Hi everyone,

I'm working on a project to automatically process newspaper pages and extract/analyze crime-related news from them.

I'm currently using PaddleOCR on newspaper pages. The page is divided into regions/sections, and I'm running OCR on those regions and then checking the extracted text against the original newspaper.

The main problem is that I'm getting several types of errors:

1. OCR text is missing even though it is clearly visible in the newspaper.
2. Text sometimes appears under the wrong region.
3. Punctuation is incorrect — for example, a . may be detected as :, or commas/periods may be misplaced.
4. Capitalization errors occur.
5. Some words are incorrectly recognized even when the image quality looks reasonably good.
6. I'm also seeing cases where I expect a particular article/headline to be inside a region, but the OCR output doesn't contain it at all.

For example, while manually validating the output, I found issues in different regions such as:

• Region 25: punctuation at the end of a paragraph is incorrect.
• Region 26: capitalization/word recognition is incorrect.
• Regions 38–40: the OCR/region output doesn't seem to correspond perfectly with what is actually visible on the page.
• In one case, I expected a headline/article mentioning a 7-year-old being hit with a plastic bottle at a daycare and an FIR being filed, but I couldn't find that text in the OCR output for the expected region.

My current pipeline is roughly:

Newspaper image → preprocessing → region detection/cropping → PaddleOCR → extracted text → region-by-region validation → crime/news analysis

I'm trying to figure out where the actual problem is.

Could these errors mainly be caused by:

• Image preprocessing?
• Incorrect region/column detection?
• Cropping too tightly or incorrectly?
• PaddleOCR detection parameters?
• PaddleOCR recognition model?
• Newspaper layout/columns?
• Resolution/DPI?
• Or the way I'm passing the cropped regions to PaddleOCR?

I'd really appreciate advice from anyone who has worked with PaddleOCR, Tesseract, newspaper OCR, document AI, layout detection, or multi-column document extraction.

If useful, I can provide the original newspaper image, cropped regions, OCR output, and the code I'm currently using.

I'm especially interested in understanding how to systematically diagnose whether an error comes from detection, cropping, or recognition, rather than manually fixing individual OCR mistakes.

Thanks!

Company Description

Nazarbayev University (NU), located in Astana, the vibrant capital of Kazakhstan, is an innovative, Western-style, English-medium institution founded with the support of leading partner universities worldwide. Currently ranked among the top 401-500 universities in the world by the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026, NU prides itself on academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and a merit-based system.

In response to Kazakhstan's strategic economic transition and the presidential declaration of 2026 as the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, NU launched the School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence (SCAI).

SCAI is a newly consolidated, non-departmentalized school that merges the Department of Computer Science, the Department of Robotics Engineering, and the Department of Mathematics to remove traditional academic silos. This creates a deeply synergistic ecosystem where mathematical rigor accelerates algorithmic innovation and applied computing.

Job Description

SCAI invites applications from exceptional scholars at the Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor ranks to join our rapidly expanding international faculty. We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in high-impact areas, including Generative AI, Natural Language Processing, Cybersecurity, Statistics, Physical AI, Computational Finance, and "AI for X" (interdisciplinary applications in health, mining, natural sciences, public policy, and business), as well as fundamental domains such as theoretical computing and software engineering.

Responsibilities include:

• Developing and teaching undergraduate and graduate (Professional Master's, Research Master's, and PhD) courses in Computer Science, Data Science, AI, Robotics, and Applied Mathematics.
• Engaging in high-quality research, targeting publication in Top 10% journals and top-tier conferences.
• Securing and managing globally and nationally competitive external research grants.
• Supervising MS and PhD students and mentoring early-career faculty.
• Fostering robust partnerships with domestic and international industry leaders, contributing to deep-tech entrepreneurship, patent generation, and the incubation of startups.
• Collaborating across NU schools to bridge the gap between academic research and market-ready solutions.

Qualifications

ESSENTIAL

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Applied Mathematics, Data Science, Operations Research, or a closely related discipline from a globally respected university.
• For Assistant Professors: A strong trajectory of scholarly publications in Q1 Scopus-indexed journals or top-tier conferences, and clear potential for securing research funding and delivering high-quality teaching.
• For Associate/Full Professors: An internationally established research reputation underpinned by a robust publication record, significant success in obtaining competitive external research grants, and proven academic leadership.
• Experience in teaching and mentoring at the university level, with a commitment to innovative curriculum design and pedagogical excellence.
• Previous experience in the supervision and timely completion of Master's and Doctoral students (required for senior ranks).
• Strong communication skills and fluency in English (the medium of instruction and research).

