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About ELSNET

This page describes ELSNET's place and role in the universe of Human Language Technologies.

Mission
Objectives
Participants
Organisation
Human Language Technologies
How to contact us

Mission statement

ELSNET is a Europe-based forum dedicated to human language technologies. It operates in an international context, and will consider, across discipline boundaries, all human communication research areas related to language and speech.
ELSNET aims to advance R&D in human language technologies in Europe by bringing together the key players in the field, and by providing a proactive, open forum which will serve as
- a platform for launching innovative actions
- a platform for making analyses of the present, and developing visions for the future
- a platform for fostering a common environment, comprising resources, standards and evaluation
- a platform for building, sharing and exploiting knowledge and expertise

ELSNET is the European Network of Excellence in Human Language Technologies. Its main objective is to advance human language technologies in a broad sense by bringing together Europe's key players in research, development, integration or deployment in the field of language and speech technology and neighbouring areas. The network's role is to offer an environment that allows for optimal exploitation of the available human and intellectual resources in order to advance the field. This environment comprises a number of structures (committees, special interest groups), actions (summer schools, workshops) and services (web site, email lists, newsletter, information dissemination, knowledge brokerage). More about our focus areas here. Our work programme can be found at http://www.elsnet.org/dox/WP2000-2002.html. ELSNET has been funded by the European Commission's ESPRIT and Language Engineering Programmes since 1991, and is now supported by the Human Language Technologies programme.

Participants

ELSNET is funded by the European Commission as one out of ca. twenty Networks of Excellence, which together cover the whole area of Information and Communication Technology. Members are public or private research institutions, and commercial companies aiming at the development, integration or deployment of language and speech technology. Out of ca 135 members, 60% are academic and 40% industrial. The network covers at this moment 26 European countries. Organisations from within or outside Europe satisfying the admission criteria can apply for membership. Organisations not qualifying for membership can be put on our mailing lists.

Organisation

ELSNET is coordinated from the ELSNET Office at the Utrecht Institute of Linguistics OTS at Utrecht University. An international Executive Board is responsible for the management of the network and the funds provided by the European Commission. Small committees and task groups are responsible for the various activities and services. Special interest groups can be set up to bring together individuals with specific thematic interests. All member sites are expected to contribute to the functioning of the network by serving on committees, (co-)organising events, sharing information and expertise etc.

Human Language Technologies

Human Language Technologies (HLT) are those technologies that are based on spoken or written language, and that facilitate communication between human beings, between human beings and machines, and between human beings and information sources. As communication normally does not rely on spoken or written language alone, the scope of HLT will also include combinations of language and speech with other means (pictures, sounds, facial expressions, gestures and many others),