Benelearn 2011 - The 20th Annual Belgian-Dutch Conference on Machine Learning

Benelearn is the annual machine learning conference of Belgium and the Netherlands. It serves as a forum for researchers to exchange ideas, present recent work, network and foster collaboration in machine learning, knowledge discovery in databases and data mining research and applications. Benelearn 2011 will take place on May 20 at the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) in the Hague. It is organized by the Data Mining Group at LIACS, Leiden University and the Knowledge and Expertise Center for Intelligent Data Analysis (KECIDA), NFI.

Compared to previous years, Benelearn 2011 will have an increased focus on its role as a forum for the machine learning community. The plenary program will feature a selection of the best full papers contributed, and invited talks covering broad subjects (tutorial or survey style), as well as a poster session. This format is intended to make Benelearn more compact (1-day), more intense, and more relevant for a wider audience, including both junior and senior researchers, from both academia and industry, covering research as well as applications of machine learning.

For more information, see www.benelearn2011.org

Important Dates

Submission deadline: April 5 (extended deadline)
Notification of acceptance: April 19
Camera ready papers: May 13
Conference: May 20
Sponsors

Main Sponsor: Pegasystems
Academic Partners: SIKS, BNVKI (free registration for SIKS members).
Conference Services: NFI Academy
Topics

We invite the submission of extended abstracts and papers on all aspects of machine learning and related disciplines such as data mining, including, but not limited to:

Theory, Methodology and Algorithms:
Kernel Methods
Graphical Models and Bayesian Networks
Case-based Learning
Natural Computing, Evolutionary Computation and Neural Networks
Statistical and Pattern Recognition Methods
Reinforcement Learning
Ensemble Methods and Hybrid Learning Systems
Clustering and Dimension Reduction
Data Preparation, Feature Selection and Construction
Model Evaluation and Diagnosis
Meta-Learning
Machine Learning Methodology and Process Automation
Computational Learning Theory
Problem Domains, Tasks and Applications
Learning in Dynamic Domains
Large Scale Learning and Optimization
Text, Image, Multimedia and Web Mining
Social and Other Network Mining
Graph Mining
Spatial Data Mining
Time Series and Forecasting
Semi Supervised Learning
Budgeted Learning and Active Learning
Cost Sensitive Learning
Multi Label and Multi Instance Learning
Privacy related techniques
Visualization
Bioinformatics
Machine Learning in Ubiquitous Computing
Search, Ranking and Targeting
Recommender Systems
Other business, government, scientific or artistic applications
Submission Instructions

Submissions are possible as either a full paper or extended abstract. Full papers should present original, unpublished work, covering research or a case application. Extended abstracts may present current, recently published or future research, and can cover a wider scope, for instance position statements, offer a specific scientific or business problem to be solved by machine learning or describe a machine learning demo or art installation.

A selection will be made of the best paper and runner ups, and these will be presented in the plenary session. The remainder of accepted submissions will be presented in the form of short announcement talks and a poster session. In the conference proceedings the papers selected for plenary presentation will be recognized, and only full papers can qualify for this.

Full papers can consist of a maximum of 8 pages; extended abstracts up to 2 pages. Each submission must be submitted online via the Easychair submission interface. Submissions can be updated at will before the submission deadline. Electronic versions of accepted submissions will be made publicly available on the conference web site. The only accepted format for submitted papers is PDF. Each paper submission will be reviewed by at least two members of the program committee and all accepted submissions will be included in the conference proceedings.

Papers and extended abstracts should be submitted electronically, no later than Monday, April 5, 2011.

Notification of acceptance is on April 19, camera ready papers need to be provided by May 13.

Registration

Conference fees

Early bird registration (no later than April 30, 2011): 50 Euro (free for SIKS members, see below)
Regular registration (after April 30, 2011): 80 Euro
Conference dinner: 40 Euro
Due to the cooperation between SIKS and the local organisation of Benelearn 2011, SIKS members can participate without paying the registration fee. There is a fixed number of places available, therefore an early registration is required. The event is part of the Advanced Components stage of the SIKS eduational program.

Organization

Chairs:

Peter van der Putten (LIACS)
Hendrik Blockeel (LIACS)
Joaquin Vanschoren (LIACS)
Cor Veenman (NFI)
Menno Israel (NFI)
Conference services: Miranda van Alem (NFI Academy). Sponsors and partners: Pegasystems, SIKS and BNVKI

Program Committee:

Gianluca Bontempi, U.L. Bruxelles
Antal van den Bosch, Tilburg University
Joost Broekens, T.U. Delft
Walter Daelemans, University of Antwerp
Pierre Dupont, U.C. de Louvain
Damien Ernst, University of Liège
Ad Feelders, Universiteit Utrecht
Pierre Geurts, University of Liège
Bart Goethals, University of Antwerp
Tom Heskes, Radboud University Nijmegen
Edwin de Jong, Adapticon
Arno Knobbe, Universiteit Leiden
Joost Kok, Universiteit Leiden
Walter Kosters, Universiteit Leiden
Wojtek Kowalczyk, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Ann Nowé, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Martijn van Otterlo, K.U. Leuven
Mykola Pechenizkiy, T.U. Eindhoven
Mannes Poel, Universiteit Twente
Eric Postma, Tilburg University
Luc de Raedt, K.U. Leuven
Jan Ramon, K.U. Leuven
Yvan Saeys, Ghent University
Rodolphe Sepulchre, University of Liège
Evgueni Smirnov, Maastricht University
Maarten van Someren, University of Amsterdam
Johan Suykens, K.U. Leuven
Marten den Uyl, Sentient
Koen Vanhoof, Universiteit Hasselt
Celine Vens, K.U. Leuven
Katja Verbeeck, KaHo St-Lieven, Gent
Michel Verleysen, U.C. Louvain
Sicco Verwer, K.U. Leuven
Willem Waegeman, Gent University
Louis Wehenkel, University of Liège
Menno van Zaanen, Tilburg University
Jakub Zavrel, Textkernel