The first day of our Summer School in Cáceres kicks off with resounding success!

Excitement and eagerness to learn could be felt in the air from early morning on September 9. The second edition of our International Summer School on LLM-based Agents for Software Engineering (LLMA4SE) was underway! Or Summer School for short.

This “school” was conceived as a meeting point bringing together inquisitive minds, researchers, and software engineering and artificial intelligence enthusiasts.

The day began with the reception of participants. We noticed some familiar faces who had already attended last year, so we must not be doing too badly if they decided to join us for another edition.

This was followed by the opening ceremony, where the directors of the LLMA4SE Summer School, José María Conejero Manzano and Roberto Rodríguez Echeverría, welcomed all attendees, accompanied by the Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation, José Javier Berrocal Olmeda, representing the University of Extremadura. Together, we set the stage for what promised to be three unforgettable days of collaborative learning and professional connections.

The academic program broke the ice with an inspiring keynote address by Juan de Lara, from the Autonomous University of Madrid. In his talk, “When Models Met Agents: Reconciling two Approaches to Automated Software Development”, Juan offered a fascinating perspective on the frontiers of software engineering and the transformative impact of new technologies, captivating the entire audience and sparking a high-level debate among attendees.

Next up was Giovanni Rosa, who delved into a highly relevant topic with his keynote “Governing Code with Specification-Driven Development”. Giovanni masterfully explained how specification-driven development can ensure code quality, governance, and robustness in complex projects, leaving all attendees with valuable insights and ideas to apply to their own work.

We continued with Antonio Mastropaolo and his keynote “Measuring a Moving Target: Benchmarking Non-Deterministic Software Engineering”. Although Antonio unfortunately could not join us in person due to last-minute circumstances, we were able to connect with him via Microsoft Teams. His presentation provided a clarifying analysis of the challenges of evaluating non-deterministic systems, proving that distance is no barrier to sharing top-tier knowledge.

After recharging during lunch (delicious, by the way), the afternoon made way for practical sessions with a workshop conducted by Gregorio Robles on “Specification Driven Development”. Gregorio guided participants through highly enriching dynamics and interactions, allowing them to directly apply theoretical concepts and foster teamwork in a relaxed, participatory learning environment.

Next, we reconnected via Teams with Antonio Mastropaolo for his workshop “Measuring a Moving Target: Benchmarking Non-Deterministic Software Engineering Agents”. In this second practical session, attendees took a deep dive into the behavior and evaluation of software engineering agents, resolving questions and experimenting in real time alongside the speaker.

To wrap up this first day in the best possible way, we immersed ourselves in the historical richness of the city with a guided tour of Cáceres’ wonderful Old Town. Strolling through its cobbled streets and city walls—a filming location for part of Game of Thrones—was the perfect finishing touch to unwind at sunset, get to know each other better, and enjoy the unique charm of this World Heritage city.

We say goodbye to this first day with big smiles and great excitement to see what day two will bring. Another day full of fascinating talks awaits us, along with two social activities designed for all participants to enjoy! Let’s keep sharing great experiences together!

Are you interested in our research areas, do you want to learn more about our projects, or are you considering collaborating with us? Get in touch with our team!

If you have made it this far, we encourage you to read our next entry, or consult the summary of the second edition of the International Summer School on LLM-Based Agents for Software Engineering in Cáceres.