Welcome to Tara Azin’s personal page!

I’m a PhD student in Cognitive Science at Carleton University with a background in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Computational Linguistics. My research focuses on Natural Language Inference (NLI) which examines how machines make sense of relations between text fragments—essentially, the task of textual entailment.

Meaning itself is quite controversial among us humans. We can be sarcastic, tell lies, and spread misinformation. Knowing the fact that even humans struggle to understand language makes the idea of machines deciphering meaning quite fascinating. Will machines ever understand meaning better than we do? In my PhD research, I explore this question while also examining whether their approach to complex inference tasks can reveal new insights into how humans process language.

Behind the Scenes: My Academic Story

I hold an MSc in Computational Linguistics from Sharif University of Technology (2011-2014), Iran. My thesis focused on authorship attribution and detection of writing style, more specifically analyzing the works of four renowned Persian poets Nima Yooshij , Sohrab Sepehri , Mehdi Akhavan Sales , and Ahmad Shamlou . Through the examination of stylistic features, I successfully attributed unknown poems to their respective poets.

In 2018, I began my second master’s in Computer Science at Istanbul Technical University in Türkiye, which I pursued until 2020. Although the degree remained unfinished due to my immigration to Canada and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I completed all the coursework for the program. During that time, I also authored an ACL publication on Turkish Abstract Meaning Representation , a project that further fueled my passion for computational semantics.

Apart from all these, I’m deeply passionate about all aspects of language technology and its impact on enhancing machines’ understanding of human language. I am fascinated by discovering innovative ways to transfer human knowledge to machines, empowering them to support and assist us. As a proud member of the Southern Kurdish community in Iran, I’m driven to create digital resources for this under-resourced language to ensure equitable access to language technology for all.

Beyond Academia

After more than a decade of practicing yoga for my own mental and physical health, I realized how transformative yoga can be for students, especially those navigating the challenges of graduate studies. As a PhD student, I decided to pursue an intensive 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program at Pranashanti Yoga School in Ottawa during summer 2024.

Though challenging, the experience reinforced my belief in the importance of creating spaces where students can prioritize their well-being. This Winter, alongside my role as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Cognitive Science, I’m thrilled to be teaching a Yoga class at Carleton University’s Athletics Center.

Yoga has been a cornerstone of my journey, helping me stay grounded and resilient through the rigors of academic life. I hope to share the practice with others to foster balance, mindfulness, and a sense of community.

Embracing the serenity of Warrior II pose at a lakeside cottage in Antoine-Labelle, Quebec, with the calm waters of White Fish Lake reflecting the stillness of the moment.