PhD Summer School “Sliding Mode Towards a Changing World” 

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 four 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 
• You can also be eligible for full travel support to Exeter, subject to the number of supported students attending the event. This support may cover your travel costs in full or in part, depending on the final number of participants. You will be asked to provide evidence of your flight ticket purchase, including the amount paid, and the final amount of travel support will be confirmed upon attendance at the even

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

The programme is structured around three linked themes:

• Sliding Mode Theory

This theme will introduce the mathematical foundations of sliding mode control and variable structure systems, while also covering recent advances in the field. Topics will include robustness to matched uncertainty, finite-time convergence, reaching laws, higher-order sliding modes, continuous and discrete-time implementations, quasi-sliding modes, sliding mode observation, and methods for reducing chattering. The technical relevance lies in helping participants understand both the theoretical strength of sliding mode control and the practical issues that arise when these methods are implemented in real systems.

• Sliding Mode Applications for a Changing World

This theme will show how sliding mode methods can address current engineering and societal challenges where uncertainty, disturbances, safety, and reliability are central concerns. Examples may include autonomous systems, robotics, automotive control, road traffic systems, smart mobility, fault detection, fault reconstruction, fault-tolerant control, and resilient infrastructure. The relevance is to demonstrate how sliding mode control can provide robust solutions for complex, uncertain, and safety-critical systems.

• Sliding Mode Applications in the Energy Sector

This theme will focus on the role of sliding mode control in clean energy and decarbonisation technologies. It will cover examples related to power electronic converters, electric and hybrid vehicles, hydrogen and battery systems, DC microgrids, clean propulsion, renewable energy integration, and resilient power systems. Attention will be given to systems characterised by strong nonlinearities, switching behaviour, uncertain loads, constrained operation, and fast transient dynamics. The technical relevance is clear: these are precisely the conditions under which robust nonlinear control methods can offer advantages over conventional linear or purely model-based approaches.

Across the three days, participants will attend 10 technical lectures delivered by internationally recognised experts in sliding mode control and its applications. The lectures will combine theory, implementation guidance, and application-led case studies. The programme will therefore expose participants to the full pathway from mathematical formulation to practical deployment, including controller design, observer design, robustness analysis, digital implementation, chattering mitigation, and validation on engineering systems.

Each lecture will be followed by extended Q&A and discussion sessions, allowing participants to test their understanding, relate the material to their own research, and engage directly with current technical challenges in the field. The format is designed not only to deliver advanced training, but also to build a research community around sliding mode control and its contribution to robust, resilient, and sustainable engineering system.

The Summer School will conclude with a student presentation session, giving participants the opportunity to present their own research in a supportive technical environment. These short presentations will allow students to explain their research problems, methodological approaches, and current challenges, while receiving feedback from peers and senior researchers in the sliding mode control community. The session will also help participants connect the material covered during the School with their own work, for example in nonlinear control, observation, fault-tolerant control, energy systems, robotics, automotive systems, or power electronics. This final event will strengthen the interactive nature of the programme and encourage longer-term collaboration among the participants.