Saverio Bolognani
Senior Scientist at ETH Zurich
NCCR AUtomation special sessions
NCCR Automation Retreat - 3 September 2026
IMPACT
- ...
- Reputation
- Visibility
- Creating new communities
- ...
How does it happen?
Special sessions at conferences
Tutorials
Audience
Researchers that approach the topic for the first time
Format
Longer presentations
Guided learning
Review of literature
Topic
Good level of maturity
Solid literature
Yet not obvious
WORKSHOPS
Audience
Researchers that are active on that topic
Format
Structured presentation
Shorter talks
Collaborative work
Topic
Emerging topics
New ideas that are getting some momentum
invited sessions
Audience
Conference attendees
Active researchers
Format
Standard presentations
Series of contributions
Reviewed separately
Topic
Emerging topics
Multidisciplinary theme
Specialized
CDC2027 workshops
Who is attending a pre-CDC workshop?
Why attending a workshop at all?
Why that one?
-
Clear theme
-
Novelty / originality
- Bring communities together
- complementary views
- multidisciplinary group
- Diverse group
- multiple affiliations
- Secret sauce!
- special guest!
- prestigious industry people
- interactive setup
- panel
- ...
recipe
1
PI pitches
listen to some ideas for special session topics
2
Pick & split
one that interests you and form groups
3
Refine the theme, make it unique and catchy, choose a venue
5
Write a draft of the proposal (following the conference guidelines)
4
Fill the details
List of participants, program, activities
- Fine-Tuning Imitation Policies with RL: Problems, Advances, Open Questions
- Diffusion in Control: From Learned Policies to Model-Based Trajectory Optimization
- Optimization of on-demand transport systems
- Optimization of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for monitoring and logistics
-
New Advances in Decision-Making and Control for Mobility Systems: Game-theoretic methods/Learning-based methods/Probabilistic methods
- Meta-Learning for Dynamical Systems Modeling: Algorithms, Applications, and Frontiers
- Autonomous Modeling and Control with Agentic AI
- Online Optimization
- How Will AI Change Our Field, and How Should We Train the Next Generation of Researchers?
-
Algorithmic robustness in agentic AI
-
Junior retreat
1. PI PITCHES
until 11:30
Remember who is presenting each topic
Everybody:
- Pick a topic that resonates with you because
- you could contribute
- you could co-organize
- you have a network/connections
- you are up-to-date on the literature
- you would attend it
- Move: form groups
- Cluster around the presenting PI
2. pick & split
- Quick round of introductions in each group
- Q&A about the topic to clarify
- Align expectations and brainstorm ideas
- Think of venues for the special session
3. REfine
https://bsaver.io/conferences
15 minutes
4. fill the details
https://bsaver.io/special-sessions-2027
until 12:20
Write a proposal following the venue guidelines.
- Continue the conversation with the group of organizers
- Get in touch with NCCR team if you need any support
- find guests
- advertise
- special resources
- proof reading / discussion
- Bring it to the finish line!
5. Write
NCCR Retreat - Special Sessions
By Saverio Bolognani
