Situated Cognition Spring School 2025

Situated Cognition in Human Minds, Animal Minds and AI Systems

24. – 27.03.2024, Ruhr-University Bochum, Zemos

This spring school of situated cognition brings together a diverse range of researchers working on mind and cognition, and how they relate to the body and environment. We strive to provide an extensive overview of state-of-the-art theorizing, experimenting, observing and surveying of all kinds of situated phenomena in humans, non-human animals and AI systems. The relevance and impact of these advancements is then also reflected upon for the scientific domain and beyond. We are therefore delighted to have a lineup of excellent keynotes coming from diverse backgrounds and with different interests ranging from, but are not limited to, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, animal research, sociology, and artificial systems. Doctoral students and early postdocs from Europe or abroad are cordially invited to apply for a talk or poster presentation. We aim to provide an open and collaborative environment to foster intensive discussion, networking and exchange with leading experts as well as fellow students of this continuously growing area of research.

Keynote Speakers (alphabetical order)

• Zanna Clay (Durham University)
• Anna Ciaunica (University of Lisbon)
• Andreas K. Engel (UKE Hamburg)
• Anja Gampe (University Duisburg-Essen)
• Fiona Macpherson (University of Glasgow)
• Celine Riera (Cedars-Sinai, LA)
• Tobias Thelen (Osnabrück University)
• Somogy Varga (Aarhus University)

Organizers

This workshop is organized by members of the RTG “Situated Cognition”:

• Albert Newen (Speaker; Ruhr-Universität Bochum)
• Nikola Kompa (Deputy speaker; Universität Osnabrück)
• Julia Wolf (Scientific coordinator, Ruhr-Universität Bochum)
• Louis Loock (Deputy scientific coordinator; Universität Osnabrück)

Workshop in Cognitive Science and Philosophy
Imagination in the Context of Situated Cognition

18/10/2024, Ruhr University Bochum

The third cohort of PhDs has successfully started their projects in our Research Training Group ‘Situated Cognition’. Now, the PhDs are ready to give insights into their projects and research in more detail. This workshop will discuss all there is to discover in the sphere of imagination, such as its role in creativity, connection to mind wandering and its special phenomenology in aphantasics. What can we learn when we let our imagination take the lead? Is it fruitful to let our minds wander? In this workshop, together with the RTG’s PhDs and our distinguished keynotes Julia Langkau and Gregory Currie, we will take a closer look at what current research is uncovering in the broad field of imagination, especially with regards to recent developments in Situated Cognition. This workshop marks the end of the first year of our final cohort, providing us with insight into their ongoing projects and research.

You can find more details here: Imagination in the Context of Situated Cognition Workshop

Program Overview

– Friday, 18th of October –

Workshop in Cognitive Science and Philosophy
Empirical Investigations of Situated Cognition

06 – 07/06/2024, University of Osnabrück

The third cohort of PhDs has successfully started their projects in our Research Training Group ‘Situated Cognition’. Now, the PhDs are ready to give insights into their projects and research in more detail. Starting out with a workshop focused on the empirical investigations within situated cognition, our PhDs present their work and are joined by our highly regarded keynote speakers. Alice Auersperg, Sam Wass, and Tobias Meilinger give us their perspective on questions such as how problems are solved in non-human animals, what developmental trajectories can tell us about later cognitive abilities or how cognition differs when in virtual versus real space. This first workshop will cover current trends and topics in the fields of Animal Cognition, Developmental Psychology, and Virtual Reality. In order to continuously learn more about structural injustice at university and to foster a diverse and equal environment, we have also invited Anna Welpinghus to give a workshop as well as talk.

You can find more details here: Empirical Investigations of Situated Cognition Workshop

Program Overview

– Thursday, 6th of June –

– Friday, 7th of June –

First Conference of the Third Cohort
Three Generations RTG ‘Situated Cognition’

05–06/10/2023, Ruhr University Bochum

Our Research Training Group ‘Situated Cognition’ has now started its third and last training generation of twelve new PhD students, with the second cohort simultaneously finalizing their projects. At this unique point in time, we would like to unite all three generations of PhDs together with many current, former and future members and collaborators, both internal and external. This includes our highly regarded keynote speakers: Louise Barrett, Joel Krueger, Peter König, and Heidi Maibom covering topics like situated affectivity, agency, perspectivism, social cognition and the interaction of neuroscience and AI.

Program Overview

The detailed schedule can be found here.

– Thursday, 5th of October –

– Friday, 6th of October –