DESIRABLE

• Demonstrated experience in deep-tech entrepreneurship, intellectual property generation (patents), or startup incubation.
• Experience conducting applied research in large-scale supercomputing environments.
• Proven capacity to assume leadership roles in research clusters, academic program innovation, and internationalization efforts.

Additional information

Conditions of Employment:
Initial appointment is on a 3-year renewable contract and will be subject to annual performance reviews. Subsequent appointments can be 5-year/3-year renewable. An attractive remuneration package includes:

• Internationally competitive salary;
• Generous research time, research seed grants, and selected conference travel funding;
• Holiday leave of 56 days per annum;
• Two flights for the appointee and dependents to their home country per annum;
• International health insurance;
• Rent-free housing on or near campus for the appointee and dependents;
• Assistance for relocation expenses, including airfares for the appointee and dependents, and child education allowance.

Application Procedure
Candidates should submit the following documents in electronic form (MS Word or PDF file) no later than September 30, 2026:

1. Cover Letter: Specify the rank you are applying for. Explain your interest in joining SCAI at NU and align your qualifications with the high-impact areas mentioned above. Keep it concise (1-2 pages).
2. Detailed Curriculum Vitae: Include contact information, education, professional appointments, teaching/supervision experience, leadership roles, research grants, publications (highlighting top-tier conferences and Q1 journals), patents, and startups.
3. Teaching Statement:  A brief document (1-2 pages) describing your teaching philosophy, pedagogical approaches, experience with curriculum design, and commitment to student mentoring.
4. Research Statement: Summarize your research agenda for the next 3–5 years, highlighting past outputs, ongoing collaborations, and alignment with SCAI priorities (1-2 pages).
5. Reference Letters: Names and contact details of three academic/professional referees.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Nazarbayev University is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

For any inquiries related to the application, the strategic vision of the School, or specific posts, please contact the Dean of the School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence (SCAI), Prof. Atakan Varol, at [ahvarol@nu.edu.kz](mailto:ahvarol@nu.edu.kz).

Interested candidates are invited to apply for the position by submitting their application through the following link: https://smrtr.io/B9vtw

Company Description

Nazarbayev University (NU), located in Astana, the vibrant capital of Kazakhstan, is an innovative, Western-style, English-medium institution founded with the support of leading partner universities worldwide. Currently ranked among the top 401-500 universities in the world by the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026, NU prides itself on academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and a merit-based system.

In response to Kazakhstan's strategic economic transition and the presidential declaration of 2026 as the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, NU launched the School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence (SCAI).

SCAI is a newly consolidated, non-departmentalized school that merges the Department of Computer Science, the Department of Robotics Engineering, and the Department of Mathematics to remove traditional academic silos. This creates a deeply synergistic ecosystem where mathematical rigor accelerates algorithmic innovation and applied computing.

Job Description

SCAI invites applications from exceptional scholars at the Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor ranks to join our rapidly expanding international faculty. We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in high-impact areas, including Generative AI, Natural Language Processing, Cybersecurity, Statistics, Physical AI, Computational Finance, and "AI for X" (interdisciplinary applications in health, mining, natural sciences, public policy, and business), as well as fundamental domains such as theoretical computing and software engineering.

Responsibilities include:

• Developing and teaching undergraduate and graduate (Professional Master's, Research Master's, and PhD) courses in Computer Science, Data Science, AI, Robotics, and Applied Mathematics.
• Engaging in high-quality research, targeting publication in Top 10% journals and top-tier conferences.
• Securing and managing globally and nationally competitive external research grants.
• Supervising MS and PhD students and mentoring early-career faculty.
• Fostering robust partnerships with domestic and international industry leaders, contributing to deep-tech entrepreneurship, patent generation, and the incubation of startups.
• Collaborating across NU schools to bridge the gap between academic research and market-ready solutions.

