Abu Dhabi to Host COLING 2025: A Major AI and NLP Conference
The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi will host the 31st International Conference on Computational Linguistics (COLING 2025) from January 19 to 24, 2025. This event, organized by the International Committee on Computational Linguistics (ICCL), will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
COLING is a leading conference in the fields of natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI). This will be the first time the conference is held in Abu Dhabi and the MENA region, bringing together key leaders from the NLP and AI communities.
The conference will feature a main conference, workshops, tutorials, and other events, including keynote talks, oral and poster presentations, and panel discussions. It is the second major NLP and AI conference in Abu Dhabi, following the 2022 Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing (EMNLP).
Professor Preslav Nakov, chair of the NLP department at MBZUAI, expressed excitement about hosting COLING 2025, highlighting the opportunity for dialogue and innovation in AI and NLP. Professor Timothy Baldwin, provost at MBZUAI, emphasized the conference as a platform to showcase Abu Dhabi’s leadership in AI, particularly in addressing the region’s linguistic challenges.
With 1,500 participants expected, COLING 2025 will include nine tutorials, 22 workshops, and the First Winter School on Arabic Natural Language Processing and Computational Linguistics. This two-day event aims to advance knowledge in Arabic NLP and foster interdisciplinary networking.
Professor Nizar Habash, part of the local organizing committee, noted that the Winter School will feature expert-led tutorials, hands-on workshops, and poster sessions on Arabic NLP and CL research.
First held in 1965, the biennial COLING conference attracts participants from top research centers worldwide.
Doubts Revealed
Abu Dhabi -: Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, a country in the Middle East. It is known for its modern architecture and cultural landmarks.
COLING 2025 -: COLING 2025 is the 31st International Conference on Computational Linguistics, a big event where experts discuss how computers understand and process human languages.
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence -: This is a university in Abu Dhabi that focuses on teaching and researching artificial intelligence, which is the science of making computers smart.
MENA region -: MENA stands for Middle East and North Africa, a region that includes countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Morocco.
Natural Language Processing (NLP) -: NLP is a field of AI that helps computers understand and talk in human languages, like Hindi or English.
Keynote talks -: Keynote talks are important speeches given by experts at a conference to share new ideas and inspire others.
Workshops -: Workshops are interactive sessions where people learn and practice new skills or ideas in a group setting.
Winter School on Arabic NLP -: This is a special program during the conference where people can learn about how computers can understand and process the Arabic language.
Professors Preslav Nakov and Timothy Baldwin -: These are experts in the field of AI and NLP who are involved in organizing and highlighting the importance of the COLING 2025 conference.
