From next academic year (2024-2025), you can follow a language technology track within the Bachelor’s programme in Applied Linguistics. This track is unique in Flanders and gives students a deeper insight into AI systems, among other things.
For a long time, language and technology seemed to be two separate worlds. At Ghent University, students no longer have to choose. In the language technology programme, students combine a love of language with an interest in technology and current social developments concerning Artificial Intelligence, such as ChatGPT.
Crucial knowledge for AI developmentDuring the programme, students develop the dual expertise of a foreign language and language technology knowledge. They learn to communicate, translate or interpret fluently in a foreign language and in Dutch. They also learn to program with Python and fathom how computers understand and produce language. That knowledge is crucial to knowing how AI systems are developed. They also gain insight into why those tasks are so difficult for those systems and learn to use applications critically.
Sought-after profile on the labour marketCompanies are focusing more and more on (language) technology, and the demand for expertise is increasing enormously. With this track, Ghent University wants to prepare the next generation of language professionals: language experts who develop technologies based on knowledge of language and with attention for the ethical use of data and tools.
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