Workshops at the Dutch Institute for Emergent Phenomena
Gathering scientists and philosophers across the Netherlands and beyond
Gathering scientists and researchers across the Netherlands and beyond is one of the main tasks of DIEP. Since 2018 that DIEP organisers a series of workshops connecting different aspects of the science of emergence. These workshops establish connections between different fields of expertise, in particular, cross-disciplinary endeavours between high energy physics and condensed matter, soft-condensed matter, self-assembly, multi-scale modelling, living matter, information theory, computation, logic. The first workshop was held in Amsterdam during the period 9-11th of May 2019 and gathered scientists and philosophers to discuss the conceptual and philosophical aspects of emergence.
See below for the list of upcoming and recent past workshops. To access older workshops you can check the workshop archives. Other events and meetings can be found here.
Polarisation and Segregation in Social Networks: Recent Advancements and Perspectives
4th of June 2025 | Amsterdam
The rise of the internet and social media has greatly increased societal interconnectedness, yet also fueled growing polarisation and fragmentation. This workshop explores recent advances in understanding these dynamics, their links to inequality and segregation, and new approaches to address social disintegration. ​
Organiser: Tuan Pham
NetSci2025: Network Renormalization Satellite
2nd of June 2025 | Maastricht
The renormalization group (RG) method, originating in statistical physics, has advanced the understanding of scaling properties and multiscale structures in complex systems, such as brain networks, financial systems, and machine learning. In this satellite meeting, we aim to bring together researchers to reconcile diverse renormalization techniques, explore their applications, and shape the future of multiscale network analysis.
Organisers: M. Ángeles Serrano , Manlio De Domenico, Fernando N. Santos, Wout Merbis
The role of analogies in (artificial) intelligence
15th of May 2025 | Amsterdam
With machine learning models taking over more tasks from biological intelligences, there is a renewed interest in characterising fundamental properties of intelligence itself. In this workshop, we will investigate one such aspect: analogical thinking and reasoning. Join us to hear different perspectives on analogies, intelligence, explore the tension between symbolic and connectionist views, and more! ​
Organisers: Abel Jansma, Jácome (Jay) Armas
Hydrodynamics across scales
20th of February 2025 | Amsterdam
In recent years it has become clear that hydrodynamics is a universal language for describing collective phenomena across scales, from string theory to active matter. This workshop is expected to be the first of many in which participants from both the Netherlands and abroad share the recent puzzles in hydrodynamics in their fields and discuss the potential cross-fertilisation of methodologies across fields.
Organisers: Jácome (Jay) Armas, Akash Jain, Ruben Lier
Challenges and Perspectives for Studying Emergence in Complex Systems - IAS Academy Workshop
2nd of July 2024 | Amsterdam
Join us for an engaging workshop at the inaugural IAS Academy on July 2, 2024, designed to expand your understanding of emergent phenomena in complex systems. Hosted by Wout Merbis and Fernando N. Santos from the Dutch Institute for Emergent Phenomena, this session invites early career researchers (Master Students, Ph. D.s and postdocs) to delve into the intricacies of mathematics, physics and numerical related to Emergence across various scientific disciplines. The workshop aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and spark collaborative research, characteristic of the IAS experience.
Organisers: Fernando N. Santos, Wout Merbis
Complexity Across Scales
6th of June 2024 | Amsterdam
The study of emergent phenomena and complex systems spans multiple scales, encompassing diverse phenomena and mechanisms. Despite significant progress, our understanding of multiscale complexity remains incomplete. This workshop aims to address the state-of-the-art theoretical, mathematical, and computational modeling challenges that arise in bridging different length scales. By exploring critical and open questions, we seek to enhance our grasp of multiscale complexity through various perspectives and methodologies.
Organisers: Fernando N. Santos, Wout Merbis, Andrey Bagrov
Current Themes In Collective Intelligence
16th of May 2024 | Amsterdam
What is the underlying nature of intelligence across scales and systems, including ecological, human, artificial and social systems?​
This workshop will explore measures of intelligence, its foundations, evolution and role in shaping animal, human, social and democratic behaviour. Topics that will be discussed include the critical brain hypothesis, information transfer in multi-agent systems, and the dynamics of collective intelligence in changing environments.
Organisers: Jay Armas, André de Roos, Swarnendu Banerjee, Soroush Rafiee Rad, Han van der Maas, Mike Lees, Wout Merbis
