye (L) on behalf of Shanxi University presents Collin Baker with a guest professor’s appointment letter on Oct 28. [Photo/sxu.edu.cn]