Today started the 2 month Summer Program on Cryptography at the Simons Institute in Berkeley. The Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing is an exciting new venue for collaborative research in theoretical computer science. The Institute typically hosts two concurrent programs per semester, where each is led by a small group of organizers who are recognized experts in their fields, and involves about 40-50 invited long-term participants (a mix of senior and junior researchers) who spend at least one month (usually longer) at the Institute.

The Cryptography program started today with an one week bootcamp that is intended to bring every participant on the same page regarding the recent developments in crypto. This day was extremely instructive because the lectures were not only very up to date but also very well taught, as opposed to the standard conference talk.

And what is really amazing is that the lectures were recorded and are now available online! So have a look at them!