Donostia / San Sebastian
Spain
Workshop Announcement and Call:
ON THE ORIGINS OF COGNITION
Palacio de Miramar, Donostia, The Basque Country, Spain
December 13th (Friday) and 14th (Saturday) 1996
Host Institution: University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
- Faculty of Philosophy
* Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science
- Faculty of Informatics
* Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence
* Department of Languages and Information Systems
Sponsored by:
- Gipuzkoako Kutxa, Donostia, The Basque Country
- Eusko Jaurlaritza, Gasteiz, The Basque Country
- DIGCYT, Madrid, Spain
Organisation Committee:
Alvaro Moreno University of the Basque Country Director
Tim Smithers University of the Basque Country Director
Blanca Cases University of the Basque Country
Arantza Etxeberria University of the Basque Country
Jon Umerez University of the Basque Country
Local Organising and Program Commitee:
Alicia D'Anjou Javier Dolado
Jesus Ezquerro M=81 Jose Garcia
Pablo Gonzalez Manuel Gran/a
Jesus Iban/ez Asier Lasa
JJ Merelo Federico Moran
Kepa Ruiz Javier Torrealdea
Though relatively new, the Sciences of Cognition are now well established
and largely well respected activities in the scientific community as a
whole. They have established a number of natural and effective interactions
with work in related disciplines such as artificial intelligence, biology,
computer science, philosophy, psychology, and robotics. This has led to a
number of different characterisations of the phenomenon of cognition, and,
in turn, to a number of different approaches to its investigation. However,
an aspect of cognition that has not received much attention is what are the
possible origins of cognition, in natural and artificial systems.
The motivation for this workshop is the question, Can cognition be
effectively investigated and understood without an understanding of its
origins? The objectives of this workshop are to consider this question from
a number of different perspectives and in the context of the origins of
cognition in both natural and artificial systems.
To discuss and debate this issue, this workshop will bring together an
international group of leading researchers who are actively engaged in the
problems of cognition and its possible origins. It will be dedicated to
presentations and lively discussions of the current status of work on the
origins of cognition in natural and artificial systems from biological,
psychological, epistemological, philosophical, and artificial intelligence
perspectives. It will provide an important and timely opportunity for both
new and established researchers in cognitive science and related areas to
gain an up-to-date and deeper appreciation of one of the most fundamental
questions in any attempt to understand cognition. We particularly wish to
encourage postgraduate doctoral students and recent post-doctoral
researchers to attend.
Main Topics to be covered:
* The importance of explanations in terms of origins
* Epistemological aspects of cognition and its origins
* The relationship between life and cognition
* Evolutionary and developmental aspects of the origins of cognition
* Psychological approaches to the origins of cognition
* Complex Adaptive Systems and the origins of cognition
* Investigating the origins of cognition in artificial systems
* The relationship between the origin of cognition in natural and
artificial systems
Invited Speakers:
The following prominent researchers in the fields of adaptive behaviour and
cognition have accepted invitations to attend the workshop and to take part
in the presentation and dicussion sessions:
Prof Margaret Boden -- Sussex University, UK
Prof John Casti -- Santa Fe Institute, USA
Prof Maxine Sheets-Johnstone -- University of Oregon, USA
Prof Angel Riviere -- Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain
Prof Lynn Andrea Stein -- MIT, USA
Prof John Stewart -- Universite de Technologie de Compiegne,
and Institute Pasteur, Paris, France
Prof Gertrudis van de Vijver -- Universiteit Gent, Belgium
=46ormat:
The workshop will be organised as a series of working sessions, involving
the invited speakers, and poster sessions, in which accepted posters
submitted by attendees will be presented and displayed. Each working
session will consists of a one hour presentation, by one of the invited
speakers, followed by a general question and discussion period open to all
attendees. A poster presentation session will also be timetabled in which
selected poster submissions will have 10 to 15 min slots for oral presentati=
on.
Other poster display sessions will also be included in the timetable.
NOTE: The official language of the Workshop will be English.
PARTICIPATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:
REGISTRATION
Up to fifty participants will be accepted to attend the workshop.
Registration will cost 21.000 ptas. (approximately $168), 11.000 ptas.
(approximately $88) for students, and will include coffee, lunch, and tea
each day, together with a copy of the workshop notes.
