Applications now open to attend SSSW 2016 - the 12tth Semantic Web Summer School

THE 12TH SEMANTIC WEB SUMMER SCHOOL - SSSW 2016
Bertinoro, near Bologna, Italy.
17th - 23rd July, 2016
http://sssw.org/2016, info@sssw16.org<mailto:info@sssw16.org>, Twitter: @sssw2016

Applications to attend SSSW 2016 are now open, and close in on 4 April 2016. To ensure a high ratio between tutors and students the school will be limited to 60 participants.

To apply, please follow the process described at http://sssw.org/2016/?page_id=16

The groundbreaking SSSW series of summer schools started in 2003. It is now a well-established event within the research community and a role model for several other initiatives. Taking place in the beautiful village of Bertinoro, Italy the programme of the summer school is centred on research and the open challenges facing the semantic web and the related technologies. It includes lectures, invited talks, practical research work and projects, led by a set of tutors comprising leading researchers in the community and prestigious invited speakers. SSSW also represents a unique opportunity for networking with research and industry leaders (including former students of the school), including of course, an exciting social programme in one of the most beautiful locations in Italy.

SSSW is located in the beautiful location of Bertinoro, a small village near Bologna in Italy, and relies on an extended organising committee, with Valentina Presutti from CNR, Mathieu d’Aquin from the Open University and Oscar Corcho from UPM. Since Semantic Web technologies and practices are now well established, the focus of the school is on research,  and on the open challenges that are being faced by the scientific community related to the Semantic Web. Keeping the “mixed” approach pioneered in the previous editions of SSSW, invited speeches and lectures by some of the greatest researchers in the area are complemented with “Research in Practice” sessions where key research questions are being investigated and collectively discussed.

Work on developing and presenting a project in cooperation with other participants serves as a means of consolidating the knowledge and skills gained from lectures and practice sessions. It also introduces an element of competition among teams, as prizes are awarded to the best projects at the end of the week. As a wide range of skills are required when working in this area, a “hackday” will also be organised during the week, as a break from the research focus where participants will be able to apply and show off their technical skills too.

SSSW 2016 will provide a stimulating and enjoyable environment in which participants will benefit not only from the formal and practical sessions but also from informal and social interactions with established researchers and the other participants to the school. To further facilitate interaction and exchange of ideas, a poster session will also take place, which will provide an opportunity for attendees to present and obtain feedback on their research.

TOPICS

(Linked) Data Workflows
Web Data Management
Knowledge Discovery
Knowledge Extraction
Sense-Making
Cognitive/Human Computing
Semantic Web Applications
Semantic Web Technologies
Semantic Web Research Methods

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Mathieu d'Aquin (Director), m.daquin@open.ac.uk<mailto:m.daquin@open.ac.uk>
Oscar Corcho (Co-Director), ocorcho@fi.upm.es<mailto:ocorcho@fi.upm.es>
Valentina Presutti (Co-Director), valentina.presutti@cnr.it<mailto:valentina.presutti@cnr.it>

Invited speakers and tutors include Frank van Harmelen, Aldo Gangemi, Maria Esther Vidal, Axel Polleres, Claudia D’Amato and more!

HOW TO APPLY

We welcome applicants from anywhere in the world. Normally, but not exclusively, applicants will be postgraduate students in relevant disciplines with some knowledge of semantic and web technologies. Some basic acquaintance with knowledge representation languages for the Semantic Web (RDF, OWL, etc.) is required.

The deadline for applications is the 4 April 2016. Please follow the instructions at http://sssw.org/2016/?page_id=16 to apply.

Accepted candidates are expected to arrive on Sunday, July 17th, between 3pm and 6pm and to participate fully in the activities of the school until its conclusion, at 2pm on Saturday, July 23rd. Applicants should keep in mind that we will not consider applications from students who cannot commit themselves to a full participation for the whole duration of the school. Students are also required to bring and present a  poster at the summer school, describing their own research.

Apart from activities directly related to lectures, the summer school schedule is rightly famous for its unrivalled social programme, which enables informal interaction between all participants to the school - i.e., students, tutors, invited speakers, school staff, etc. These events include a gala dinner, picnic at the swimming pool, a disco, and sport activities.

STUDENT GRANTS

We expect to provide a number of grants for students who would not otherwise be able to attend the school. More details about student grants will be published at a later date.

VENUE AND ACCOMMODATION

SSSW 2016 will be located at the University Residential Center located in the small medieval hilltop town of Bertinoro. This town is in Emilia Romagna, about 50km east of Bologna at an elevation of 230m above sea level. It can easily be reached by train and taxi from Bologna.

Bertinoro is picturesque, with many narrow streets and walkways winding around the central peak. Sessions of the summer school will be held in an archiepiscopal castle that has been converted by the University of Bologna into a modern conference centre with computing facilities and Internet access.  From the castle you can enjoy a beautiful vista that stretches from the Tuscan Apennines to the Adriatic coast and the Alps over the Po Valley.

More information about the location will be available at http://sssw.org/2016/?page_id=44

The cost of the summer school, including accommodation, meals and excursion will be 950€.

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