NLP Landscape: France
Are you looking to study or work in the field of NLP? For this series, NLP People will be taking a closer look at the NLP education landscape in different parts of the world, including the best sites for job-seekers and where you can go for the leading NLP-related education programs on offer. The second part in the series covers France; you can find Part 1: Ireland by clicking here.
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Limsi Research Group: University of Paris
The LIMSI and CNRS research groups are based at the University of Paris. They focus on machine translation, machine language programming and human-machine programming, led by some of the world’s top experts in computer science. Their website offers part time job opportunities, job and internship opportunities and further education in the field.
According to their website, LORIA was founded in 1997 – and the acronym is the French translation for Lorraine Research Laboratory in Computer Science and its Applications. The group, one of the most well-known Masters in NLP, specializes in applied computer science, and their website offers plenty of opportunities: Research, past papers and reports, job opportunities and education, which includes Post-Doctoral & Internships, Doctoral and Masters & Engineering Schools.
University of France-Comté: NLP Masters
This Masters in NLP is offered at several universities worldwide: For those in France, it’s offered at the prestigious University of France-Comté. For more information about the Masters schedule, study details and tuition fees, visit their website.
The GETALP research and study group is a joint research team between CNRS, Grenoble INP and UGA. It was created in 2002 to study and advance machine translation, natural language processing, low-resourced languages and how machines and humans interact. More information on grants offered can be found here.
LIA stands for the Laboratoire Informatique d’Avignon, and their laboratory heads research into natural language processing, text summarization and information retrieval. Visit their website for contact details and their events schedule. You can also find seminars, conferences and potential job opportunities listed.
LATTICE is a research collaboration between CNRS, ENS programs and the University of Paris. They study, among other things, machine translation, linguistics and other NLP-related topics. Their website lists research themes, ongoing research projects, conferences and in-depth NLP research.
The European Language Resources Association (ELRA)
The European Language Resources Association (also known as ELRA) provides many resources related to NLP. Their Catalogue of Language Resources can be found here and their website has a host of free resouces. Current projects are available on their website and internship opportunities can be found here.
Inria is a national French research institution which focuses on applied mathematics and computer science – and of course this includes several NLP-related projects to keep an eye on. More information on research can be found here, and job opportunities can be found by clicking here. Their events calendar is available here.
The French Association for Artificial Intelligence
The French Association for Artificial Intelligence (or the Association Française pour l’Intelligence Artificielle in French) is your go-to place for industry news related to AI as its official representation in France. You can find study opportunities in the field through the Colleges section on their website.
France is AI is a community of enthusiasts and experts spanning across France. The website is a good place to go for both opportunities and news; they are also the organizers of the annual France is AI conference, which aims to give attendees a broad scope of the AI and Machine Learning landscape in France and other parts of the world.
Meetup is a social network connecting people by shared interests. The Meetup for Natural Language Processing enthusiasts and career professionals in France can be found by clicking here. You can also check out Paris Datageeks, Artificial Intelligence Paris, the Paris Machine Learning Applications Group or Meetup’s list of NLP Meetups worldwide.
The Collège de France posts many of their study resources online, free for viewing or download. Here you can find a free lecture entitled Deep Learning: A Revolution in Artificial Intelligence, which took place on the 4th of February 2016 and was presented by AI expert Yann LeCun.
The Sierra Machine Language Laboratory
The Sierra Machine Language Lab is based at the Laboratoire d’Informatique de l’École Normale Superiéure, and they are on a mission to explore machine language and learning – and how things can be improved upon. Their website is a massive resource of information including Seminars, Tutorials, Research, Publications and Jobs.
Machine Learning & Data Mining Masters: Université Jean Monnet
Presented at Jean Monnet University in Saint Etienne, France, you can complete your Masters Degree in Machine Learning & Data Mining (MLDM) – the completion awards you a French National Masters Degree in Computer Science and a University Diploma on Machine Learning & Data Mining.
Advanced MSc in Information Systems & Artificial Intelligence for Big Data Engineering
While this degree’s title might be a bit of a mouthful, you want to check it out if you’d like to work and study in the field of AI. It’s presented at both the Nice Sophia-Antipolis and Paris campuses of the Data ScienceTech Institute.
Facebook AI Research (also known as FAIR) is exactly what it sounds like, and is the team social media giant Facebook makes use of to find out how AI works and what it could mean. Yes, they’ve also expanded their team to Paris – and you can find any career opportunities posted on Facebook’s Careers page.
SightEngine is a machine learning company which specializes in image moderation and nudity detection by algorithm: A vital technology when it comes to cracking down on illegal pornography and other abuses of online power. And, sometimes they’re hiring. You can find the careers section of their website by clicking here.
NLPPeople is a global NLP-dedicated career & consultancy portal covering positions both in industry and academia. NLP France jobs are covered quite extensively there.