Program
Sunday April 12th — Arrival & Welcome
Arrival Gaustablikk Fjellresort
Reception (Welcome + drinks)
Dinner (3-course dinner at Bjørk Restaurant, Gausta Resort )
Monday April 13th — Invited Talks
Coffee
Session I
Joan Daemen, Radboud University On the origins of Rijndael
Bart Preneel, KUL Block cipher design pre- and post-AES
Orr Dunkelman, University of Haifa (Almost) Three Decades of AES Cryptanalysis
Tetsu Iwata, Nagoya University Using Rijndael-256 in AES Modes
Session II
Henri Gilbert, ANSSI Leveraging the Exchange Distinguisher in a 6-Round Key Recovery Attack on AES
Stefano Tessaro, University of Washington What Can We Prove About AES ?
Tim Beyne, KUL Pairwise Independence of AES
Open / group sessions
• We have booked two floating saunas at 18:00-19:00 (10 pax + 10 pax)
• Randonnée or alpine skiing
• Cross-country skiing
Dinner (3-course dinner at Bjørk Restaurant, Gausta Resort )
Tuesday April 14th — Invited Talks + Secret Dining Event
Coffee
09:00 – 12:00
Session I
Leo Perrin, INRIA Using the AES round beyond encryption
Hirotaka Yoshida, AIST AES-based ISO hash algorithm, Lesamnta-LW and
a protection profile of AES-employed product
Yosuke Todo, NTT Cryptanalysis of AES under mode restriction
Håvard Raddum, Simula UiB How Ri(j)nda(e)l became AES: the Norwegian version
Bart Mennink, Maastricht University Accordion Modes: Basic Idea,
Known Constructions, and Recent Developments
Two-course lunch at Bjørk Restaurant
14:00 – 16:00
Session II - Standardizing Rijndael-256
Meltem Sonmez Turan, NIST NIST + AES Talk
Bart Preneel, KUL (Discussion Facilitator) Standardizing Rijndael-256 ?
Secret Dining inside Gaustatoppen
16:45 Bus transport from hotel to foot of the mountain17:00-21:00 Top Secret Dining incl. 3 course dinner at Gaustatoppen
21:00-21:30 Retour back to hotel
Wednesday April 15th — Wrap-up + Lunch
Talks / Discussion Block
Closing Session
Travel
Gaustablikk Fjellresort is located approximately 180 km from Oslo. Here are the best ways to reach it in 2026:
The fastest route from Oslo is via E134 towards Drammen and Kongsberg. From Kongsberg, follow Route 37 towards Rjukan, and then follow the signs up to Gaustablikk.
Roads are easy to drive at this time of the year.
You can take the VY Train (R12) from Oslo Airport or Oslo Central Station direct to Kongsberg. From Kongsberg, there are connecting buses (Route 185) to Rjukan. It is also possible to take Route 185 from Oslo. Rjukan up to Guasta mountain is about 20 min drive with a taxi.
Participants
- Jens Alich (RUB, DE)
- Augustin Bariant (ANSSI, FR)
- Tim Beyne (KU Leuven, BE)
- Christina Boura (IRIF, CNRS, FR)
- Joan Daemen (Radboud University, NL)
- Patrick Derbez (Inria, Fr)
- Orr Dunkelman (University of Haifa, IL)
- Henri Gilbert (ANSSI, FR)
- Lorenzo Grassi (TU/e, NL)
- Shay Gueron (University of Haifa, IL)
- Rachelle Heim (ULB, BE)
- Tor Helleseth (UiB, NO)
- Tetsu Iwata (Nagoya University, JP)
- Jérémy Jean (ANSSI, FR)
- Nathan Keller (Bar Ilan University, IL)
- Gregor Leander (RUB, DE)
- Gaëtan Leurent (Inria, FR)
- Willi Meier (FHNW, CH)
- Bart Mennink (Maastricht University, NL)
- Andreas Minne (Swedisn NCSA, SE)
- Yevhen Perehuda (RUB, DE)
- Leo Perrin (Inria, FR)
- Maria Naya Plasencia (Inria, FR)
- Bart Preneel (KU Leuven, BE)
- Håvard Raddum (Simula UiB, NO)
- Christian Rechberger (TU Graz, AT)
- Vincent Rijmen (KU Leuven, BE)
- Sondre Rønjom (UiB, NO)
- Arne Sandrib (NSM/UiB, NO)
- Le Van Schroeer (BSI, DE)
- Meltem Sonmez Turan (NIST, US)
- Martijn Stam (Simula UiB, NO)
- Lukas Stennes (cryptosolutions GmbH, DE)
- Stefano Tessaro (University of Washington, US)
- Yosuke Todo (NTT, JP)
- Hirotaka Yoshida (AIST, JP)
- Øyvind Ytrehus (UiB, NO)
- Morten Øygarden (UiB, NO)
Organisers
- Sondre Rønjom (UiB)
- Gregor Leander (RUB)
Information
Gausta Resort
Located at the foot of the iconic Gaustatoppen mountain in Telemark, Gausta is one of Norway's most snow-secure and breathtaking year-round destinations. Experience a unique mountain atmosphere with modern facilities and wild nature.
Official Website: www.gausta.com
Gausta Ski Centre
Gausta offers a diverse skiing experience for all skill levels, featuring:
- 35 km of slopes: 37 runs ranging from easy green to challenging black.
- Unique Access: Take the Gaustabanen, a funicular inside the mountain, to reach the summit for world-class off-piste skiing.
- Cross-Country: Over 85 km of groomed trails with stunning views of the mountain plateau.
Activities & Experiences
Whether you visit in winter or summer, there is always something to do:
- Floating Saunas:
- Ski Touring: Ski touring Gaustatoppen is one of Norway's most popular randonees.
- Cross country and slalom
Quick Links
Secret Dining Event
Top Secret Dining inside Gaustatoppen 14/04
In Top Secret Dining, participants are taken back in time to the Cold War through storytelling and dramaturgy, to an era when the Iron Curtain stretched across Europe. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, tensions between the superpowers intensified, and Norway stood as a supporter of the United States. The experience focuses on this atmosphere of tension. Guests are invited to join a thrilling adventure featuring professional actors, excellent food, and captivating stories, all set inside what was once one of Norway’s most secret military defense facilities. The full experience lasts approximately 4 hours.
The package includes:
- Round-trip transportation by the funicular railway.
- Dramaturgy and storytelling with live acting.
- A three-course dinner in the former listening and transmission hall at the summit.
- Cognac tasting of Gaustatoppen XO directly from the barrel.
More information
More about the concept and a video teaser can be found here: