Call for Participation (apologies for multiple copies) -- SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT AND FINAL LIST OF LECTURERS --

----------------------------------------------------------------------- MESS 2018 - Metaheuristics Summer School - from Design to Implementation - 21-25 July 2018, Taormina, Italy

https://www.ANTs-lab.it/mess2018/ mess.school@ANTs-lab.it -----------------------------------------------------------------------

** APPLICATION DEADLINE: 15th April 2018 **

MESS 2018 is aimed at qualified and strongly motivated MSc and PhD students; post-docs; young researchers, and both academic and industrial professionals to provide an overview on the several metaheuristics techniques, and an in-depth analysis of the state-of-the-art. As first edition, MESS 2018 wants to analyze all metaheuristics from its designing to its implementation. In particular, in MESS 2018 will be analyzed modern heuristic methods for search and optimization problems, as well as the classical exact optimization methods, seen also in the metaheuristics context.

All participants will have plenty of opportunities for debate and work with leaders in the field, benefiting from direct interaction and discussions in a stimulating environment. They will also have the possibility to present their recently results and/or their working in progress through oral or poster presentations, and interact with their scientific peers, in a friendly and constructive environment.

** Confirmed Speakers

+ Christian Blum, IIIA-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain

+ Juergen Branke, Warwick Business School, UK

+ Salvatore Greco, University of Catania, Italy & University of Portsmouth, UK

+ Yaochu Jin, University of Surrey, UK

+ Gunther Raidl, Technische Universitat Wien, Austria

+ Helena Ramalhinho Lourenco, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain

+ Mauricio Resende, AMAZON, USA

+ Celso Ribeiro, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil

+ Andrea Schaerf, University of Udine, Italy

+ Fabio Schoen, Unviersity of Florence, Italy

+ El-Ghazali Talbi, University of Lille 1, France

+ Daniele Vigo, University of Bologna, Italy

** Short Talk and Poster Presentation

All participants may submit an abstract of their recent results, or works in progress, for presentation and having the opportunities for debate and interact with leaders in the field. Mini-Workshop Organizers and Scientific Committee will review the abstracts and will recommend for the format of the presentation (oral or poster). All abstracts will be published on the electronic hands-out book of the summer school.

The Abstracts must be submitted by *April 15, 2018*.

** Metaheuristics Competition

All students of the school will be invited to the ?Metaheuristics Competition?, where each of them, divided in working groups, will develop a metaheuristic solution on a given problem.

** Certificate: Participants will be delivered a certificate of attendance indicating the number of hours of lectures.

** School Directors

+ Salvatore Greco, University of Catania, Italy + Panos Pardalos, University of Florida, USA + Mario Pavone, University of Catania, Italy + El-Ghazali Talbi, University of Lille 1, France + Daniele Vigo, University of Bologna, Italy

** Oral & Poster Presentation Organizers

+ Luca Di Gaspero, Unviersity of Udine, Italy + Paola Festa, University of Naples "Federico II", Italy

** Metaheuristics Competition Chair

+ Raffaele Cerulli, University of Salerno, Italy

** More Information:

https://www.ANTs-lab.it/mess2018/ -- mess.school@ANTs-lab.it Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MetaheuristicsSchool/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MESS_school