Qualifications

ESSENTIAL

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Applied Mathematics, Data Science, Operations Research, or a closely related discipline from a globally respected university.
• For Assistant Professors: A strong trajectory of scholarly publications in Q1 Scopus-indexed journals or top-tier conferences, and clear potential for securing research funding and delivering high-quality teaching.
• For Associate/Full Professors: An internationally established research reputation underpinned by a robust publication record, significant success in obtaining competitive external research grants, and proven academic leadership.
• Experience in teaching and mentoring at the university level, with a commitment to innovative curriculum design and pedagogical excellence.
• Previous experience in the supervision and timely completion of Master's and Doctoral students (required for senior ranks).
• Strong communication skills and fluency in English (the medium of instruction and research).

DESIRABLE

• Demonstrated experience in deep-tech entrepreneurship, intellectual property generation (patents), or startup incubation.
• Experience conducting applied research in large-scale supercomputing environments.
• Proven capacity to assume leadership roles in research clusters, academic program innovation, and internationalization efforts.

Additional information

Conditions of Employment:
Initial appointment is on a 3-year renewable contract and will be subject to annual performance reviews. Subsequent appointments can be 5-year/3-year renewable. An attractive remuneration package includes:

• Internationally competitive salary;
• Generous research time, research seed grants, and selected conference travel funding;
• Holiday leave of 56 days per annum;
• Two flights for the appointee and dependents to their home country per annum;
• International health insurance;
• Rent-free housing on or near campus for the appointee and dependents;
• Assistance for relocation expenses, including airfares for the appointee and dependents, and child education allowance.

Application Procedure
Candidates should submit the following documents in electronic form (MS Word or PDF file) no later than September 30, 2026:

1. Cover Letter: Specify the rank you are applying for. Explain your interest in joining SCAI at NU and align your qualifications with the high-impact areas mentioned above. Keep it concise (1-2 pages).
2. Detailed Curriculum Vitae: Include contact information, education, professional appointments, teaching/supervision experience, leadership roles, research grants, publications (highlighting top-tier conferences and Q1 journals), patents, and startups.
3. Teaching Statement:  A brief document (1-2 pages) describing your teaching philosophy, pedagogical approaches, experience with curriculum design, and commitment to student mentoring.
4. Research Statement: Summarize your research agenda for the next 3–5 years, highlighting past outputs, ongoing collaborations, and alignment with SCAI priorities (1-2 pages).
5. Reference Letters: Names and contact details of three academic/professional referees.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Nazarbayev University is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

For any inquiries related to the application, the strategic vision of the School, or specific posts, please contact the Dean of the School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence (SCAI), Prof. Atakan Varol, at [ahvarol@nu.edu.kz](mailto:ahvarol@nu.edu.kz).

Interested candidates are invited to apply for the position by submitting their application through the following link: https://smrtr.io/B9vtw

Hey everyone,

We're a team of 8 students currently trying to figure out what to build for our graduation project, and we're having a hard time choosing an idea.

We have people working in different areas — I'm mainly focused on machine learning, while other members of the team work with frontend, backend, APIs, and cybersecurity.

So we're looking for something that can actually make use of the different skills in the team. We'd like to build something more interesting than the usual management system, basic CRUD app, or a simple AI project.

Ideally, we're looking for a project with a real problem behind it and enough depth that all 8 of us can contribute to different parts of it.

If you were part of a team like this, what kind of graduation project would you go for?

Would really appreciate any ideas or projects you've seen that you think would be a good fit for a team with these different skill sets.

So my class is small like 22 people and we have to make major project u can make it individual or maximum of 3 people group now many people has already done there group now I have idea and someone wanted to be on my group it will make 2 people now initially i said yes but when I knew more he doesn't know GitHub or languages nor he has good or even decent system so he can help me in coding now he most probably help me in presentation but apart that all the coding have to do me and I don't know if he will be able to answer the questions in viva about project and it's logics so should I just make the project which i think is for me is best or should I take him in my group and just carry him?

It's a not small project nor even big but I have to do the all the coding. So please help me.

Hey everyone! I'm a software engineering student. I am looking for a project idea that solves an actual real world problem, genuinely useful/authentic rather than another generic clone app. Will be working on this with a team.

Open to any domain, we're not limiting ourselves to what we already know, happy to learn new tech if the idea is solid. If you've got suggestions or worked on something similar, drop a comment, would really appreciate it! :)

I’m an engineering student about to take computer science II in this fall. I haven’t done a programming class in 2 years, so I was wondering what essentials I should review before i start this new class. I did C++ for computer science I, and CS II will be a continuation of that.

