CogSci Asia-Pacific Meetup Kickoff

About

Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to understand the nature and mechanisms of intelligence—whether biological or artificial—drawing from disciplines such as psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, education, computer science, and anthropology. As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve rapidly, the question of what constitutes uniquely human intelligence becomes increasingly pressing.

The Cognitive Science Society has long played a central role in advancing this field through its flagship annual conference CogSci (47th edition in 2025: https://x.gd/WABFj). While the community has grown globally, its development has historically been centered in North America and Europe. This Western-centric landscape, while foundational, risks limiting the scope of cognitive theories and methods to those shaped by specific cultural, linguistic, and institutional contexts.

To foster a more balanced and globally representative cognitive science, we must actively expand opportunities for researchers across all regions to contribute and collaborate. The Asia-Pacific region, home to a rich diversity of languages, cultures, and research traditions, offers essential perspectives for advancing our understanding of cognition.

The CogSci Asia-Pacific Meetup Kickoff is the first in a series of events aimed at strengthening connections among cognitive scientists throughout the Asia-Pacific—spanning East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Australasia, and the Pacific Islands. This inaugural meeting especially encourages the participation of early-career researchers and seeks to amplify regionally grounded approaches to cognitive science.

We invite submissions from all areas of cognitive science, including but not limited to perception, learning, reasoning, memory, language, culture, education, human-computer interaction, computational modeling, and cognitive neuroscience. Submissions that reflect cultural, linguistic, or methodological diversity, or that address underrepresented cognitive phenomena, are particularly encouraged.

Let this event mark the first step toward a more inclusive, pluralistic, and globally interconnected cognitive science.

Format and Program

The CogSci Asia-Pacific Meetup Kickoff will be held primarily in person in a retreat-style format to encourage deeper exchange and community building. While we strongly encourage on-site participation, a limited number of online participants will also be accommodated for selected sessions.

The program will consist of three main components:

• Lecture Sessions: Inspired by the Hong Kong 2024 CogSci meetup, we will invite speakers from participating countries across the Asia-Pacific region. These lectures will introduce not only each speaker’s current research but also their perspectives on cognitive science shaped by local cultural and academic contexts. The speaker will include Janet Hsiao (HKUST), Charles Kemp (University of Melbourne), Jeh-Kwang Ryu (Dongguk University) and more.
• Participant Presentations (Oral/Poster): A call for oral and poster presentations will be announced in spring 2025. Presentations will be selected based on abstract submissions. While abstracts will be screened for clarity and relevance, they will not undergo formal peer review. registration form
• Discussion Sessions: In order to foster open dialogue and social connection, we will hold structured discussion sessions around selected topics in cognitive science. The specific themes will be announced closer to the event.

Participation fee

• Students: 25,000 JPY
• Non-students: 35,000 JPY

The registration fee covers accommodation (1 night), meals, and all in-person sessions. A registration website will be available soon with detailed instructions.

Schedule

• May 2025: Website opens
• Late June 2025: Announcement of invited speakers
• August 5, 2025: Submission deadline
• August 20, 2025: Notification of acceptance
• Early September 2025: Registration closes
• October 2025: Tentative program released
• November 2025: Online forum opens for participants
• December 6–7, 2025: Event dates (in-person and hybrid sessions)

Venue Access Information

Takaone Activity & Stay, 2264 Takaomachi, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 193-0844, Japan

Located just a 1-minute walk from Takaosanguchi Station on the Keio Line. It is situated at the base of Mt. Takao, a popular destination for hiking and cultural experiences (see Japan-Guide, Good luck trip (Japanese site)

Source and more details: https://sites.google.com/view/cogsci-asia-pacific-meetup/home