Participation in the PATAT Conference 2026

The 15th International Conference on the Practice and Theory of Automated Timetabling (PATAT) took place in Nottingham from August 25 to 28, 2026. Held every two years, this international conference brings together researchers and practitioners working in the fields of timetabling and scheduling, as well as the underlying methods of operations research. Topics ranged from educational timetabling and sports timetabling to healthcare scheduling and transportation optimization.

The Chair of Industrial Management at TU Dresden was also represented in Nottingham. Michael Hölscher presented recent progress from the GO-flexi project under the title“A Three-Phase Framework for Course Planning and Timetabling in Upper Secondary Schools with Self-Directed Learning”(link to the extended abstract). The focus was on a three-phase approach to course and class scheduling for schools with a flexible upper secondary program. This approach combines course formation and traditional class scheduling with the planning of phases of self-directed learning and the necessary supervision resources.

In addition to the numerous subject-specific presentations and interesting plenary talks, the joint conference dinner and pub visits provided many opportunities to continue the exchange in a relaxed atmosphere. Many thanks to the organizing team for the successful few days in Nottingham!