: Choose (N) large enough that the variance of (\hatf_N(x^*)) is small, then solve via deterministic optimization (e.g., Benders decomposition, progressive hedging). But Shapiro warns: Don't oversmooth — validate with out-of-sample testing.

You might be referring to lectures or publications by Alexander Shapiro, a prominent researcher in optimization and stochastic programming. Shapiro has authored numerous papers and books, and it's possible he has given lectures on stochastic programming. His work often focuses on theoretical aspects as well as practical applications of stochastic programming.