Call for Special Session Proposals—IFSA‑EUSFLAT 2027

The Joint 22nd World Congress of the International Fuzzy Systems Association (IFSA) and the 15th Conference of the European Society for Fuzzy Logic and Technology (EUSFLAT), IFSA‑EUSFLAT 2027, will be held in Bari, Italy, on 13–17 September 2027. The conference aims to bring together researchers working on theory and applications of computational intelligence, fuzzy logic, fuzzy systems, soft computing, and related areas, including topics such as approximate reasoning, decision making, aggregation and fusion, machine learning, optimization, control, and uncertainty modeling.

To enrich the scientific program, we invite proposals for Special Sessions addressing emerging research directions, consolidated streams of work, or application domains of particular current interest within the scope of IFSA‑EUSFLAT 2027. Special sessions are expected to attract high‑quality contributions and foster interaction among researchers working on focused topics.

Scope of special sessions

Special sessions should be clearly aligned with the general topics of the conference, which include (but are not limited to): approximate reasoning and theoretical foundations of fuzzy logic and fuzzy set theory, decision‑making and optimization under uncertainty, data aggregation and fusion, machine learning and intelligent data analysis, fuzzy control and modeling, information retrieval and database management, natural language processing and linguistic modeling, image processing and computer vision, rough sets, imprecise probabilities, possibility theory, and applications in science, engineering, economics, and social sciences.

Sessions linked to EUSFLAT Working Groups, or other established research communities, are particularly welcome, as are interdisciplinary proposals bridging fuzzy and soft computing methods with neighboring fields.

Proposal contents

EEach special session proposal must include:

Session title and acronym.
Organizers: names, affiliations, and contact emails (typically 2–4 organizers from different institutions and, if possible, different countries and different genders).
Session description: a brief abstract (150–250 words) stating the motivation, aims, and relevance of the special session to IFSA‑EUSFLAT 2027.
Topics: a list of key topics or keywords to be covered in the session.
Timeliness and impact: a short justification of the session’s timeliness and expected impact, including the target audience.
Tentative contributors: a preliminary list of prospective authors and/or papers (if available), indicating confirmed and potential contributors.
Links to communities: (optional) any links to EUSFLAT Working Groups, projects, or networks that support the session.
Organizer short bios: brief bios (up to 150 words each) highlighting the organizers’ expertise and track record in the proposed area.

Submission of proposals

Proposals should be sent by filling out a form available at https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/B9JUQqiEZN

Organizers are encouraged to contact the Special Sessions Chair informally in advance if they wish to check the suitability of a topic or explore possible coordination with other proposals.

Review and selection

All proposals will be evaluated by the IFSA‑EUSFLAT 2027 Organization in consultation with the IFSA and EUSFLAT boards, based on:

relevance to the conference scope and audience;
scientific quality and originality of the proposed topics;
profile and balance of the organizing team;
potential to attract a sufficient number of high‑quality submissions (typically at least 6 papers).

If several proposals on closely related topics are received, organizers may be invited to merge their proposals into a joint special session.

Submission and publication of papers

Once a special session is approved, contributions to that session will be submitted through the main conference submission system, following the same guidelines, formats, and deadlines as regular submissions. All papers will undergo the standard peer‑review process, and accepted contributions will be published in the conference proceedings under the same conditions as regular papers.

If the organizers submit their contributions to their own special session, they are regarded as COI papers and will be handled by IPC Chairs for review.

A special session is considered valid and may be included in the conference program if at least four submitted papers pass the review process and are accepted for oral presentation.

Each special session must have at least one organizer registered for the conference and present on site. Organizers are expected to promote their session actively, participate in the review process (in collaboration with the Program Committee), and chair the session during the conference.

Important dates

The following dates are indicative and will be aligned with the overall conference timeline:

Special session proposal deadline: 15 October 2026
Notification of special session acceptance: 15 November 2026
Full paper submission deadline: 14 February 2027
Notification of paper acceptance: 16 April 2027
Final version and author registration deadline: 9 May 2027

(Possible extensions will be announced on the conference website.)