Esther Klabbers senior speech reseracher and CEO of Phaistos Speech & Language Technology Services, shares her research interests and het impressions on Interspeech 2024 in Kos.

Host: Spyretta Leivaditi

Meet Mathew Magimai Doss, Senior Researcher at Idiap Research Institute, shares his research interests and his impressions on Interspeech 2024 in Kos.

Host: Orchid Chetia Phukan 

Meet Iuliia, PhD Researcher at Universität des Saarlandes, sharing her research interests and impressions on Interspeech 2024 in Kos.

Host: Wei Xue

Meet Harm Lameris, PhD Student in Conversational AI in KTH Royal Institute of Technolog shares his interests and his impressions on Interspeech 2024 in Kos.

Host: Paige Tuttösí

Meet Thomas, PostDoctoral researcher in INESC-ID and one of the original hosts of Speech Pitch this time as a guest. Grab this opportunity to listen about his research interests interest and of course how did he exerince Interspeech 2024 in Kos.

Host: Wei Xue

Aaricia is a ASR Researcher & Computational Linguist at Alphaspeech, introduces her interests and impressions of Interspeech 2024.

Host: Spyretta Leivaditi

Marta won Best Poster Award 2024 in Young female Researchers in Speech Workshop (YFRSW 2024) and shares with us her research interests and her impressions of Interspeech 2024 in Kos.

Host: Sarthak Jain

In this episode we share information about the Greek island, Kos that is hosting Interspeech 2024. You will learn how you can travel from the airport to the conference venue itself, what to pack for this trip, the food culture of Greece, fun activities in the island and some survival Greek. To practise some survival Greek press here

In Travel Information.pdf you can find some traveling information to the venue.

Book in advance the shuttle service specially organized for Interspeech 2024 delegates HERE.

Survival Greek:

Thank you , [efxaɾiˈsto]

You are welcome, [parakaˈlo]

Where is the toilet, [ˈpu ˈine i tuaˈleta]

Water, [neˈɾo]

Yes, [ˈne]

No, [ˈoçi]

Left, [aɾisteˈɾa]

Right, [ðeksiˈa]

Help, [voˈiθia]

Fire, [foˈtça]

Hotel, [ksenoðoˈçio]

Good morning, [kaliˈmeɾa]

Good afternoon, [kaliˈspera]

Good night, [kaliˈnixta]

Pharmacy, [faɾmaˈcio]

Hospital, [nosokoˈmio]

Hosts: Pascal Hecker, Spyretta Leivaditi

Editor: Spyretta Leivaditi

00:00:00 -Intro
00:00:22 -Outline
00:00:40 -About Kos
00:01:33 -Kos geography
00:03:47 -History
00:05:32 -Language, currency, payment
00:06:51 -Safety
00:07:58 -Taxis
00:08:40 -Weather
00:11:01 -What to pack
00:11:30 -Power adaptors
00:12:04 -Medicine and pharmacies
00:13:35 -How to get to the conference venue
00:15:31 -Buses
00:19:16 -Bus app for Kos "Kos near bus"
00:19:35 -Hotels
00:20:49 -Food
00:26:22 -Vegetarian food options
00:28:09 -Drinks
00:31:33 -Activities on Kos
00:36:49 -Beaches
00:39:15 -Travel destinations by ferry
00:40:30 -Greek words

Matt Coler is an accomplished academic and a leading figure in the field of Voice Technology. He is an Associate Professor of Language and Technology at the University of Groningen, Campus Fryslân. Notably, Matt initiated and now leads the Master’s Program in Voice Technology at the university, a testament to his dedication and expertise in the field. In addition to his teaching and research responsibilities, Matt also leads a summer school in Speech Tech at the University of Groningen, providing students with an immersive learning experience and a deeper understanding of speech technology.

In this podcast episode, Matt shares his unique journey from studying Philosophy and Mandarin Chinese in the U.S. to becoming a professor in Groningen. His research interests are diverse, but a common thread is his focus on under-resourced languages. Matt believes that academia has a crucial role in supplementing industry by addressing problems that may not be as lucrative but are nonetheless important. He provides an overview of the Master’s Program for Voice Technology, emphasising its practical applications and collaboration with industry. The program is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to make significant contributions to the field. Matt also discusses the Speech Tech Summer School, which explores a new topic each year, keeping the curriculum fresh and relevant. This approach reflects Matt’s commitment to staying at the forefront of advancements in speech technology.

Hosts: Wenxi Fei, Pascal Hecker

Editor: Spyretta Leiavditi

Chapters:

00:00:00-Intro

00:00:20-Welcoming Matt Coler

00:00:52-Matt's background

00:02:10-Matt's research journey to in Groningen

00:07:00-Matt's research areas

00:12:18-Assessing speech

00:18:13-Matt's stance on industry and academia

00:20:50-MSc Voice/Speech Technology at University of Groningen in Campus Fryslân

00:44:34-Speech tech Summer School

00:52:41-Ethical aspects in his research

00:57:34-Matt's take on work-life balance

01:03:00-Fun questions

01:11:14-Outro

There is no such thing as a banquet that lasts forever, and farewells can be bittersweet as we part ways with old and newfound friends from the conference. Yet, the real magic often happens behind the scenes.

In this episode, we were joined by two dedicated members of the UK Speech 2023 local committee: Hend TM Elghazaly and Olga Iakovenko. As the conference venue quieted down after attendees departed, they offered us a glimpse into the world of conference organisation as a team. From the joys they found in the process to the challenges they encountered, they shared their insights and experiences, leaving us with valuable advice for future student volunteers.