Application for Hundzula: NLP, Linguistics, and Digital Humanities Retreat 2027

🌟 Introducing the next Hundzula: Natural Language Processing, Linguistics, and Digital Humanities Retreat (6th Edition)

The last few years have seen many advancements in African Linguistics and Natural Language Processing (NLP). As we grow our research and practice, it is important that we not forget the link between Linguistics and language technologies (NLP). Building on the momentum set by initiatives such as SADILAR, RAIL, Masakhane, SautiYetu, and others, we are excited to host a small gathering of researchers (mostly young and emerging).

To this end, we're organising the Hundzula: Natural Language Processing, Linguistics, and Digital Humanities retreat, to be hosted at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits). We are working to bring together researchers working in Natural Language Processing, Linguistics, and Digital Humanities. 

The aim of the retreat is to be a venue to learn, teach, and assist each other. We are planning to 

• Teach: have a few speakers covering fundamentals in NLP, Linguistics, and Digital Humanities. The goal is to make it possible for researchers in either discipline to be able to engage with scholarship from either discipline in future. 

• Learn: Understand some of the cutting edge challenges and approaches.

• Ideate: Facilitate brainstorming amongst participants in order to hopefully create new research ideas for the 2026 year

• Support: Understand some of the challenges faced by emerging researchers in this field and work to have more collaborations.

Note: Only Accepted participants can attend the retreat.

🔍 Unlock the Future of Language Technologies: Join the Hundzula Retreat!

In recent years, African NLP has witnessed groundbreaking advancements, paving the way for intriguing developments in African Linguistics. We firmly believe in the inseparable connection between the fields of Computer Sciences and Linguistics, to this end, we extend a warm invitation for you to be a part of this transformative experience to discover where innovation meets tradition. Thanks to pioneering initiatives like SADiLaR, RAIL, Masakhane, etc., we're inspired to bridge the gap further and cultivate the next generation of research leaders. 

We aim to create a vibrant hub for scholars, particularly the budding and emerging talents, to collaborate, share insights, and shape the future of language and language technologies. Be a part of this transformative experience and discover where innovation meets tradition.

🌐 Let's unite, explore, and redefine the boundaries of NLP, Linguistics, and Digital Humanities. Dive into the future with us! 

Organisers

• Vukosi Marivate (UP) - vukosi.marivate@cs.up.ac.za - Advisory

• Iginio Gagliardone (Wits) - Local Chair

• Seani Rananga (UP) - Co-Chair

• Johannes Sibeko (NMU) - Co-Chair

• Neo Putini (UKZN) - Co-Chair

• Casper Muziri (UP) 

• Christine Mataranyika (Wits)

• Dan Masethe (TUT)

• Didi Maphoto (Wits) 

• Kelebogile Sathekge (UP)

• Lydia Taban (Masakhane) 

• Mahmooda Milanzie (UP)

• Marissa Griesel (SADiLaR)

• Maya Loon (Wits) 

• Mosima Masethe (SMU)

• Mpho Primus (UJ) 

• Neo Mokono (UP) 

• Nomandla Gumede (Wits) 

• Nosipho Dladlu Mntuwaphi (NWU)

• Olaperi Okuboyejo (UP) 

• Samuel Olaniran (Wits) 

• Thapelo Sindane (UP)

Support for 2027

• Google Tensorflow

• DSFSI @ University of Pretoria

• University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) — SA-UK Chair in the Digital Humanities 

• South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR)