MLSS-Senegal 2025

The Machine Learning Summer School (MLSS) series, established in 2002, aims to advance knowledge in modern statistical machine learning and inference. Recognizing the growing demand for machine learning expertise, MLSS bridges the gap for students and researchers by providing intensive courses on topics ranging from fundamentals to state-of-the-art methods.
We are delighted to bring this globally renowned series to West Africa for the first time, with Senegal as our host country. MLSS Senegal 2025 offers PhD students and advanced learners a unique opportunity to engage with top experts and explore cutting-edge techniques in machine learning.

Lecturer Lineup

Adji Bousso Dieng Princeton Vendi Scoring For Science and Machine Learning
Ashia Wilson MIT Optimization for Machine Learning
Elvis Dohmatob Concordia University / Meta / Mila Mathematical Foundations of Neural Scaling Laws
Franca Hoffmann Caltech Foundations of Measure Transport & Applications
Gergely Neu Universitat Pompeu Fabra Reinforcement Learning
Jean-Philippe Vert Owkin Foundation Models for Biology
Marco Cuturi Apple Regularized and Neural Approaches to Solve Optimal Transport
Marieme Ngom Argonne National Laboratory Parallel and Parallel and Distributed Deep Learning
Mathieu Blondel Google DeepMind Differentiable Programming
Minhyuk Sung KAIST Diffusion Models
Natalie Schluter Apple Natural Language Processing
Peter Richtarik KAUST Federated Learning
Samory Kpotufe Columbia Vignettes in Learning Theory: Performance Guarantees in i.i.d. and non-i.i.d. Settings
Sanmi Koyejo Stanford Machine Learning from Human Preferences

Schedule, MLSS-Senegal'25,
Week 1 (June 23–27)

⏰	June 23	June 24	June 25	June 26	June 27
09:00– 10:30	Opening & Mixer	Natural Language Processing Natalie Schluter (2/3)	Mathematical Foundations of Neural Scaling Laws Elvis Dohmatob (1/3)	Mathematical Foundations of Neural Scaling Laws Elvis Dohmatob (2/3)	Reinforcement Learning Gergely Neu (3/3)
	Coffee Break
11:00– 12:30	Vendi Scoring For Science and Machine Learning Adji Bousso Dieng (1/3)	Optimization for Machine Learning Ashia Wilson (2/3)	Natural Language Processing Natalie Schluter (3/3)	Reinforcement Learning Gergely Neu (1/3)	Mathematical Foundations of Neural Scaling Laws Elvis Dohmatob (3/3)
	Lunch Break
14:00– 15:30	Optimization for Machine Learning Ashia Wilson (1/3)	Vendi Scoring For Science and Machine Learning Adji Bousso Dieng (2/3)	Optimization for Machine Learning Ashia Wilson (3/3)	Reinforcement Learning Gergely Neu (2/3)	Differentiable Programming Mathieu Blondel (2/3)
	Coffee Break
16:00– 17:30	Natural Language Processing Natalie Schluter (1/3)	Parallel and Distributed Deep Learning Marieme Ngom (1/2)	Parallel and Distributed Deep Learning Marieme Ngom (2/2)	Differentiable Programming Mathieu Blondel (1/3)	Differentiable Programming Mathieu Blondel (3/3)
18:00– 19:30		Apéro Poster	Vendi Scoring For Science and Machine Learning Adji Bousso Dieng (3/3)

Machine Learning Summer Vibes

MLSS–Senegal, 2025

Weekend ( June 28 – 29 )

⏰	Saturday (June 28)	Sunday (June 29)
09:00— 17:00	Free time for ~~self-study~~	Leisure Activities
18:00 — 22:00 — 26:00 — ⏰⏰⏰	Dakar by Night Sunset + Dinner + Lost in Town	Free time

Application

Application Period: ~~December 15 – February 28~~ → New deadline: March 14, 2025 (AoE)

Notification of Acceptance: ~~March 31~~ → New deadline: April 4, 2025 (AoE)
📬 Please check your spam folder. If you haven’t received an email, feel free to contact us directly.

Fees: $450 due on May 9 (AOE)

The application process is open to PhD students, post-docs, and other advanced learners. Applicants are required to submit a one-page self-recommendation letter explaining how the summer school will benefit them, along with a one-page CV summarizing their contributions in machine learning.

Applications must be submitted through the Application Form .

If you require financial support (e.g., registration fee waiver, accommodation, travel assistance), please indicate this in your application form. Please note that the registration fee does not include accommodation. Participants are kindly expected to arrange their own lodging. To assist with this, we will provide detailed travel and accommodation information on our website in the coming weeks.

Travel information

Dates: June 23 - July 4

Location: The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences AIMS-Senegal

AIMS Mbour is a scenic location situated along the Atlantic coast of Senegal. The venue is approximately a 1.5-hour drive from Dakar city center and around 30 kilometers from Blaise Diagne International Airport, offering convenient access for international participants.

Vaccination Requirements

Hepatitis A: A single dose should be administered at least 15 days before departure, with a booster dose recommended 1 to 3 (or up to 5) years later. For children, vaccination is available from the age of 1 year.

Yellow Fever: A single dose must be administered at least 10 days before travel. For children, vaccination is available from 9 months of age (or in specific circumstances between 6 and 9 months).

For more information, visit: Road to Senegal

Program committee

If you’re interested in contributing to MLSS Senegal 2025, we welcome your support and ideas. Together, we aim to create a transformative learning experience for all participants. We are also deeply grateful for the invaluable support of local contributors, international advisors, and volunteers whose efforts ensure the success of this event. A full list of contributors and collaborators will be shared as the event approaches.