Applications open: 30 January 2012, close: 31 March 2012
from the webpage:
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.
It may just be me but I never cared for conferences/meetings that were “near” major locations. Academic and professional meetings should be held at or near large international airports. People who want vacation junkets should become politicians.