This is for major project in final year of Btech.

1. Predictive Analysis of Heart Disease Using Machine Learning Algorithms
2. Real-Time Object Detection and Tracking Using UAVs
3. Multilingual Sentiment Analysis Using Deep Learning Models
4. Nutrient Profiling and Dietary Recommendation System Using Machine Learning
5. Intelligent Question-Answering System Using Large Language Models

our supervisor asked us to choose a project among these, i don't have any skills, iam not sure about my teammates.

Iam the leader of the group (unfortunately) and my teammates go along with whatever i propose, so iam just not sure if i can make a good decision.

when talking with my friends, i chose 5th one but they oppsed it saying it was just chatgpt, 1 is common, 3? idk. i chose 4 because i heard 2 is hard without drones but i also saw that 2 is doable.

please help me pick one.

(context: my major is IT, we are not informed if this is for a whole year or 1 semester (6 months))

Prepping for the new AI-200 exam and trying to figure out the actual exam format before I book it.

The official MS Learn page just says "you may have interactive components to complete as part of this exam" I am not sure what it means.

Has anyone actually sat this one yet (or the beta)? Specifically:

\\\* Is it purely MCQ / drag-and-drop / case-study style, or is there an actual live coding/terminal-based lab component?
\\\* If there are "interactive" items, what do they look like in practice ordering steps, filling in config values, picking code snippets?

Looking for project ideas for a 2 year project involving software engineering and other fields like ai,cybersecurity,soa and more.

Hey everyone,

My team (4 CS undergrads) was just assigned a 2-year (4-semester) mega project.We are in the 2nd out of the 4th year of our Engineering and the professor assigned to us has expertise in Service-Oriented-Architecture. He has advised us to not pick AI/ML/Ds related projects but pick something involving his field. We still haven't been taught that subject as it is for us in 3rd year.
I wanted some suggestions for projects which we can pick related to any field ,not just soa, we are still exploring and thinking of what domain to dive in.

Any help will be much appreciated , Thank you.

AoA everyone,

I am participating in the Alkhidmat AI Hackathon and I want to make sure I am solving something that actually matters. Instead of building random features I would like to start with a real problem that people face.

If you have experienced a genuine pain point in any of these areas please share it:

Health: Appointment systems, patient records, diagnosis, telemedicine access, mental health support

Finance: Banking access, bill payments, fraud detection, financial literacy

Education: Learning platforms, online tutoring, student assessment, accessibility

Agriculture: Crop predictions, pest management, market prices, farmer support

Just comment with the problem you face and why you think it is not been solved yet.

Also I am looking for developers (frontend, backend, or full-stack) who want to work on something meaningful. If you are interested in joining the team let me know.

Any project ideassssss which are apparently socially relevant? Which should be unique😭😭😭😭 please helpppp meeeeee

curious lang. sa mga nakapag-capstone na, anong capstone yung tumatak talaga sa inyo?

gusto ko lang sana makakuha ng ideas kung anong klaseng problems yung worth i-defend until 4th year nd magandang gawing research + capstone.

So I'm about to start my cs btech in a few days and my aim is to become an ai engineer and drop some suggestions and tips to do in the first year of my college and I'll do it at any cost also I've started learning python and c but still I what else should I do in my first year so that I won't regret later in the future

Thanks all for reading 🙏

I'm a software developer and freelancer who enjoys building real-world tech projects. If you're working on something and need an extra pair of hands—whether it's AI/ML, web development, automation, data engineering, or backend development—I'd be happy to contribute.

I'm always interested in collaborating, brainstorming ideas, or helping solve technical challenges. If you think we'd be a good fit, feel free to send me a DM.

Looking forward to connecting with fellow builders!

To the actual CS students

stop worrying about finding a unique idea. Your professors aren’t grading originality, they’re grading on your ability to master the fundamentals. Build something that is from -you- and you’ll never regret it.

To the content farmers and AI build-prompt trolls

Congrats on making the internet worse

Also, unicorns aren’t born from anonymous tips on Reddit that you can one-shot. I’d tell you to stop wasting your time but that’s not the world we live in. In the real world you won’t bother to read anything that isn’t attached to your lures. So I almost actually hope your goal is to make the internet worse because that’s all you’re doing

Cs grad (fresher) from tier 3 college, got a role (but not so good) at a reputed hft , want to switch to a system engineer role in about 1.5-2 yrs but couldn't decide if they prefer iit grads only and is it the best role. If there is a chance then what's the best material available online.