Registrations should be made by completing the form below and sending it
together with the respective proof of payment to the address below.
If you wish, you may also email it with `OC'96 Registration' on the subject
line.
All registrations (and payments) must be received before midnight on
Monday 25 November, 1996!
NOTE:
* Registration DOES NOT REQUIRE the submission of a poster.
* All student registrations require proof of student status, either by a
copy of a scholarship certificate or by a signed letter from a head of
Department or Faculty.
* The appropriate registration fee must be received before registration
can be confirmed. Registrations will be confirmed in the order of receipt
of full payment until 50 have been confirmed.
The registration fee may be paid either by cheque or Eurocheque or by
international bank transfer.
SUBMISSION
There will be space for up to twenty posters to be presented by
participants. Short submissions are therefore invited for poster
presentation at the workshop. These should clearly and concisely describe
results of completed work or the nature and status of ongoing work related
to the subject of the workshop, and be NO MORE THAN FIVE PAGES OF ASCII
TEXT, please. Submissions will be reviewed and selected on an ongoing basis
until twenty have been accepted or until midnight on Monday11 November 1996,
whichever is the sooner. Authors will be notified of selection or rejection
within ten days of receipt of their submission, and at least one author of
each accepted poster must attend the workshop.
Submissions should be sent via Email or/and postal mail to the address
below, and should include the full names of all authors and their
institutions, together with a full contact address, telephone number, FAX
number, and Email address. Please put `OC'96 Submission' on the subject
line of the message.
REGISTRATION AND SUBMISSION ADDRESS
Alvaro Moreno (OC'96)
University of the Basque Country
Dept. of Logic and Philosophy of Science
P.O. Box 1249
20080 Donostia (Gipuzkoa)
SPAIN
E-mail oricog96@sc.ehu.es
=46ax 34 - 43 - 21 93 06 (* indicating: "to BLANCA CASES - OC'96")
Phone: 34 - 43 - 21 80 00 (ext. 209)
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Registration Form:
The Origins of Cognition - OC'96 - Donostia - 1996-12-13/14
=46irst Name :______________________ Family Name:___________________________=
_
Name and Address of Institution:___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Telephone Number:_________________ FAX Number:_____________________________
(Please include all international and regional prefix codes necessary.)
Email Addess:_____________________
Type of Registration:
O University Teacher or Researcher (21.000 ptas)
O Student or scholarship holder (11.000 ptas)
(proof of student status required)
O Other--PLEASE SPECIFY (21.000 ptas.):__________________________
Payment:
O 1. Payment By Cheque or Eurocheque made out to: Alvaro Moreno (OC'96=
)
for the correct amount in Spanish PESETAS and sent to the address below
(If you are unable to arrange for a cheque in Pesetas, then a cheque in
Pounds Sterling, German Marks, French Francs, or US dollars can be
accepted, but in this case 1.000 Pesetas MUST be added to cover
conversion costs at this end.)
O 2. Payment By International Bank Transfer
*** Account No and more particulars will be posted briefly or
availabe upon request ***
* Copy of transfer required (All transfer fees must be paid by the
sender)
If it is not possible (or is very difficult) to make payments by one of the
above methods please contact the organisers (at the address below, and
preferable by Email) to discuss possible alternative arrangements.
Do you authorise the organising committee to use the above data in any
further communications about or concerning this workshop?
O * YES or O * NO
Current areas of active research and interest (please specify):
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
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Important dates reminder:
Submission of posters before midnight on Monday 11 November, 1996.
Registration deadline is midnight on Monday 25 November, 1996.
=46urther information can be obtained and any qestions can be asked
* By sending an Email message to oricog96@sc.ehu.es (with "Information Request" on the subject line).
* OR: by calling Blanca Cases on +34 43 21 80 00 (ext. 209)
* OR: by sending a FAX to Blanca Cases , Facultad de Informatica, UPV/EHU on +34 43 21 93 06
Contact address for any communications by post:
Alvaro Moreno
Universidad del Pais Vasco OR Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea =46acultad de Filosofia Filosofia Fakultatea Apartado 1249 1249 Postakutxa 20080 San Sebastian 20080 Donostia Pais Vasco Euskal Herria Espan/a Espainia