PhD Summer School “Sliding Mode Towards a Changing World”
Saturday 25 July 2026 to Monday 27 July 2026, University of Exeter, UK
The Control System Group at the University of Exeter has been awarded the honour of hosting the IEEE 18th International Workshop on Variable Structure Systems and Sliding Mode Control. This is the key event which brings together the sliding mode control community from around the world.
To maximise its reach and long-term impact, an intensive three-day Summer School will precede the Workshop (Saturday 25 July 2026 to Monday 27 July 2026), bringing together world-leading experts and the next generation of researchers, which are our PhD students. This Summer School will focus on the latest advances in sliding mode control theory, with clear application to critical challenges in decarbonisation, clean and sustainable energy, and transportation. Participants will learn how both established and emerging sliding mode techniques can be turned into practical, real-world solutions-enhancing performance, improving fault tolerance, enabling optimisation, and reducing costs.
The event will be hosted in the prestigious Reed Hall Building.
Register to the PhD School and book accommodation
Key-dates
- Summer School Registration Open: now
- Summer School Registration Closes: 01 May 2026
- Summer School Start: Saturday 25 July 2026, 9am
- Summer School End: Monday 27 July 2026, 4pm
Students will be able to book and pay for their accommodation at the point of registration. Accommodation is provided for 4 nights (check-in on Friday 24 July in the afternoon; check-out on Tuesday 28 July in the morning). Students who intend to attend the VSS Conference must complete the conference registration and book accommodation for that period separately, as these are not included in the School registration. Students will be accommodated at Holland Hall.
The accommodation will comprise also breakfast.
To travel to Exeter, please refer to directions here.
You may require a visa to travel to the United Kingdom to attend this Short PhD School. Please refer to the guidance here.
If a letter confirming enrolment in the event is needed for the visa application, please promptly contact the School Organiser. The letter will be issued after your registration to the event is completed and the fee is paid. ATAS is not required for attendance at this event.
We have funding available for PhD students residing in one of the countries listed on the IEEE eMember Countries page. Support includes:
- Free registration for the PhD Summer School
- Free accommodation at Holland Hall for 4 nights (check-in Friday 24 July, check-out Tuesday 28 July)
- Travel support.
Eligibility will be assessed. Financial support will be issued upon attendance of the School.
The Financial Support will be issued as follow:
- You will receive a 100% refund for accommodation and registration fees paid via the online store: https://store.exeter.ac.uk/conferences-and-events/faculty-of-environment-science-and-economy/engineering/vss-summer-school
- You will also receive a payment to partially cover travel costs to Exeter. You will be asked to provide evidence of flight ticket purchase, including the amount paid. The amount of the travel support will be confirmed to you upon attendance to the event.
To apply for financial support, or for any queries related to this, please contact the organiser, Dr Gianmario Rinaldi, at G.Rinaldi3@exeter.ac.uk.
If you wish to cancel your registration and accommodation booking, please contact the Organiser: Dr Gianmario Rinaldi at G.Rinaldi3@exeter.ac.uk as soon as possible and no later than 01 May 2026.
Programme and Speakers
PhD School Speakers
- Prof Andrzej Bartoszewicz
- Prof Christopher Edwards
- Prof Antonella Ferrara
- Prof Leonid Fridman
- Dr Gianmario Rinaldi
PhD School Agenda
The Summer School will be held from Saturday 24 July to Monday 26 July 2026 (three full days), following the schedule outlined in Figure 1. The Summer School will be hosted at Reed Hall, the University of Exeter historic Grade II listed Italianate mansion, surrounded by landscaped botanical gardens. The venue provides a quiet academic setting, natural light in all main rooms and immediate access to outdoor areas for networking. Its listed status reflects the architectural and historic value of the building, adding a unique feature to the Summer School. Essential venue services such as porter and cleaning support are included in the standard hire, ensuring smooth logistics throughout the event.
Each day will focus on a dedicated theme and feature four high-profile keynote lectures delivered by internationally recognised experts. The three selected themes are:
- Sliding Mode Theory – with emphasis on the latest advances in the field.
- Sliding Mode Applications for a Changing World – highlighting contributions to emerging societal and technological challenges.
- Sliding Mode Applications in the Energy Sector – focusing on solutions for decarbonisation, resilience, and efficiency.
In total, 10 lectures will be delivered. All teaching materials will be made available to participants in advance to promote preparation and support an inclusive learning environment.
Extensive Q&A discussions will follow the lectures, designed to maximise interaction, knowledge exchange, and networking.