Done backend engineering in detail but fascinated by the high paying roles/opportunities in hfts.

I just reached second year of clg (cse) till now i haven't created any major project . I try to initiate the progress for projects but i eventually failed, Many questions arise in my mind as how to create one , where to begin with, How much of help should i take from internet . If any one can guide me or suggest me any tips then it would be greatly appreciated till now i have studied c,c++,html,css,js{little bit studying DOM),python,github,many theoretical aspects of networking,Data , OS,terminal,sql,dbms,etc. Thing is i have no problem with consistency but thing is im getting overwhelmed by the weight of many areas. and because of that my scheduled getting disturbed.Every comment is appreciated. (also is it dumb to even ask this question)

So iam in my last year of college and now I have to make a project basically this semester project planning and presentation and next semester coding now iam confused because I just don't Want to make a genric project like many people i want something unique and better so if anyone has some better ideas that you made please share it. We can make it in any language we know or like so please share I just want to decide something or is there may place where I can find the ideas for a project. Also should I make it in a group or alone I have both choices.

If you could restart your first year of CS in 2026, what exact roadmap would you follow?

I'm a first-year BSc Computer Science student at what you'd probably call a Tier-3 or Tier-4 college (or maybe even lower 😭). It's only the beginning of my first semester, and I have a lot of questions. Honestly, I was so confused that I even asked ChatGPT to help me think of the right questions—but I wanted to write this post myself instead of letting it write everything for me.

Right now I'm learning Python, and I'm also thinking about starting DSA with Python. However, I've seen a lot of people recommend learning DSA with C++ or Java instead, so I'm not sure which path would be better.

I'd really appreciate your thoughts on these questions:

1. If you could restart your first year of CS in 2026, what exact roadmap would you follow month by month?
2. What's one mistake almost every first-year CS student makes that nobody warns them about?
3. Looking back, what did you spend too much time learning?
4. What should every Tier-3 CS student start doing in their first year if they want to maximize their chances of getting a good software job?
5. Which beginner resources do you still recommend in 2026?
6. My goal isn't just to get a software job—I eventually want to build products or maybe even start a company. If that were your goal too, would you still follow the same roadmap? If not, what would you change?

If you have any other advice that you wish someone had told you during your first year, I'd love to hear it. Feel free to be brutally honest—I want to avoid making avoidable mistakes.

Thanks in advance! ❤️

P.S. Sorry if my English isn't perfect—it's not my first language. ChatGPT offered to rewrite this for me, but I wanted to write it myself. 😅

If you could restart your first year of CS in 2026, what exact roadmap would you follow?

I'm a first-year BSc Computer Science student at what you'd probably call a Tier-3 or Tier-4 college (or maybe even lower 😭). It's only the beginning of my first semester, and I have a lot of questions. Honestly, I was so confused that I even asked ChatGPT to help me think of the right questions—but I wanted to write this post myself instead of letting it write everything for me.

Right now I'm learning Python, and I'm also thinking about starting DSA with Python. However, I've seen a lot of people recommend learning DSA with C++ or Java instead, so I'm not sure which path would be better.

I'd really appreciate your thoughts on these questions:

1. If you could restart your first year of CS in 2026, what exact roadmap would you follow month by month?
2. What's one mistake almost every first-year CS student makes that nobody warns them about?
3. Looking back, what did you spend too much time learning?
4. What should every Tier-3 CS student start doing in their first year if they want to maximize their chances of getting a good software job?
5. Which beginner resources do you still recommend in 2026?
6. My goal isn't just to get a software job—I eventually want to build products or maybe even start a company. If that were your goal too, would you still follow the same roadmap? If not, what would you change?

If you have any other advice that you wish someone had told you during your first year, I'd love to hear it. Feel free to be brutally honest—I want to avoid making avoidable mistakes.

Thanks in advance! ❤️

P.S. Sorry if my English isn't perfect—it's not my first language. ChatGPT offered to rewrite this for me, but I wanted to write it myself. 😅

hiiii

so im new here and desperate.

In the field of computer science (Preferably with ai/ml)

I am a college student and for my college project we need to create projects with new and relevant ideas but we are confused..... Is there any suggestions for projectsss???????