50th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics: ACL 2012 NEWSLETTER NO. 1

Event Notification Type: 
Other
Abbreviated Title: 
ACL 2012
Location: 
Shilla Hotel Jeju (Tutorials) and International Convention Center Jeju (ICC Jeju) main conference
Sunday, 8 July 2012 to Saturday, 14 July 2012
Country: 
Korea
City: 
Jeju

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ACL 2012 NEWSLETTER NO. 1
http://www.acl2012.org/

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:: Editorial

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Welcome to ACL 2012!

For the first time, the annual meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) comes to Korea, a vibrant country with rich language and cultural heritage. ACL 2012 will be held in Jeju Island (濟州島) on July 8-14, 2012. In conjunction with ACL 2012, a series of tutorials, research workshops and conferences including EMNLP-CoNLL will be co-located in Jeju with the following schedule: Tutorials on 8 July, ACL Main Conference on 9-11 July, Post-Conference Workshops on 12-13 July, and EMNLP-CoNLL on 12-14 July 2012. In 2012, ACL marks its 50th year of scientific activities and community services. ACL 2012 will feature special programs to commemorate this occasion.

On behalf of the organizing committee, I invite all of you to Jeju to join the celebration! The Organizing Committee will send out newsletters as we gear up for the event. This is the first edition of the newsletter. Stay tuned!

General Chair, Haizhou Li

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:: Important Dates

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15 January 2012 - Long paper submission deadline

22 January 2012 - Tutorial submission deadline

20 February 2012 - Student workshop paper submission deadline

11 March 2012 - Acceptance Notification: Long paper

18 March 2012 - Short paper, workshop paper, system demonstrations submission deadline

18 March 2012 - Acceptance Notification: Tutorial proposals

9 April 2012 - Acceptance Notification: Student Research Workshop

15 April 2012 - Acceptance Notification: Workshop paper

23 April 2012 - Acceptance Notification: Short paper & system demonstration

30 April 2012 - Camera ready deadline: Long paper, workshop paper, student workshop paper

7 May 2012 - Camera ready deadline: Short Paper & system demonstration

8 July 2012 - Tutorial

9-11 July 2012 - ACL Main Conference

12-14 July 2012 - EMNLP and CoNLL, and workshops

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:: Jeju Travel Tips

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Jeju is proud of its unique cultural folk heritage as well as its geographical and historical relevance. Jeju itself is an extinct volcano with its peak jutting skyward at the center of the island and a wide gentle littoral all the way around, geographically unique anywhere in the world. There are bountiful forests and ravines, fantastic rock formations and volcanic craters, caves and grasslands paining a natural beauty with breathtaking scenery. Sparkling seas and tiny islets surround Jeju, with jutting rocks amidst sandy beaches that create a magnificent view virtually everywhere you look.

In June 2007 the volcanic island and lave tube cave systems, as well as the fortress-like Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone rising out of the ocean were designated as UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites for natural beauty and geographical value. Jeju Island is not only Korea's most prestigious destination and top honeymoon location but the venue for several political joint summit talks and other major international meetings. For more information, please visit http://www.hijeju.or.kr/english/main.html.

[Cultural Experience]

1. Olle Trekking

Olle, a Jeju dialect meaning "narrow paths", is like an oasis for many who wish to get away from the bustle of city life. In Jeju's Olle courses, trekkers can walk on unpaved paths and even face rocky roads near cliffs. There are a total of 15 trekking courses along the seashore and the inland regions on Jeju Island. The Olle trail #8, which begins at ICC Jeju, is especially a great course to take to enjoy the island's coastline. This route continues along the seashore through Jusangjeolli, which is a formation of stone pillars piled up along the coast. The stone pillars were created when the lava from Mt. Halla erupted into the sea of Jungmun. The sight of the abundant pampas grass will make your walk even more enjoyable. The trail was built by the marine soldiers for Jeju Olle, so it is called The Marine Corps Trail. The terminus of the route, Daepyeong Pogu (port), sits on the end of a valley and the open fields run towards the sea. For more information, please visit http://www.jejuolle.org:8080/eng/.

