In the Cradle of Language Technology
(and Good Ale)
It’s official: Oxford is as mesmerizing and magical as you imagine. And even more. How do we know? We asked Olga, our brilliant Project Manager and an avid language enthusiast who visited Oxford this surprisingly sunny February to meet one of our dearest clients – Oxford Languages. SIDE NOTE: Oxford Languages is a cradle of language technology. Division of Oxford University Press, Oxford Languages took on a mission to make quality language data available and accessible to scholars, researchers and developers all over the world. And Olga’s team has been helping them move towards this ambitious and meaningful goal since 2015. Curious? Then hold on to your hat, because we are going to give you a quick tour through this land of world languages, Tolkien, and legendary ale. Whoosh!
So Olga, first time in Oxford?
Yes, this was a long-awaited trip. We planned it for a while and finally made it in February. It was, of course, a very busy week in terms of meetings, making plans for the future, and discussing our business-as-usual activities. But for the first time, I could sit in one room with the people we have been working remotely for years.
Not the same thing?
Absolutely! It’s a different dialogue, a different communication modus. We talked about many things – our ongoing projects, ways to optimize processes, immediate plans, and future outlook. I was amazed by the warm and friendly in-house atmosphere at Oxford Languages.
Who did you meet?
In one week, I’ve met many people from senior managers to the teams we work hand-in-hand on our projects. And we plan to meet more from now on and hope to greet our friends from Oxford in Gdańsk soon.
How did the city treat you?
It was a fantastic experience. Oxford is a unique blend of academic spirit and rich pub culture. One moment you pass by the legendary stairs of Oxford University Press, and then you stand next to a pub where Tolkien and Lewis got together for hours of literary discussions.
So you walked on the stones that Tolkien had walked once?
Yes.
Impressive! What is this majestic tree?
Oh, this is a tree growing in the backyard of Oxford University Press building.
Looks like a tree you would sit under to practice ‘Levicorpus’ or some other silly spell from Harry Potter. Huge thanks to Olga for giving us a taste of her Oxford experience. Don’t know about you, but we are booking the tickets already. And if you feel like this is exactly the vibe you are missing right now in your career, hop on board. We have plenty of opportunities for curious explorers.
