Dr Burcu Can (University of Stirling, UK)
Lecturer in Computing Science at the Department of Computing Science and Mathematics.
Summer School in Deep Learning and LLMs for NLP .
The 3rd Summer School on Deep Learning and Large Language Models for NLP will take place as part of RANLP 2025 from 3rd September to 5th September 2025 in the city of Varna, Bulgaria.
About
The 3rd Summer School on Deep Learning and Large Language Models (LLMs) for Natural Language Processing (NLP) will be held from September 3–5, 2025, in Varna, Bulgaria, as part of RANLP 2025.
Deep Learning, a transformative branch of machine learning, has revolutionised Artificial Intelligence, driving breakthroughs across fields like NLP, computer vision, and speech recognition. With a special focus on LLMs, this summer school will explore their pivotal role in advancing state-of-the-art NLP applications and beyond.
Featuring talks by leading researchers in NLP and Deep Learning, the program will cover cutting-edge theoretical developments alongside hands-on coding sessions demonstrating the latest tools and techniques in LLM development and deployment.
This summer school is ideal for both newcomers and experienced professionals in NLP, corpus linguistics, language technologies, and related disciplines, offering a unique opportunity to deepen expertise and engage with the rapidly evolving world of LLMs.
Programme
Speakers
Dr Tharindu Ranasinghe (Lancaster University, UK)
Lecturer at the School of Computing and Communications working on Machine Learning approaches for NLP tasks.
Dr Hansi Hettiarachchi (Lancaster University, UK)
Lecturer in Security and Protection Science at the School of Computing and Communications, developing Machine Learning for NLP tasks.
Dr Ekaterina Artemova
(Toloka AI, Germany)
Researcher in Natural Language Processing with a focus on Large Language Models benchmarking and evaluation
Dr Max Müller-Eberstein (Copenhagen University, DK)
Postdoctoral researcher in the field of AI, specialising in Natural Language Processing
Damith Premasiri (Lancaster University, UK)
PhD Student at Lancaster University and Former Technical Team Lead at CodeGen International.
Isuri Anuradha (Lancaster University, UK)
PhD candidate in Computer Science with a research focus on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Humanities
Salmane Chafik (Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Morocco)
PhD student at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University Working on Code Generation Using Large Language Models.
Ernesto Luis Estevanell (University of Alicante, Spain)
PhD student conducting research in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
Directions
Varna, the largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, in the Hotel "Cherno More". This venue is centrally located at the entrance of the Sea Garden and offers excellent conference facilities. The city is a major tourist destination with flights to/from Varna International Airport. It is also known for its Archaeological Museum, which features the oldest gold treasure in the world and is in walking distance from the conference venue.
Questions and answers
What is the Summer School about?
The Summer School is an intensive programme centred on Deep Learning and Large Language Models (LLMs) for Natural Language Processing (NLP). Day 1 introduces foundational concepts like word embeddings and transformers, Day 2 dives into advanced LLM techniques, and Day 3 focuses on practical applications of LLMs. Through expert-led lectures and hands-on coding labs, participants will engage with the latest advancements in AI and NLP.
Who should attend this Summer School?
This Summer School is designed for a wide audience, including students, researchers, and professionals in NLP, corpus linguistics, language technologies, and related fields. It is ideal for beginners seeking an introduction to Deep Learning and LLMs, as well as experienced practitioners looking to deepen their expertise in state-of-the-art NLP techniques. Enthusiasts of AI and language processing will find the programme engaging and relevant.
What do I need to bring?
You only need to bring a laptop. We’ll provide access to cloud GPUs powerful enough to train LLMs. No pre-installation is required, as all work will be done using Jupyter notebooks on a cloud platform.
Will there be discounts for summer school participants?
Summer School participants will get discounted registration fees for the main RANLP 2025 conference. For details, visit the official RANLP 2025 website at https://ranlp.org/ranlp2025/index.php/fees-registration/.
Do I need coding knowledge to join the Summer School?
Basic coding knowledge (e.g., familiarity with Python) is recommended, as the Summer School includes hands-on labs for building and experimenting with LLMs. However, introductory sessions will cover foundational concepts, making it accessible to motivated beginners. Thanks to modern deep learning frameworks, training complex neural networks now requires only a few lines of code, so advanced coding skills are not necessary.
What is the competition mentioned in summer school programme?
Details of the competition will be unveiled during the Summer School to keep the excitement alive! But top-performing teams will receive awards for their outstanding efforts.
How can I obtain my certificate of completion?
Participants who successfully complete the Summer School will receive a certificate of completion, typically issued at the closing ceremony on September 5, 2025, or sent electronically after the event.
What is included in the registration fees?
Your registration fee grants access to all lectures and practical sessions, including hands-on labs with high-performance cloud GPUs for three days. It also covers tea/coffee refreshments throughout the Summer School, and the Welcome Summer School Cocktail, fostering networking opportunities during breaks.