• Open Workshop 2: Fine-tuning Large Language Models for Humanities Research
• Speaker: Dr. Donghyeok Choi, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of History, HKBU
• Time: 13:30–14:50
• Venue: Room 5566

About the workshop:

This workshop introduces the concept of fine-tuning large-language models (LLMs) and explores their potential applications in the humanities. This workshop begins by outlining the basic principles of fine-tuning and highlight key technical considerations, such as dataset preparation, parameter selection, and evaluation strategies. To illustrate these ideas in practice, we present an ongoing project that fine-tunes a vision–language model for Manchu optical character recognition (OCR). This case study demonstrates how adapting LLMs to specialized historical sources can unlock new possibilities for text analysis, digitization, and multilingual research. By bridging technical workflows with humanistic inquiry, the workshop shows how fine-tuned models can empower scholars to engage with rare and complex sources in innovative ways.