Call for Participation

Sun Jul 25 11:20:36 EDT 1999

 First USA-Italy Conference on Applied Neural and Cognitive Sciences

        Boston, October 3-6, 1999

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Embassy of Italy
in Washington, has identified Applied Neural and Cognitive Sciences as
an area of strategic interest for research and development in Italy
over the next 10 to 20 years. UI-CANCS'99, which is sponsored jointly
by the Embassy of Italy and by Artificial Life, Inc., compares and
contrasts industry and research experiences in Italy and in the United
States.

UI-CANCS'99 focuses on smart sensors, intelligent robotics, and
related technologies with strong potential for industrial, medical and
other applications. Invited presentations will define the current
state-of-the-art and future developments in these fields, they will
compare and contrast scientific and technological resources in the USA
and Italy, and they will try to identify the most promising and =
effective
sectors in Italian industries and universities to be developed and
supported over the next 10 to 20 years.

UI-CANCS'99 offers a unique opportunity to present and discuss a broad
range of scientific and industrial projects within the context of
applied neural and cognitive sciences. The Conference also aims at
strengthening collaborations between the USA and Italy, and to develop
new joint projects.

We hope that this will be the first in a series of international
meetings held regularly to monitor progress in these fields, to
identify areas in need of further development support, and to offer a
meeting point between Italian and American members of industry,
academia and other organizations.

For additional information please visit http://www.usa-italy.org or
send e-mail to info at usa-italy.org.

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Conference dates: Sunday, October 3 through Tuesday, October 6,
1999. These dates include a welcoming reception on Sunday evening and
an optional visit to local laboratories in the Boston area on
Wednesday, October 6. Invited talks will be given all day Monday and
Tuesday morning, while a round-table discussion will be held on
Tuesday afternoon.

Location: George Sherman Union, Boston University, 775 Commonwealth
Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Organizing Committee:
 Daniele Amati, SISSA
 Emilio Bizzi, MIT
 Paolo Gaudiano, Artificial Life, Inc.
 Alexander Tenenbaum, Embassy of Italy

Official Language: English

Presentations: All talks are by invitation.

Registration: See registration form at end.

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                            Preliminary Program

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1999

6.00-9.00pm Registration; Welcoming Reception (with full registration)

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1999

8.00-9.00am Registration; Breakfast (with full registration)
9.00-9.45am Opening Remarks
9.45am-1.00pm (with 15-min break at 11:15am) Session 1, Smart Sensors
1.00-3.45pm Lunch
3.45-7.00pm (with 15-min break at 5.15pm) Session 2, Intelligent
     Robotics and Software Agents=20
8.00pm Official dinner and plenary talk (with full registration)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1999

8.00-9.00am Breakfast (with full registration)
9.00am-12.15pm (with 15-min break at 11.15am) Session 3, Biomedical
               Applications
12.15-1.15pm Session 4.P1, Relationship Between Industry and Research
1.15-3.45pm Lunch
3.45-5.15pm Session 4.P2, Relationship Between Industry and Research
5.30-7.30pm Round-table discussion.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1999

9.00am-4.00pm Tour of local labs and companies (with paid registration)
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      INVITED SPEAKERS

Daniele Amati, International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy
Emilio Bizzi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
Nunzio Bonavita, ABB Elsag Bailey Hartmann & Braun S.p.A., Genova, Italy
Paolo Dario, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
Danilo De Rossi, Universita` degli studi di Pisa, Italy
Arnaldo D'Amico, Universita` degli Studi di Roma "Tor Vergata", Italy
Marco Dorigo, Universite' Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
Paolo Gaudiano, Artificial Life, Inc., Boston, USA
Helen Greiner, IS Robotics Corporate, Somerville, USA
Stephen Grossberg, Boston University, USA
Barbara Hayes-Roth, Stanford University and Extempo, Inc., Redwood City, =
USA
Pietro Morasso, Universita` degli studi di Genova, Italy
Riccardo Parenti, Ansaldo Ricerche Automation Group, Genova, Italy
Renato Nobili, Universita` degli Studi di Padova, Italy
Stefano Nolfi, Centro Nazionale delle Ricerche, Roma, Italy
Antonio Pedotti, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Tomaso Poggio, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
Eberhard Schoeneburg, Artificial Life, Inc., Boston, USA
David Walt, Tufts University, Medford, USA
John Wyatt, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA

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      UI-CANCS'99 REGISTRATION FORM

Fill out this form and e-mail it to info at usa-italy.org, or fax it to:

       UI-CANCS'99 Registration (+1) 508 624 6097

Seating will be limited, so please register as soon as possible=20
.....................................................................

First Name:
Last Name:
E-mail address:
Affiliation:
Telephone:
Fax:
Complete Mailing Address:

Registration type (see notes 1-3 below):
    __Talks only (regular) US$100    __Talks only (student) US$30
    __Full (regular) US$200          __Full (student) US$75

Credit card information:
   Card type (check one):  __VISA  __MC  __AMEX
   Card number:
   Name on card:
   Expiration date:

Optional information (see notes 4-5 below):
   * I plan to attend the optional lab tour on October 6 (Full
     registrants only): __Yes   __No
   * I would like to be considered for partial support through=20
     a travel grant: __Yes   __No

.....................................................................
NOTES:
1. "Talks only" includes attendance to all invited sessions, printed
   program, badge, and refreshments at all coffee breaks.=20
2. Full registration includes attendance to all invited sessions,
   printed program, badge, and refreshment at all coffee breaks,
   pre-conference evening reception on October 3, breakfast and lunch
   on October 4 and 5, Banquet and plenary talk on October 4, and
   optional tour of Boston-area labs on October 6.=20
3. Students (up to PhD level only) must attach letter from their
   advisor certifying their student status.=20
4. Lab tours take place on October 6. Space is limited so attendance
   cannot be guaranteed. Please check www.usa-italy.org for additional
   information as it becomes available.
5. Travel grants for partial support of travel expense might be
   available to a limited number of participants. Priority is given
   to students and to participants coming from abroad. If you check
   this option, you will receive e-mail with additional information.=20
6. For additional information please e-mail info at usa-italy.org or
   call 800-701-4741 (+1-508-624-5545 from outside the US).