The European Summer School on Artificial Intelligence Key Dates & Details
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Event Name | ESSAI 2026 – European Summer School on Artificial Intelligence |
| Special Component | 2nd International Summer School on Bilateral AI |
| Dates | 6–10 July 2026 |
| Location | Vienna, Austria |
| Opportunity Type | Call for Course Proposals (Introductory & Advanced Courses) |
| Target Audience | AI researchers, academics, doctoral students |
| Expected Participants | ~400 students |
| Deadline for Course Proposals | 3 December 2025 (AoE) |
| Notification of Acceptance | 21 January 2026 |
| Submission System | CMT (link provided by organizers) |
| Contact | [email protected] |
Table of Contents
1. Overview
The European Summer School on Artificial Intelligence (ESSAI) is Europe’s leading platform for advanced AI education and research collaboration.
ESSAI brings together leading researchers and hundreds of students from across Europe and the world to deepen their knowledge of Artificial Intelligence, exchange ideas, explore emerging research areas, and engage in interdisciplinary discussions.
ESSAI 2026 will also host the 2nd International Summer School on Bilateral AI, combining symbolic and sub-symbolic AI perspectives—reflecting major research priorities in Vienna and Austria.
Its thematic scope covers all major AI subdisciplines, similar to top-tier conferences such as ECAI, IJCAI, and AAAI.
2. Location
ESSAI 2026 will be held in Vienna, Austria—a global hub of scientific innovation, culture, and academic excellence. Vienna is home to renowned universities, research centers, and the historical legacy of thinkers such as Gödel, Schrödinger, Meitner, Wittgenstein, and Freud.
Participants will enjoy:
- World-class academic environment
- Exceptional quality of life
- Rich culture, museums, and architecture
- Historic cafés and vibrant student communities
3. Invitation to Submit Course Proposals
ESSAI welcomes leading AI researchers to submit course proposals for:
- Introductory Courses
- Advanced Courses
Selected lecturers will join ESSAI’s academic programme and participate in the social and networking events during the summer school.
With approximately 400 students attending parallel tracks, ESSAI provides a unique setting for:
- Teaching motivated students
- Showcasing contemporary AI knowledge
- Engaging in interdisciplinary dialogue
- Shaping the next generation of AI researchers
4. Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Course Proposal Deadline | 3 December 2025 (AoE) |
| Notification of Acceptance | 21 January 2026 |
| Summer School Dates | 6–10 July 2026 |
5. Topics
ESSAI invites course proposals on all areas of Artificial Intelligence, including but not limited to:
- Autonomous Agents & MAS
- AI for Social Good
- Causality & Causal Learning
- Computer Vision
- NLP
- Machine Learning
- Neural Networks
- Robotics
- Reinforcement Learning
- Knowledge Representation & Reasoning
- Safe, Trustworthy & Explainable AI
- Quantum Machine Learning
- Search & Optimization
- Uncertainty in AI
- Human-in-the-Loop AI
- Foundation Models
- Neuro-Symbolic AI
Special Themes for ESSAI 2026
- Bilateral AI
Foundations for broad AI systems combining symbolic and sub-symbolic approaches. - Digital Humanism
Exploring interactions between digital technologies and human societies.
These align with major Austrian research priorities, including the Bilateral AI Cluster of Excellence and the Digital Humanism initiative.
6. Course Categories
Introductory Courses
Designed for students and researchers new to a specific AI area.
Focus: foundational understanding, motivation, techniques, interdisciplinary accessibility.
Advanced Courses
Targeted at graduate-level students.
Focus: cutting-edge research, broader interdisciplinary perspective, up-to-date methodologies.
Each course consists of:
- 4 lectures (90 minutes each) = 6 hours teaching total
- One lecture per day
- Alternative formats possible if well justified
Course proposals will be reviewed by a diverse Program Committee representing all AI research areas.
7. Submission Instructions
Course proposals must be submitted through the CMT system and must include:
A) Abstract (≈150 words)
For the Program Committee.
B) A single PDF document containing:
1. Contact Information
- Names
- Affiliations
- Email addresses
- Websites
2. Course Content (up to 2 pages)
- Course title and category (Introductory/Advanced)
- Motivation and detailed course description
- Tentative outline of the 4×90-minute sessions
- Teaching concept & material distribution
- Expected student level & prerequisites
- Target audience & interdisciplinary relevance
- Previous venues where course was taught (if applicable)
3. Supporting Material
- Relevant references
- Links to slides (if available)
4. About the Proposer(s)
- Short CV(s)
- Evidence of strong teaching performance
- Explanation of lecturer roles (if >2 instructors)
8. Participation
All accepted lecturers are expected to teach in person.
Support offered:
- Registration fee waived
- Partial reimbursement of travel/accommodation (where possible)
- One lecturer per course typically funded
Voluntary contribution of lecturers helps maintain affordable student fees.
9. Organization & Acknowledgement
ESSAI 2026 organizers maintain a dedicated webpage for updates and organizational details.
The peer-reviewing process is supported by Microsoft CMT, which provides infrastructure and cloud resources at no cost, including Azure services, software development, and technical support.
For a list of possible topics, please visit: https://essai2026.eu/teaching.php
