Interactive Knowledge Stack (IKS) is a european project whose objectives are focused on building an open and flexible technology platform for semantically enhanced Content Management Systems (CMS). It encompasses a number of different Open Source initiatives, all focussed on Semantic CMS technologies.

IKS is building technologies and systems that are part of the general toolkit of semantic web practitioners. The project takes a fundamentally open source approach to these developments, engaging with both CMS developers and semantic web developers in community driven development.

We are therefore very pleased that members of the IKS projects have decided to invest in the SSSW 2012, as the premier event for advanced training on semantic web and ontology-based technologies and methodologies. Elements of IKS technology have been used in tutorials and hands-on sessions already in the last edition of the summer school, and students will be given even more opportunities this year to learn about, use and extend the advanced set of tools that the IKS stack provides.

A part of the IKS sponsorship will also be dedicated to providing a student grant, therefore enabling one student who might not have the necessary funding to attend the summer school to be part of this great event. Applications for the summer school will be open in less than a week now, so if you would require such a grant to attend, please make sure to tick the corresponding box in the application form.

8-14 July, 2012, Cercedilla, near Madrid, Spain.

http://sssw.org/2012

The groundbreaking SSSW series of summer schools started in 2003. It is now a well-establish event within the research community and a role model for several other initiatives. Presented by leading researchers in the field, it represents an opportunity for both students and practitioners to equip themselves with the range of theoretical, practical, and collaboration skills necessary for full engagement with the challenges involved in developing Ontologies and Semantic Web applications. To ensure a high ratio between tutors and students the school will be limited to 50 participants. Applications for the summer school will open on the 30th January 2012 and will close by the 31st March 2012.

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. SSSW 2011 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
Web of Data
Semantic Web Applications
HCI and Ontology Engineering
Ontology Matching and Alignment
Semantic and Language Technologies
Knowledge Management
Web Science
Semantic Search
Trust and Provenance
Personal Information Management
Social Semantic Web

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Mathieu d’Aquin (Director), m.daquin@open.ac.uk
Oscar Corcho (Co-Director), ocorcho@fi.upm.es
Enrico Motta (Founder), e.motta@open.ac.uk
Asun Gomez-Perez (Co-Founder), asun@fi.upm.es

INVITED SPEAKERS AND TUTORS (PROVISIONAL)

Mathieu d’Aquin (The Open University, UK)
Sean Bechhofer (University of Manchester, UK)
Fabio Ciravegna (University of Sheffield, UK)
Oscar Corcho (UPM, Spain)
Jérôme Euzenat (INRIA and LIG, France)
Aldo Gangemi (ISTC-CNR, Italy)
Asun Gomez-Perez (UPM, Spain)
Tom Heath (Talis, UK)
Enrico Motta (The Open University, UK)
Valentina Presutti (ISTC-CNR, Italy)

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 technologies. Some basic acquaintance with knowledge representation languages for the Semantic Web (RDF, OWL, etc.) is required.

The deadline for applications is 31 March 2012.

Accepted candidates are expected to arrive on Sunday, July 8th, between 3pm and 6pm and to participate fully in the activities of the school until its conclusion, at 2pm on Saturday, July 14th. 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 outside Cercedilla, walks in the mountain, discos, 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

Cercedilla is a small village in the mountains near Madrid. The school will be held in the Residence of the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid. The Residence has a range of facilities to make your stay more pleasant including en suite bathrooms and nearby activities like a swimming pool, bars and restaurants in the village.

The nearest airport is Madrid-Barajas.
Participants will be able to use local rail links from Madrid to Cercedilla.

More information about how to reach Cercedilla can be found at http://sssw.org/2012/venue-details/
The cost of the summer school, including accommodation, meals and excursion will be 900€.