ACM India Winter School 2024: Introduction to Modern Cryptography
December 16–21, 2024
Step into the World of Modern Cryptography!
The Winter School on Cryptography at IIT Madras offers a deep dive into the foundations and frontiers of cryptographic research. Designed for final-year undergraduates, master’s students, and early-stage PhD researchers, this six-day program blends theory and practice, covering symmetric-key and public-key encryption, zero-knowledge proofs, and more. With leading experts from top institutions, engaging lectures, and hands-on problem-solving, this is your gateway to the exciting world of secure computation.
Ready to build the future of security? Join us this December!
Schedule
| Head | Description |
|---|---|
| Host Institution | Indian Institute of Technology Madras |
| Dates |
Monday, December 16 2024 to
Saturday, December 21, 2024 (6 days from Monday to Saturday) |
| Local Coordinators |
Prof. Shweta Agrawal shwetaag [at] cse [at] iitm [dot] ac [dot] in Jeyanthi Arumugam kumarajeyanthi [at] gmail [dot] com |
| Frequently Asked Questions | Please check this link for questions relating to the venue, accommodation, and other miscellaneous concerns |
| Academic Coordinators |
Sruthi Sekar sruthi [at] iitb [dot] ac [dot] in Sikhar Patranabis sikhar.patranabis [at] ibm [dot] com |
| Description of the School | The winter school will serve as an introduction to modern cryptography to students in the early stages of their research careers (final year undergrads, masters’ students and early-stage PhD students). The school will cover basics of information-theoretic and computational cryptography, including symmetric-key and public-key encryption. Certain advanced topics such as proof systems will also be covered. The content will strike a balance between theoretical concepts and practical applications of cryptography. |
| List of Topics |
a) Information-theoretic tools for cryptography b) Computational tools for cryptography c) Symmetric-key cryptography d) Public-key cryptography e) Zero-knowledge proofs and applications |
| List of speakers (with affiliations) |
|
| Background / prior courses recommended | Discrete mathematics Basic mathematical maturity |
| Specific software to be used | None |
Applying for the Winter Schools
The application fee for this school program is Rs 150 + 18% GST; you can give first and second preference in the application form. All payments are non-refundable. We request you to apply after careful consideration since the demand is high and the seats are limited to 40 per school.
And last but not least, as usual, one school is reserved for women students. This time it is on “Algorithms for Big Data and Machine Learning” at the Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DA-IICT), Gandhinagar.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Last date for application |
Monday, October 21, 2024
Monday, October 28, 2024 (midnight IST) |
| Announcement of selection via email | Tuesday, November 12, 2024 |
| Registration deadline | Friday, November 22, 2024 (midnight IST) |
Here is the list of the schools planned. More details about each school are available via the respective school’s page below.
| No | Name of the School | Host Institute | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data Structures and Algorithms for Strings, with Applications in Search Engines and Computational Biology | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore | 16/12/24 | 24/12/24 |
| 2 | Decoding AI: Building Explainable and Robust Intelligence | SRM University, Amravati, Andhra Pradesh | 12/12/24 | 24/12/24 |
| 3 |
Algorithms for Big Data and Machine Learning (Women only) |
Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DA-IICT) Gandhinagar | 16/12/24 | 24/12/24 |
| 4 | Introduction to Modern Cryptography | IIT Madras, Chennai (Sponsored by CyStar, IIT Madras) | 16/12/24 | 21/12/24 |
Please note that you need not be an ACM member to attend any of these schools, but our usual recommendation is to become one and experience all other benefits of
ACM student membership!
ACM student member attendees of the schools will get a 20% discount on the registration fees.
Selection & Registration
Selection: ACM India will select the students based on the data provided. Selected students will be informed via email.
Registration: Only the selected students will be required to pay non-refundable school fees, no more than INR 2500 + 18%
GST. A payment link will be provided only to the selected students. Please note that once selected to a school you cannot change to another school. Also note that if selected, you should pay and register, to be fair to those who could not get in. So choose responsibly.
Each day comprises lectures as well as tutorial sessions with hands-on problem-solving experience. The industry partnership can expose you to the career options in the area covered by the school; some schools may organise sessions dedicated to this.
Top performing students in these schools may earn opportunities for internship in industry and will be invited to an all-expense-paid trip to the ACM India ARCS Symposium and ACM India Annual Event 2025 at PSG Tech, Coimbatore in February–March 2025.