Global science exchange with AGH University's contribution

The winning MUTASK project is called “Multimodal Translation and Adaptation of Scientific Knowledge for Global Accessibility”. The initiative responds to one of the key challenges facing modern science: how to effectively communicate research results to people who do not know the language of publication and/or do not have specialist knowledge in a given field.

The majority of research is published in English. For many readers, language barriers and overly complex content effectively hinder access to the latest research. The project aims to overcome these barriers by using modern AI methods.

The research team will develop multimodal tools that automatically translate scientific content into different languages, summarise it, and adapt it to the reader's level of knowledge, convert scientific texts into accessible audio and video materials, and enable interaction with the content, such as asking questions about the material being viewed or exploring selected topics in greater depth.

An important element of the project objectives is the so-called human dimension of technology: MUTASK solutions will be designed based on audience research, media education, and strategic communication principles. This will ensure that the content is not only correctly translated, but also understandable, culturally appropriate, and useful for various social groups, from students, teachers, journalists, and decision-makers, to social organisations and the general public.

The results of the project will comply with Open Science principles and can be integrated into European knowledge infrastructures, such as open repositories and language infrastructures. In the long term, MUTASK aims to contribute to more inclusive, democratic and trustworthy science communication, in which the language and form of communication do not constitute barriers to access to knowledge.

The main tasks of the AGH University research team will include:

• development of a multimodal scientific content adaptation system (text–audio–video)
• implementation of research on automatic translation and summarisation of scientific content, taking into account the needs of recipients
• integration of artificial intelligence modules with Open Science infrastructure (including repositories and open knowledge platforms)
• evaluation of content quality and usability with end users.

The AGH University team will also be responsible for the coordination of international cooperation within the consortium, project management within the CHIST-ERA network, and the implementation of science-promoting activities.

The team consists of: Dr Mikołaj Leszczuk, Associate Professor at AGH University, project manager and consortium coordinator, and Dr Dawid Juszka, co-researcher. AGH University students and doctoral students will also be involved in the work on algorithms, evaluation, and usability testing.

Our partners are Université de Lorraine (France) and the Zurich University of Teacher Education – PH Zürich (Switzerland).

The consortium will receive a grant in the amount of EUR 718,149.24, of which EUR 249,999.24 will be allocated to AGH University (from the National Science Centre).

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The purpose of the CHIST-ERA network is to support research in information and communication technologies.

The CHIST-ERA “Science in Your Own Language” (SOL) call was open to research projects conducted by international consortia involving at least three teams from at least three different countries. The principal investigator of the Polish research team must have at least a PhD degree.

In the CHIST-ERA Call 2025 SOL, grants were awarded to a total of nine international projects. Three of them will be carried out with the participation of Polish research groups from the University of Warsaw, the Institute of Computer Science of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and the AGH University of Krakow. The topics of the winning projects concern methods and tools for promoting access to knowledge generated in different languages.