International Conference at TSU “Georgian Language and Modern Technologies”

A two-day international conference “Georgian Language and Modern Technologies” was dedicated to the issues of creation of text corpora, electronic libraries, software for e-learning of languages and for translation as an urgent task for the overall inclusion of the Georgian language into the cyberspace. Georgian linguists and European scientists participated in the conference organized by the Arnold Chikobava Institute of Linguistics at the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, National Parliamentary Library of Georgia and Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation. TSU Rector, Academician Vladimer Papava, Director General of the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia Giorgi Kekelidze, as well as representatives of academic circles attended the conference.      

TSU Rector Vladimer Papava said: “Any international conference dedicated to the Georgian language is especially important. The TSU Arnold Chikobava Institute of Linguistics with its extremely rich traditions is a leading scientific center in Georgia studying the Georgian language. This international conference is yet another confirmation of the importance of the Georgian language as well as of the huge worldwide interest towards studying this language. It is especially important that along with studying the Georgian language problem, the conference also discusses the issue of further use and development of the Georgian language with respect to modern technologies.”

“It is a very important scientific international forum aimed to determine whether Georgian linguistics meets the challenge of modern technological epoch and whether we are ready for the overall inclusion of the Georgian language into the cyberspace, for processing the Georgian language by modern technologies and for having those software and electronic resources without which the full-scale functioning of a language is actually impossible in the modern epoch. Hence, the conference provides Georgian and foreign scholars with an opportunity to share their experience,” Lali Ezugbaia, the director of the Institute of Linguistics, said.

Director General of the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia Giorgi Kekelidze spoke about the intrusion of technological terms in the language and noted that “the connection of Georgian language and technologies is quite problematic. It is important that similar conferences push forward a lot of problems which are subsequently resolved as much as possible.”   

The 21st century has highlighted the role of computational technologies with respect to the preservation and development of national languages and cultures. Processing of linguistic data by means of up-to-date technologies is a necessary condition for the full-scale functioning of natural languages. Along with Georgian scholars, linguists from Germany, Switzerland, Lithuania, Sweden, Finland and Russia made reports on this problem during the two-day conference.

The key goal of the conference was to present the works implemented in this direction, to summarize the results, to set future tasks and share relevant experience.