The SPECIES Summer School is looking for students interested in gaining evolutionary computation and general research work skills, networking with the school mentors and with other students and enjoying a nice stay by the Mediterranean!
NEWS!
Due to numerous requests, SPECIES will provide a limited number of travel bursaries to students attending the Summer School who (1) have worked or taken courses in Evolutionary Computation-related subjets and can provide (2) proof of expenses already incurred or a tentative budget and (3) a justification of need.
Please register (last places available!) using the form below and send us an email to info@species-society.org, including the documentation needed for points (1), (2) and (3), with the subject “TRAVEL BURSARY”.
1 girl + 1 girl free offer. Two women registering together can pay for one registration or, alternatively, two with a 50% discount each. See instructions in the form below.
Dates
August 26 (Tuesday) to 31 (Sunday), 2025.
Venue
The SPECIES Summer School will be held in the town of Moraira, a cute beach resort in the South-eastern coast of Spain.
Up to 16 students will be lodged in the La Marina Youth Hostel, where the sessions will also take place.
Mentors’ team
Anikó Ekárt — Aston University, UK
J. Ignacio (Iñaki) Hidalgo — Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
Leonardo Trujillo — Instituto Tecnológico de Tijuana, Mexico
Miguel Nicolau— University College Dublin, Ireland
Anna I Esparcia-Alcázar — SPECIES, Spain (Summer School Coordinator)
Tutorials
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (Leonardo)
- Ethics by design approach for genetic programming (Anikó)
- Fundamentals of Metaheuristics and Evolutionary Algorithms (Leonardo)
- Genetic Programming based on Grammars (Iñaki)
- Medical applications of Evolutionary algorithms (Iñaki)
- The Conference Paper Lottery: Improving Your Chances (Miguel)
- Generative AI: friend or foe for a researcher? (Anikó)
- Please do not bore me to death (Anna)
Programme
| Tues 26 Aug. | Wed 27 Aug. | Thurs 28 Aug. | Fri 29 Aug. | Sat 30 Aug. | Sun 31 Aug. | Mon 1 Sep. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | 10:00 | Arrival & reception | Tutorial 1 | Tutorial 3 | Tutorial 5 | Tutorial 7 | Team work | That’s all folks! |
| 10:00 | 11:00 | Tutorial 2 | Tutorial 4 | Tutorial 6 | Tutorial 8 | |||
| 11:00 | 11:30 | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | ||
| 11:30 | 12:30 | Introduction to the summer school, presentation of the program | Challenges’ Pitch | Team work | Team work | Sailing and kayaking | Team work | |
| 12:30 | 13:30 | |||||||
| 13:30 | 15:30 | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Picnic | Lunch | |
| 15:30 | 16:30 | Ice breaker | Splitting into groups | Team work | Team work | Outdoor activity | Presentation of the Challenges’ Results | |
| 16:30 | 17:30 | |||||||
| 17:30 | 18:30 | Paper discussion workshop | Outdoor activity | Beach volley | Outdoor activity | Team work | Closing ceremony | |
| 18:30 | 19:30 | |||||||
| 19:30 | 21:00 | Welcome Reception | Dinner | Pizzas on the beach | Dinner | Dinner | Farewell dinner |
Who can apply
Students and recent graduates interested in bio-inspired computation
Fees: 350 €
Included in the fees: 7 nights accommodation (Monday 25th to Monday 1st), all meals from Tuesday August 26th breakfast to Monday September1st breakfast, outdoor activities.
You can choose between arriving at the hostel on Monday 25th evening (dinner not included) or Tuesday 26th in the morning. You may also book (and pay) additional nights accommodation via the hostel web page.
The fees do not include: travel to and from the venue, visa costs (if any), insurance, optional activities.
How to get there
Nearest airports are Alicante and Valencia.
Please note: A special bus will be arranged for people flying to and from Valencia — please let us know if you’re interested!
If you prefer to travel independently, from either airport go to the respective Estación de Autobuses, where you can take a bus (around 14.45 € one way from Valencia, 11.70€ from Alicante) to Teulada. From the same bus stop (or the one across the road) you can then take another bus to Moraira.
The times for the buses Teluada-Moraira are: 9:10, 11:15, 13:00, 17:40, 19:40 and they take 10 minutes. Then you need to walk 9 minutes to the hostel
What to bring
- Compulsory: Your own laptop to work on the projects.
- Recommended: swimming costume, beach towel, sun cream, hat, diving mask
The Summer School Code
Students are expected to:
- Attend the 6 days of the summer school
- Cooperatively work on a challenge and follow the standards of proper social and research behavior.
- Deliver, by the end of the school, a presentation on what they have been working on during it.
Papers resulting from previous Summer School editions
How to apply
Places will be allocated on a first come-first served basis. Please, fill the form below to apply.
