The IJCAI School 2014 is the second of its kind sponsored by the International Joint Conferences of AI, with the first held in Beijing, China, during the summer of 2012. The Second School is being locally organized by the Argentinean Association of Artificial Intelligence (AAIA, a division of SADIO, the Argentine Society on Informatics), which is also in charge of the local organization of the IJCAI main conference to be held in Buenos Aires in 2015.

A working name of the school is “AI: from theory to practice”, as our goal is to bring to 2014 a practical perspective on the technological possibilities of the field, backed by a strong theoretical foundation.  We are currently considering a structure for the school that supports this perspective. It will consist of plenary talks from leading experts in different AI topics with strong experience on a practical, groundbreaking application; followed by one or two courses covering the theoretical foundations.

From a local perspective, the school is expected to attract the focus of the International AI Community to the IJCAI main conference, and to raise the awareness of AI technologies and research in the local informatics community. Within the Argentinean and regional AI community, it is also a great opportunity for students and researchers alike to have a direct contact with some of the leading researchers in the field, a rare opportunity given our geographical and economical disadvantage. And of course, it is also a great opportunity to visit Argentina, a really beautiful place to spend a few days (http://www.turismo.gov.ar/eng/menu.htm).