2. Temple stay in Jeju Yakchunsa

A Temple Stay is a cultural-experience program designed to help people understand Korean Buddhism better. Temple stays offer various kinds of practicing methods such as Yebul (ceremonial service involving chanting), Chamseon (Zen meditation), Dahdoh (tea ceremony) and Balwoo Gongyang (communal Buddhist meal service). Yakcheonsa Temple was built in the Buddhist style of early Joseon dynasty in the height of 30 meters (same as a 10 story building) and the size of 3,305 square meters boasting to be the largest main prayer hall in Asia.

3. UNESCO World Natural Heritage Exploration

The volcanic island of Jeju-do has an outstandingly beautiful natural environment that is significant for its geological features and ecological value. In 2007, Jeju-do Island was listed as a UNESCO Natural Heritage Site under the name of "Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes". This includes Mount Hallasan Natural Reserve, the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System and Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak. For more information, please visit http://www.hijeju.or.kr/english/main.html

[Sightseeing Tours]

1. Cheonjeyeon Waterfalls

Cheonjeyeon Waterfalls, named 'The pond of God', consists of 3 parts. Around the falls, there are rare plants. There is a cave in the east and from the ceiling cold water pours down creating the waterfall. The water from the first waterfall becomes the second and third waterfalls and flows into the sea. It is located within a walking distance from the conference venue, ICC Jeju. For more information, please visit http://english.tour2jeju.net/main/list.php?menu_id=12

2. Jeju National Museum

Jeju National Museum is a historical museum that displays, preserves and studies Jeju Island's historical and cultural assets. Jeju National Museum houses various remains excavated from ruins, including meaningful relics from the prehistoric age through to the Joseon Dynasty. It boasts unique traditional culture and holds special exhibitions each year. For more information, please visit http://jeju.museum.go.kr/en/contents/main.php

3. Jeju Folk Village Museum

With a total of 117 houses and facilities, Jeju Folk Village Museum has restored the scenes of the village to that of the 1890's. Among them are Mountain Village, Hill-Country Village, Fishing Village and Shamanism Village. On land of more than 40 acres it has been reconstructed following long-term research and analysis of experts. The Jeju Folk Village Museum is the island's main tourist attraction where customs of the old days can be explored. For more information, please visit http://eng.jejufolk.com/html/index.aspx

[Outdoor Activities]

1. Golf

There are about 30 golf courses on the island. There is one right there at Jungmun Resort Complex (Jungmun Golf Club). Some of the Golf Courses near the convention center and Seogwipo City are listed below.

Blackstone Golf Club
Castlerex Jeju Golf Club
Club Raon Golf Club
Crown Country Club
Cypress Golf Club
Ellisian Country Club
Haevichi Country Club
Jeju Country Club
Jungmun Beach Golf Club
Lake Hills Jeju Country Club
Lareine Golf Club
Nine Bridges Golf
Ora Country Club
Pinx Golf Club
Roadland Golf Club
Shinan Aberrys Golf Club
Sky Hill Jeju Country Club
Zephyrus Golf Club

2. Horse riding

Jeju Island is an ideal place for raising horses. Throughout the year, there is little change in the temperature and rainfall. This creates a more favorable condition for grasslands than on the mainland and feed crops can be grown even in winter. Throughout the island, you can easily find places that offer horse riding. With the help of a horse trainer, novices can take the beginner lesson of trotting inside a designated area.

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:: Venue Information

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Main Conference Venue: International Convention Center Jeju (ICC Jeju)

Tutorial Venue: Shilla Hotel Jeju

ICC Jeju, which has an open view of the North Pacific Ocean and Mt. Halla, is a 7-story building in the Jungmun Resort Complex. It is a world-class convention center which contains resort-style convention facilities, with a large conference hall (Tamna Hall) which can accommodate a maximum of 4,300 persons, 25 medium or small-sized meeting rooms, an exhibition hall and an outdoor banquet site.

Having hosted a large number of grand-scale international meetings such as the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit, ASTA, UNEP, PATA, and ADB, ICC Jeju clearly stands out as an ideal venue for the 50th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL 2012) & Joint EMNLP-CoNLL Meeting.

For more information, please visit http://iccjeju.cafe24.com/eng/.

Address: 2700 Jungmun, Seogwipo, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, South Korea, 697-120

Tel: 82-64-735-1000

Fax: 82-64-738-8922

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:: Social Events

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[Banquet]

Date: 10 July 2012 (Tuesday)
Venue: Seafood & Yacht Club (Shangri La Buffet) at seaside