News & Event Type: Event

From September 21–25, 2026, the Zuse School ELIZA will co-organize the IWR School 2026: AI for Science, hosted by the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing at Heidelberg University. This week-long program at Heidelberg’s Mathematikon brings together doctoral researchers and early-career scientists eager to bridge the conceptual and practical gap between artificial intelligence and scientific discovery.

The school is co-organized by Prof. Dr. Carsten Rother, Professor at Heidelberg University and ELIZA Fellow, whose research spans computer vision and machine learning. His direct involvement signals the school’s commitment to rigorous, research-driven pedagogy, not a passive introduction to AI tools, but an active encounter with their underlying principles.

The curriculum spans the frontiers of contemporary AI, generative models, agentic systems, simulation-based inference, vision-language frameworks, explainability, and causal reasoning, each explored through hands-on sessions designed for scientists working across physics, neuroscience, biology, medicine, and climate science.

Among the speakers is Prof. Dr. Lena Maier-Hein, ELIZA Fellow and leading researcher in AI-driven medical image analysis at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). Her work exemplifies how responsible, transparent AI can reshape scientific research without sacrificing epistemic rigor or ethical accountability.

Applications are open to PhD students from any scientific discipline

Registration deadline: June 15, 2026.
Location: Heidelberg, Germany — Mathematikon.
Dates: September 21–25, 2026.
👉 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/d9UimmE7

This significant gathering will bring together participants from all three Konrad Zuse Schools of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence: ELIZA (Darmstadt), SECAI (Dresden), and relAI (Munich). The event will feature prominent keynote speakers from academia and industry, interactive sessions focusing on collaborative AI research, and specialised tracks exploring the latest advances in machine learning methodologies and applications.

Participants will have the opportunity to present their research, receive feedback from peers and mentors, and establish cross-institutional partnerships. Panel discussions will address critical topics such as reasoning in AI. The event represents an important milestone in our joint efforts to advance AI education and research in Germany. As one of the DAAD-funded graduate schools dedicated to cultivating international AI talent at Master’s and PhD levels, ELIZA remains committed to fostering excellence and innovation through high-quality research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and international knowledge exchange.

More details about the programme, registration requirements, abstract submission deadlines, and confirmed speakers will be announced in the coming months on our website and social media channels.

The day began with structured discussions among the 20 participating students, covering various aspects of machine learning and artificial intelligence – from technical applications such as computer vision and natural language processing to ethical considerations including algorithmic bias and responsible AI development. The students exchanged perspectives on the future of AI in healthcare, environmental science, and autonomous systems, fostering a rich intellectual environment.

Following these discussions, participants embarked on a guided tour of the magnificent Heidelberg Castle, where they explored centuries of German history – from Renaissance architecture to royal intrigue and regional conflicts. The tour guide provided fascinating historical context about the castle’s significance in the Thirty Years’ War and its role in German cultural identity. Taking advantage of the festive season, participants then explored Heidelberg’s charming Christmas markets, sampling traditional German treats.

This thoughtfully designed event successfully combined academic networking with cultural immersion, creating lasting connections among participants.

The event in Darmstadt attracted approximately 120 participants, including 20 ELIZA students who showcased their cutting-edge research on topics ranging from generative AI and deep learning to reinforcement learning and computer vision.

The poster session provided an excellent platform for meaningful scientific exchange, with attendees engaging in detailed discussions about methodologies, experimental results, and potential applications of the presented research.

As part of the broader ELLIS Pre-NeurIPS Fest 2024, this Darmstadt session was one of many events organised by ELLIS sites across Europe in preparation for the prestigious NeurIPS conference – highlighting ELIZA’s commitment to promoting excellence in AI research and strengthening the European AI community.