Cambridge Neural Networks Summer School 1994

[Richard Prager]

       Cambridge University Engineering Department in Collaboration
           Cambridge University Programme for Industry Announce
             The Fourth Annual Neural Networks Summer School
                          3 1/2 day short course
                           19-22 September 1994

                        KOHONEN   JORDAN   SUTTON
                   BOURLARD   DAUGMAN   JERVIS   MACKAY
                NIRANJAN   PRAGER   ROBINSON   TARRASENKO

        +--------------------------------------------------------+
        | Thanks to support from the ESPRC we are this year able |
        | to offer fully funded places for selected UK research  |
        | students.      There is also a large academic discount.|
	| See below for details of how to apply for these places.|
        +--------------------------------------------------------+



OUTLINE AND AIM OF THE COURSE

Recently, much progress has been made in the area of neural computing,
bringing together a range of powerful techniques from parallel computing,
nonlinear functional analysis, statistical inference and dynamical systems
theory.  There is much potential in this area for solving a range of
interesting and difficult problems, with commercial and industrial
applications.  The course will give a broad introduction to the
application and design of neural networks and deal with both the theory
and with specific applications.  Survey material will be given, together
with recent research results in architecture and training methods, and
applications including signal processing, control, speech, robotics and
human vision.  Design methodologies for a number of common neural network
architectures will be covered, together with the theory behind neural
network algorithms.  Participants will learn the strengths and weaknesses
of the neural network approach, and how to assess the potential of the
technology in respect of their own requirements.  Lectures will be given
by international experts in the field, and delegates will have the
opportunity of learning first hand the technical and practical details of
recent work in neural networks from those who are contributing to those
developments.


LABORATORY DEMONSTRATIONS

Informal evening visits to Cambridge University Engineering Department
laboratories, which will include demonstrations of a number of current
research projects.


POSTER SESSION

There will be an informal poster session in which delegates may present
their current work or interests should they so wish.  Please contact the
Course Administrator for further details.


LECTURERS

DR HERVE BOURLARD is with Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products in Brussels.
    He has made many contributions to the subject particularly in the area
    of speech recognition.

DR JOHN DAUGMAN came to Cambridge in 1991 as a Senior Research Fellow in
    Zoology (computational neuroscience) and is now a Lecturer in
    Artificial Intelligence in the Computer Laboratory at Cambridge
    University.  His areas of research and publication include
    computational neuroscience, multi-dimensional signal processing and
    pattern recognition, machine vision and biological vision.

DR TIMOTHY JERVIS is with Schlumberger Cambridge Research Ltd.  His
    interests lie in the field of neural networks and in the application
    of Bayesian statistical techniques to learning control.

PROFESSOR MICHAEL JORDAN is in the Department of Brain & Cognitive Science
    at MIT.  He was a founding member of the PDP research group and he
    made many contributions to the subject particularly in forward and
    inverse systems.

PROFESSOR TEUVO KOHONEN is with the Academy of Finland and Laboratory of
    Computer and Information Science at Helsinki University of Technology.
    His specialities are in self-organising maps and their applications.

DR DAVID MACKAY is the Royal Society Smithson Research Fellow at Cambridge
    University and works on Bayesian methods and non-linear modelling at
    the Cavendish Laboratory.  He obtained his PhD in Computation and
    Neural Systems at California Institute of Technology.

DR MAHESAN NIRANJAN is with the Department of Engineering at Cambridge
    University.  His specialities are in speech processing and pattern
    classification.

DR RICHARD PRAGER is with the Department of Engineering at Cambridge
   University.  His specialities are in speech and vision processing.

DR TONY ROBINSON is with the Department of Engineering at Cambridge
   University.  His specialities are in recurrent networks and speech
   processing.

DR RICH SUTTON is with the Adaptive Systems Department of GTE Laboratories
   near Boston, USA.  His specialities are in reinforcement learning,
   planning and animal learning behaviours.

DR LIONEL TARASSENKO is with the Department of Engineering at the
    University of Oxford.  His specialities are in robotics and the
    hardware implementation of neural computing.


WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This course is intended for engineers, software specialists and other 
scientists who need to assess the current potential of neural networks.
Delegates will have the opportunity to learn at first hand the technical 
and practical details of recent work in this field.  

The Neural Networks Summer School has been running for four consecutive
years and has consistently received high praise from those who have
attended.  We attract lecturers of international stature, and speakers
this year will include Professor Teuvo Kohonen, Professor Michael Jordan,
Dr Rich Sutton, Dr Lionel Tarassenko, Dr David MacKay and Dr John Daugman.


PROGRAMME

The course will be structured to enable full discussion periods between 
lecturers and delegates.  All the formal sessions will be covered by 
comprehensive course notes.  Lecture subjects will include:

**Introduction and overview**
     Connectionist computing: an introduction and overview
     Programming a neural network
     Parallel distributed processing perspective
     Theory and parallels with conventional algorithms
**Architectures**
     Pattern processing and generalisation 
     Bayesian methods and non-linear modelling
     Reinforcement learning neural networks
     Multiple expert networks
     Self organising neural networks
     Feedback networks for optimization
**Applications**
     System identifications
     Time series predictions
     Learning forward and inverse dynamical models
     Control of nonlinear dynamical systems using neural networks
     Artificial and biological vision systems
     Silicon VLSI neural networks
     Applications to diagnostic systems 
     Applications to speech recognition
     Applications to mobile robotics
     Financial system modelling
     Applications in medical diagnostics


COURSE FEES and ACCOMMODATION

The course fee is 750 UK pounds (350 UK pounds with academic discount for
full time students and faculty of higher education institutes), payable in
advance, and includes a full set of course notes, a certificate of
attendance, and all day-time refreshments for the duration of the course.
In order to benefit fully from the course we strongly recommend that
delegates elect to be residential as courses are designed to allow planned
and informal discussions in the evening.  Accommodation can be arranged in
college rooms with shared facilities at Corpus Christi College at 187
UKpounds for 4 nights to include bed and breakfast, dinner and a Course
Dinner.  If you would prefer to make your own arrangements please indicate
on the registration form and details of local hotels will be sent to you.



EPSRC SPONSORED PLACES

A limited number of EPSRC sponsored places are available for all full time 
UK registered students.  However, priority placement will be given to 
students with EPSRC (SERC) funding.  Sponsorship covers all course fees, 
meals and college accommodation (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights 
only).  To be considered for a place, please send a one page summary of 
current research including how you expect to benefit by attending, a 
curriculum vitae, a letter of recommendation from your supervisor and the 
nature of your current funding.  
The deadline for applications is 1 August 1994.

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I wish to REGISTER for the course:  "Neural Networks Summer School"

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Total Amount Enclosed: UKL ____________


For further information contact:

Rebecca Simons, Course Administrator 
University of Cambridge Programme for Industry
1 Trumpington Street, Cambridge  CB2 1QA
Tel:+44 (0)223 332722   
Fax: +44 (0)223 301122  
Email: rjs1008 at uk.ac.cam.phx