GK Doctoral Symposium on Cognitive Science

We invite researchers to participate in the third installment of the doctoral symposium on cognitive science, funded by the German Society for Cognitive Science (Gesellschaft für Kognitionswissenschaft) and Centre for Cognitive Science at the Technical University of Darmstadt. The symposium will provide the opportunity for doctoral candidates in Germany to connect and discuss their research in the context of the central topic of ’Perspectives on Learning’.

The ability to learn is a crucial skill required for ‘intelligent’ behavior. It is a core concept in various research fields from Neuroscience, Psychology, Linguistics to Artificial Intelligence and is connected to many cognitive abilities, e.g., perception, decision-making, or language understanding. In addition, learning is studied on all levels of analysis (computational, algorithmic, implementation), thus lending itself to various methodological approaches. As such, investigating the development and principles of learning is highly relevant in many research fields in Cognitive Science.

Science communication is the second focus of the symposium. Scientific research is essential for advancing our understanding of real-world phenomena and in developing novel methods and technology. It is a driving force for innovation which can affect our society on a large scale. Therefore, it is essential that research is conducted with the overall goal that the findings and results should benefit society. Not only should the pursuit of knowledge and insight aim to be beneficial, but it should also be transparent. Consequently, we believe it is necessary for academic researchers to properly communicate their research findings to the broader public beyond the borders of the scientific community.

The symposium will consist of lightning talks, workshops, and tutorial sessions. Each participant will be asked to give either a 15-minute workshop talk or a 45-minute tutorial on a topic based on the participants' doctoral thesis and with relation to the focus topic of 'Perspectives on Learning'. In addition, we ask every participant to give a very short (~4 minutes) lightning talk, providing a general introduction to their research.

Workshop talks will be assigned by subject (as best as possible) into a group of three presenters. The idea is to give a presentation about a particular subject with discussions after the three talks. The tutorials should be aimed to “teach” something to the other attendees. Ideally, therefore it should be more interactive and practical. However, the details of how to do it exactly are up to the person preparing the session. Each of the workshop and tutorial sessions will take place in a 1.5 hour time slot, to provide room for open discussions after the prepared parts.

A keynote talk and a separate workshop session on science communication will provide the participants with general information about this topic as well as tips and tools for the communication of their research to the general public. Finally, to apply the knowledge, participants will share their research results on perspectives on learning and insights from the symposium with the public in a blog post series initiated by the symposiums’ organizers.

Registration is closed. Thank you for participating!

January 15, 2022 Registration and Abstract Deadline

April 6-8, 2022 Cognitive Science Symposium

The Technical University (TU) Darmstadt is one of the preeminent research universities in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and robotics in Germany and Europe. In addition, the Center for Cognitive Science unites excellent, interdisciplinary researchers from psychology to artificial intelligence all working together on multiple projects in order to get a better understanding of cognition. The city of Darmstadt holds the official title of “City Of Science” and is located in the thriving Rhein-Main metropole region of Hessia that is well known for its open and international atmosphere.

Recommended hotels:

(all in 15 minute walking distance to the venue)
Felix-Hotel: 134-188€ for three nights
THE Hotel Darmstadt: 159-183€ for three nights
Best Western Hotel Darmstadt Mitte: 294-310€ for three nights

How much does the participation cost?

Due to the generous funding from the GK (Gesellschaft für Kognitionswissenschaft) and the Cognitive Science Center, the registration and participation are free for all participants.
Participants only have to bear the cost of the accommodation and food. Possible choices for accommodation will be posted on the website.

My research focus lies not directly on learning. Can I still present something?

The goal of choosing “perspectives on learning” as a global topic was to encompass as many topics of cognitive science as possible. If you can link your topic to learning and even just from a theoretical standpoint, your perspective is very welcome in the symposium.