News


NWU speech research group joins engineering faculty

31 January 2018 News

The Multilingual Speech Technology research group (MuST) within the North-West University is joining forces with the NWU Faculty of Engineering in 2018. This research group focuses its efforts on the creation and use of speech technologies and the study of the underlying machine learning principles. The group has a specific interest in deep learning techniques and their application in various domains, including speech and language processing.

The group has a long history of developing speech technologies for the lesser-resourced languages of the world. Although the applications it develops focus mostly on South African languages, the group has worked on 26 different lesser-resourced languages as part of the US IARPA Babel project, including diverse languages such as Amharic, Dholuo, Igbo, Javanese, Kurdish and Mongolian.

In 2016, MuST collaborated with Google to create new South African voices speaking four South African languages: Sesotho, isiXhosa, English and Afrikaans. It also recently completed the development work on a speech transcription platform for South African languages. The project was executed in close consultation with the reporting unit of National Parliament, and includes workflow management and various text and speech processing features, including automatic speech recognition.

When considering the current engineering research projects, MuST was a natural fit with the faculty of engineering. The senior research staff in MuST all have an engineering background, with formal PhD qualifications in electronic and computer engineering. As MuST delivers postgraduate rather than undergraduate students, the partnership with the faculty of engineering provides them with access to students with exposure to the appropriate undergraduate syllabus. In turn, the faculty gets to collaborate on high-profile research projects, new sources of research topics and funding, and a unique network of collaborators.

MuST is the NWU node of the Centre for Artificial Research (CAIR), a national research network hosted by the CSIR and mostly funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). As such MuST has access to attractive bursaries for post-graduate studies in the field, and an impressive network of scientists working on various aspects of AI. According to Prof Marelie Davel, director of MuST, the plan for 2018 is to intensify the machine learning aspect of their research focus.

For more information contact Professor Marelie Davel, MuST, +27 (0)28 312 1907, [email protected]





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Components distribution slowdown Q1 2025
News
European components distribution (DMASS) experienced a continued slowdown in the first quarter 2025.

Read more...
Semiconductor sales increase 17% YoY
News
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) recently announced global semiconductor sales were $54,9 billion during the month of February 2025, an increase of 17,1% compared to the February 2024 total.

Read more...
Silicon Labs – Q1 results
News
Silicon Labs, a leading innovator in low-power wireless, recently reported financial results for the first quarter, which ended April 5, 2025.

Read more...
Strengthening industry through strategic partnerships at KITE 2025
Specialised Exhibitions News
The KwaZulu-Natal Industrial Technology Exhibition is not just an exhibition, it is a powerhouse of industry collaboration where visitors and exhibitors gain access to authoritative insights, technical expertise, and high-impact networking opportunities.

Read more...
Solar Youth Project calls on industry to step up
News
With the second cohort completed training and the first cohort returning for their final module, host companies are urgently needed to turn the training into a long-term opportunity.

Read more...
Conlog powers SA’s future with national smart meter rollout
News
Conlog recently secured the RT29-2024 contract from National Treasury, which is seen to be a major milestone towards modernising SA’s utility infrastructure.

Read more...
Zuchongzhi-3 sets new benchmark
News
This latest superconducting quantum computing prototype features 105 qubits and 182 couplers to operate at a speed 10¹5 times faster than the most powerful supercomputer currently available.

Read more...
Automatic device attestation certificate for Panasonic
News
DigiCert recently announced it has partnered with Panasonic Industry Europe to integrate DigiCert Device Trust Manager with Panasonic’s PAN-MaX intelligent manufacturing service for seamless Matter certification of interoperable smart home devices.

Read more...
From the editor's desk: Are we really being ripped off?
Technews Publishing News
To the surprise of many customers, installing solar panels does not always eliminate their utility bill – and in some cases, the power utility may impose additional charges on solar-powered homes.

Read more...
Winner of the Advanced Electronics Challenge
Avnet Silica News
Avnet Silica has named Hydronauten winner of the Advanced Electronics Challenge for breakthrough AI-driven vibration damping technology.

Read more...