The 2026 edition of the Lipari School on Computational Complex and Social Systems is dedicated to a comprehensive exploration of Agentic AI. As the field evolves, we aim to move beyond basic LLM design to understand the complete lifecycle of autonomous systems. The School will emphasize the nuances of LLM training and fine-tuning, the critical role and effectiveness of high-dimensional embeddings, and the architectural design of Vector DBs to enable robust hybrid search capabilities. Furthermore, it will dig into advanced retrieval strategies, specifically focusing on Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and Graph RAGs. Finally, the School’s talks will address the complex challenges of orchestrating and deploying multi-agent environments. We will approach these topics through a converged lens of theory, engineering, and experimentation, offering unique insights from experts involved in architecting modern, data-intensive platforms.
The conference room (located at Hotel Carasco, Porto delle Genti, Lipari) is air-conditioned and equipped with all conference materials. In addition, special areas are reserved for students for the afternoon coursework and study. The island of Lipari can be easily reached by ferry or hydrofoil from Milazzo, Palermo, Naples, Messina, and Reggio Calabria (50 minutes from Milazzo).
This track is designed for those who require ECTS credits for a Ph.D. program.
Coursework: Includes 24 hours of instruction and mandatory afternoon sessions.
Assessment: Grades are assigned via the ECTS scale based on a two-part final exam:
Presentation: A talk on your research (held during the course).
Written Test: Conducted on the final day.
Credits: ECTS credits are awarded upon passing both components.
This track is for participants who wish to attend the sessions but do not want to take the exam or earn academic credit.
Participants can switch track at any time.
All students must submit a 1-page abstract of their research by June 01, 2026. From these submissions, students will be selected for:
Long Talks: 3 students will be selected by the faculty to give a full 15-minute presentation (plus 5 minutes Q&A).
Short Talks: all other students will give a 3-minute presentation. A "top 3" will be chosen by the instructors and the audience.
Key Dates:
1-page talk proposal: June 01, 2026.
Selections of long talks: June 20th, 2026.
Awards: Certificates of merit will be awarded to all six winners (3 for short talks and 3 for full presentations).
Fees:
Early Registration: €650.00, for applications submitted before May 04, 2026.
Late Registration: €750.00, for applications submitted after May 04, 2026 and before June 01, 2026.
What’s Included: Course materials and coffee breaks.
Optional Add-ons: Transfer services (bus from Catania to Milazzo and hydrofoil from Milazzo to Lipari) and social events may be purchased separately.
Requirements:
Students: Must include a short letter of intent.
Other Applicants: Must provide a link to an updated CV/website.
All: cell phone number required for emergency contact (Telegram account is suggested to be automatically added to the school channel).
Payment & Cancellations:
Payment: Due via wire transfer or credit card by June 01, 2026. No other forms of payment can be accepted.
Cancellations: A 30% penalty applies to all refunds after payment.
