You are cordially invited to attend the “HPC Tests“ workshop, a CUG 2026 satellite event in Nice, France on April 25, 2025. This workshop brings together HPC experts and vendors from around the globe to share state-of-the-art HPC system testing methodologies, tools, tests, procedures, and best practices.

More information will be coming soon on this workshop, including how to register for this event.

Registration

Registration is available on EventBrite

Registration Costs

• Early Registration (Member):  $1095 USD
• Normal Registration (Member):  $1195 USD
• Late Registration (Member): $1295 USD
• Registration for XTreme and/or PEAD SIG: $150 USD
• Early Guest Ticket for CUG Night Out:  $150 USD
• Normal Guest Ticket for CUG Night Out: $175 USD
• CUG2025 Normal Registration (Non-member): $1495 USD
• CUG2025 Late Registration (Non-member): $1595 USD

Key Registration Dates

• Early Registration Deadline – February 26, 2026
• Normal Registration Opens – February 27, 2026
• Room Block Deadline – March 27, 2026
• Normal Registration Deadline – April 4, 2026
• Late Registration Opens – April 5, 2026

Badge and Registration Material Pick-up

Badges and registration materials will be available for pick-up at the CUG registration desk during conference hours and at the Sunday welcome reception.

Sunday:  3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m, CUG Registration Desk
Sunday:  5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m, Welcome Reception
Monday:  8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m, CUG Registration Desk
Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m, CUG Registration Desk

Visit the CUG Office for registration needs after 10:30 am on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.

Venue

The conference will be held at the Le Méridien in Nice, France. The beachfront hotel is located on Promenade des Anglais with easy access to Old Town—located about 6 km from Nice Côte d’Azur Airport.

Hotel Reservations

Book your room at the conference hotel using the link below to secure the CUG 2026 group rate of €275 per night, breakfast included. Please note the only available nights are the nights of 04/23/2026 through 04/30/2026. Check in time is 3:00PM, earlier arrivals are not guaranteed. If you require an earlier arrival, please consider booking a room for the night before. Book early—availability in the room block is limited and ends when sold out or on March 27, whichever comes first.

Le Meridien Hotel – CUG Group Rate

Badge and Registration Material Pick-up

Badges and registration materials will be available for pick-up at the CUG registration desk during conference hours and at the Sunday welcome reception.

Sunday:  3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m, CUG Registration Desk
Sunday:  5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m, Welcome Reception
Monday:  8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m, CUG Registration Desk
Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m, CUG Registration Desk

Visit the CUG Office for registration needs after 10:30 am on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.

All attendees must wear your CUG issued registration badge during CUG Conference activities.

Smoking Policy

There is no smoking or vaping allowed inside the Conference venue.

Special Assistance

Any requests for special assistance during the conference should be noted on the “Special Requirements” area of the registration form.

Traveling to Nice, France – Visa Information

If you have any questions regarding visas, please reach out to the CUG Board at board@cug.org.

Traveling to Nice, France – Transportation

The closest airport to the conference hotel is Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE).

What are my transportation options for getting to the event?

• Tram from the airport (NCE) → hotel:
  Take Tram L2 (Airport Port Lympia) from Terminal 1 or 2 to Jean-Médecin (~20–25 min), then either walk ~12–15 min down to the Promenade to the hotel or transfer to Tram L1 and take one stop to Masséna and walk ~6–7 min.

• Taxi / Uber (fastest point-to-point):
  15–25 min to Le Méridien

• Train to Nice-Ville (if you’re arriving by rail):
  From Nice-Ville station it’s a 20 min walk to the hotel, or hop Tram L1 and ride two stops to Masséna, then walk ~6–7 min.

• Local buses:
  Plenty run along the Promenade, but the tram is simpler and typically quicker for airport/city transfers.

Tips: Trams run every ~5–8 minutes; buy tickets at platform machines (validate before boarding).

Conference Program Overview and Social Events

The conference program will be available prior to the start of the conference. The guidebook, delegate book, and conference proceedings will be available prior to the start of the conference.

Saturday, April 25 (full day)

• You are cordially invited to attend the “HPC Tests“ workshop, a CUG 2026 satellite event in Nice, France. This workshop brings together HPC experts and vendors from around the globe to share state-of-the-art HPC system testing methodologies, tools, tests, procedures, and best practices. More information will be forthcoming soon regarding registration for this workshop. 

Sunday, April 26 (full day)

• XTreme SIG meeting (XTreme members only, registration required)
• PEAD SIG (afternoon, registration required)
• Welcome Reception 5:30pm – 6:30pm
  
  • All attendees and their guests are invited to attend the welcome reception within the Conference Venue.

