The 8th Summer School on Ontology Engineering and the Semantic Web (SSSW'11)

Approach

From the very beginning the school pioneered an innovative pedagogical approach, combining the practical with the theoretical, and adding teamwork and a competitive element to the mix. Specifically, tutorial/lecture material is augmented with hands-on practical workshops and we ensure that the sessions complement each other by linking them to a group project. 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 practical sessions. It also introduces an element of competition among teams, as prizes are awarded to the best projects at the end of the week. Participants will be provided with electronic versions of all course lectures and all necessary tools and environments for the hands-on sessions. PC access with all tools pre-installed will be available on site as well. SSSW11 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 communication and feedback all attendees will present a poster on their research.

Topics

• Knowledge Representation
• Ontology Design
• Design Patterns
• HCI and Ontology Engineering
• Ontology Matching and Alignment
• Linked Open Data
• Web Science
• Semantic and Language Technologies for Knowledge Management
• Devices and Ubiquitous Computing
• Semantic Search
• Trust and Provenance
• E-commerce and E-business
• Personal Information Management
• Social Semantics
• Semantic Web Applications

Students

We welcome applicants from anywhere in the world. Some basic acquaintance with knowledge representation and Semantic Web technologies (RDF, OWL, etc.) is required.

The deadline for applications was 31 March 2011. Applications are now closed.

The cost of the summer school, including accomodation, meals and excursions is 800€

Students should keep in mind that we will not consider applications from students or applicants who cannot commit themselves to a full participation for the whole duration of the school - i.e., it is a requirement for acceptance that applicants commit i) to arrive at the school on 10 july, ii) to participate in all activities of the school during the week, and iii) to leave not earlier than 1pm on saturday, 16 july.

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 trip and a gala dinner in a beautiful Spanish city, walks in the mountain, discos, and sport activities.

Grants

Talis are proud to be sponsoring the 8th European summer School on Ontological Engineering and the Semantic Web (SSSW 2011) . This sponsorship also includes a grant to be assigned to a student who satisfies the eligibility criteria but who would have difficulty covering the costs. In return for this grant Talis will expect a series of short reports that are suitable for publication in both the Nodalities blog and magazine, discussing the experiences at the Summer School. To apply for this sponsorship please tick the relevant box in the application form, stating that you are interested in this support. We also plan to be sending someone from Talis to participate as a student as well, who will also be applying in exactly the same way.