Workshop on Automata, Formal and Natural Languages 2026 (WAFNL 2026)

WAFNL is an international workshop focused on Automata, Formal Languages, Natural Language Processing, and Computational Linguistics. Its main aim is to encourage cooperation among formal language researches, NLP researchers, and linguists in Central Europe, as well as among their students.

The workshop will consist of a regular papers track, an overview and work-in-progress papers track and an open session. The workshop is part of the ITAT conference, which takes place at Hotel Vršatec in Biele Karpaty, Slovakia, from September 25 to September 29, 2026.

Regular Papers

Regular papers should present original scientific contributions. Submissions must meet the following requirements:

• Language & originality: Papers must be written in English and must contain previously unpublished work.
• Cross-submissions: Papers that have been submitted or accepted elsewhere must be withdrawn from WAFNL no later than the camera-ready deadline.
• Peer review: Each submission will be evaluated by two independent reviewers.
• Publication: Accepted papers will appear in the ITAT proceedings (CEUR Workshop Proceedings, indexed in Scopus).
• Length & format: The final version must be 5–15 pages, including references, and prepared using the new one-column LaTeX style (overleaf template).
• Submission system: All papers must be submitted via EasyChair.

Overview and Work-In-Progress Papers

Overview papers should provide a high‑level synthesis of the authors' research, while work‑in‑progress papers should present preliminary or ongoing results. Submissions reporting negative results are also welcome.

• They will be presented in a dedicated track.
• The goal is to introduce the authors' work to a broader computer science audience, not only specialists in formal languages or NLP.
• Overview papers do not need to contain novel material; however, they must include appropriate citations to the original publications on which the overview is based.
• Work-in-progress papers should describe ongoing research.
• Formatting requirements follow the same one-column LaTeX style (overleaf template) used for regular papers.
• Accepted overview and work-in-progress papers will be published in a separate volume, not in the CEUR proceedings.
• Submissions should be made via EasyChair.

Open Session

To promote collaboration and the exchange of ideas among researchers in automata theory and NLP, the workshop offers an Open Session for presentations without requiring a paper submission.

• Participants may present any of their own work, including previously published research, current projects, research ideas, or overview presentations.
  • Bachelor's, master's, and PhD theses may also be presented.
  • Any topic related to the workshop theme is welcome (automata theory, formal languages, computational linguistics, natural language processing).
• Presentations in the Open Session will not appear in the proceedings; only the title and abstract will be posted on the workshop website.
• Each accepted contribution will be presented as a poster, accompanied by a short 5-minute oral introduction.
• At least one presenting author must register for the workshop by August 20, 2026.
• Submissions should be made via EasyChair.

Invited talk

• Jernej Vičič (University of Primorska): TBA

Program committee (preliminary)

• Martin Plátek (KTIML MFF UK, Praha), co-chair
• Dana Pardubská (KI UK, Bratislava), co-chair
• Frantisek Mráz (KSVI MFF UK, Praha), co-chair
• Daniel Průša (KK FEL ČVUT, Praha)
• Markéta Lopatková (ÚFAL MFF UK, Praha)
• Rudolf Rosa (ÚFAL MFF UK, Praha)
• Ondřej Dušek (ÚFAL MFF UK, Praha)
• Karel Oliva (Praha)
• David Mareček (ÚFAL MFF UK, Praha)
• Alexandr Rosen (ÚČNK FF UK, Praha)
• Jaroslava Hlaváčová (ÚFAL MFF UK, Praha)
• Gabriela Andrejková (ÚINF PF UPJŠ, Košice)
• Peter Mlynárčik (KFMT FHPV UNIPO, Prešov)
• Peter Vojtáš (MFF UK, Praha)
• Martin Procházka (Praha)