Monday, April 27 (full day)

• Tutorials & BoFs

Tuesday, April 28 (full day)

• Conference Keynote, Plenary Sessions, and Technical Paper Presentations
• HPE Networking Event

Wednesday, April 29 (full day)

• Plenary Sessions, best paper presentation, 1 on 100 with HPE leadership, and technical program presentations
• CUG Night out at Chateau de Cremat, 442 Chem. de Crémat, 06200 NiceAll registered CUG attendees are invited to join us for the CUG Night Out, an unforgettable evening at the breathtaking Château de Crémat. Your guests are welcome to attend with a paid CUG Night Out ticket and share in this special experience. Perched above Nice, the château boasts stunning panoramic views of the city and surrounding landscape. Its rich history and distinct character captivate visitors in search of genuine local charm. Since Roman times, Château de Crémat has been a wine-growing site located in an idyllic setting between the sea and the mountains. It was owned by atypical and visionary figures who transformed it into an architectural gem. Coaches will depart outside Le Meridien Hotel at 17:15 to arrive at the Chateau for a drink’s reception before seating for dinner at approximately 18:45. Our first bus will return to the hotel at approximately 20:30 with shuttles then running until approximately 22:30. 
  • Menu & Bar This event will feature water, soda, beer and wine. We will be serving passed Hors D’Oeuvres and a during the welcome reception between 17:45 – 18:45. Once seated for dinner, the main menu will include a vegetarian starter followed by your choice of lamb, cod or ravioli entree. Your selection would have been pre-selected at the time of CUG registration.

Thursday, April 30 (full day)

• Reveal of CUG 2027
• Panel
• Technical program presentations, and BoF
• Closing session

The CUG Program Committee is lead by the CUG Vice President and consists of the HPE Program Liaison, the SIG chairs/deputy chairs, and other volunteers from CUG member sites. Please contact Bilel Hadri, CUG Vice President and Program Chair, if you would like to get involved in the committee.

Program Chair: Bilel Hadri, KAUST Supercomputing Lab

HPE Program Liaison: Azita Sadri, HPE

Program Committee Members

Ashley Barker, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Gregory Bauer, National Center for Supercomputing Applications
Massimo Benini, Swiss National Supercomputing Centre
Colleen Bertoni, Argonne National Laboratory
Johannes Blaschke, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Brett Bode, National Center for Supercomputing Applications
Jim Brandt, Sandia National Laboratories
Nick Brown, EPCC
David Carlson, Institute for Advanced Computational Science, Stony Brook University
Matteo Chesi, Swiss National Supercomputing Centre, ETH Zurich
England Clay, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Benjamin Cumming, CSCS
Maciej Cytowski, Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre
Pascal Jahan Elahi, Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre
Matthew A. Ezell, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Chris Fuson, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Raj Gautam, ExxonMobil
Ann Gentile, Sandia National Laboratories
Bilel Hadri, KAUST Supercomputing Lab
David Hancock, Indiana University
Jesse A. Hanley, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Gabriel Hautreux, CINES
Wolfgang Hayek, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, NeSI
Helen He, National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center
Juan F R Herrera, EPCC, The University of Edinburgh
David Hladky, AFLCMC, STI Tech
John Holmen, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Dennis Hoppe, High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart
Frank M. Indiviglio, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Adrian Jackson EPCC, The University of Edinburgh
Mark D. Klein, Swiss National Supercomputing Centre, ETH Zurich
Stephen Leak, National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center
Lena M Lopatina, LANL
Martti Louhivuori, CSC – IT Center for Science Ltd.
Alberto Madonna, Swiss National Supercomputing Centre
Veronica G. Melesse Vergara, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Scott Michael, Indiana University
Scott Parker, Argonne National Laboratory
Paul L. Peltz Jr., Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Jean-Guillaume Piccinali, Swiss National Supercomputing Centre
Pankajakshan Ramesh, LLNL
Tim Robinson, Swiss National Supercomputing Centre, ETH Zurich
Jim Rogers, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Aaron Scantlin, National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center
Joseph Schuchart, Stony Brook University, Institute for Advanced Computational Science
Eva Siegmann, Stony Brook University
Kevin Stroup Sandia National Laboratories
Abhinav S. Thota, Indiana University
Craig West, Australian Bureau of Meteorology
Jim Williams, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Zhengji Zhao, National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center
Sebastian von Alfthan, CSC – IT Center for Science Ltd.

Keynote Speaker:  Michael Zingale, Stony Brook University.

Title: What I’ve Learned About Supercomputing from Blowing Up Stars

Bio:
Michael Zingale is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Stony Brook University. He earned a BS in Physics and Astronomy (1996) from the University of Rochester and a PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2000) from the University of Chicago. He was part of the Flash Code development team that won a Gordon Bell Prize in 2000, and received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) through DOE NNSA in 2005, and an Outstanding Junior Investigator award for the DOE Office of Nuclear Physics in 2006. Michael’s research involves the development of new algorithms for efficiently modeling convection in stellar interiors and coupling nuclear reactions and hydrodynamics in explosive flows. He is a codeveloper of the Open Source astrophysical, multiscale/multiphysics simulation codes Castro and MAESTROeX and the nuclear astrophysics library pynucastro. He applies these codes to studies of early phases of Type Ia supernovae, novae, and X-ray bursts.

 

Abstract:
Stars shine throughout their lives by converting light elements into heavier elements via nuclear burning. While there are different pathways that low and high mass stars take in their evolution as they exhaust their fuel, explosions of both groups (or their remnants) are possible, leading to a wide-range of stellar transients. Modeling these events requires capturing the interplay between hydrodynamics, nuclear reactions, gravity, radiation, rotation, and more physics. These models are also inherently multi-dimensional and span a vast range of timescales. Both algorithmic developments and leveraging of modern supercomputer architectures are key to performing accurate and efficient simulations of these explosions. In this talk, I will discuss some of the lessons I’ve learned from more than two decades of writing simulation codes for these problems. I will show examples of where new algorithms needed to be developed, instead of using general codes, and when complete rewrites of codes were needed to support new architectures. Finally, I will talk about how we will train our students to write the next generation of codes.