Conference to Highlight Abu Dhabi’s Role in Promoting Research in VNS Technique Used for Machine Learning Applications, Manufacturing and Logistics
Khalifa University and the EURO Working Group on Metaheuristics (EWG EU/ME) have announced the 8th International Conference on Variable Neighborhood Search (ICVNS 2021) will be held virtually from 21-25 March 2021 in Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi Culture and Tourism is a co-organizer.
The Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) technique is widely used in many artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications. The VNS algorithms can facilitate integrated manufacturing and batch-delivery scheduling, which minimizes delays. VNS can be used for better coordination within a supply chain, especially among the raw-material providers, manufacturing facilities, whole-sale distributors and customers, in order to obtain global efficiency in logistics.
Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, is the Co-Chair of ICVNS 2021, while Dr. Pierre Hansen, HEC Montréal, Canada, will be the Honorary Chair. Dr. Nenad Mladenović, Visiting Professor, and Dr. Mohammed Omar, Department Head of Engineering Systems and Management, Khalifa University, are General co-Chairs, while Dr. Andrei Sleptchenko, Assistant Professor, Industrial and Systems Engineering, will be the Conference Chair.
A total of 27 papers will be presented at the 8th ICVNS virtual conference, providing a stimulating environment to researchers from various scientific fields to share their knowledge and expertise, and discuss ideas. A total of 14 papers will be published in a SCOPUS-listed volume. The papers from Khalifa University will be citing the works of Dr. Mladenovic, while the conference is fully dedicated to development and applications of the VNS technique proposed by him.
Dr. Panos Pardalos, Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Florida, Dr. Yury Kochetov, Professor, Laboratory Mathematical Models of Decision Making, Sobolev Institute of Mathematics, Novosibirsk, Russia, and Dr. Bassem Jarboui, Professor, Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi, will be the plenary speakers.
The ICVNS 2021 will cover topics including ‘mixed integer programming’, ‘graphs, communication networks’, ‘clustering, data mining, location, and healthcare’, ‘Inventory, routing, supply chains’, ‘packing and covering’, ‘discovery sciences’, ‘berth allocation and quay crane scheduling’, as well as ‘public transport scheduling’. Selected papers presented at ICVNS 2021 will be published by Springer in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series.
The macro-level research of Khalifa University’s Digital Supply Chain and Operations Management (DSOM) aims to provide real-world, cutting edge focus on the digital transactions, management, and optimization in multiple domains such as maritime logistics, production lines, and healthcare delivery systems. Formulated in precise mathematical definitions, VNS is also simple, clear, and universally applicable, and is known for robustness, user-friendliness, innovation, generality, interactivity and multiplicity.
Clarence Michael
English Editor Specialist
21 March 2021
