CogSci Meetup 2025 in Hamamatsu

Update Information

June 27, 2025: The deadline of entry is extended to July 7

April 14, 2025: Website launched and call for presentations opened

A real-time intersection of Japanese and global cognitive science

The CogSci meetup in Hamamatsu was launched in 2024 with the concept of “bridging Japanese and global cognitive science.” Its aim is to foster cognitive science research originating from Japan by organizing activities in connection with the Cognitive Science Society’s annual international conference, CogSci, which serves as a central hub for the global cognitive science community.

The Cognitive Science Society (CogSci) is an international academic society that has played a pivotal role in establishing cognitive science as an interdisciplinary field, particularly within the U.S. context. However, as globalization continues to evolve, enhancing the international scope of CogSci itself has become a pressing issue. In response, grassroots efforts to promote the global reach of cognitive science through CogSci meetups have emerged around the world.

These meetups offer a platform for cultivating local CogSci communities, particularly by including researchers who face geographic or economic barriers to attending the main conference, or who are unable to participate in a given year.

In hosting a meetup in Japan, it is essential to recognize and embrace the unique traditions and perspectives that Japanese cognitive science has developed over the years. Leveraging this uniqueness may pave the way for Japanese cognitive scientists to realize their full potential on the global stage, much like the rising global interest in Japan’s “soft power.” We envision a future in which young researchers from a mature society take on global challenges with hope and ambition—and CogSci meetup in Hamamatsu is designed as a step toward making that vision a reality.

Building on the foundation established in 2024, this year’s event will further strengthen connections with the hybrid-format CogSci 2025. Specifically, the Hamamatsu meetup will be held on two days (August 1–2) during the main conference period (July 30–August 2, 2025). The satellite venue, located in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, will feature real-time connections including livestreams of the main CogSci sessions. Due to the time zone difference, the event will be held in a retreat-style, overnight format. This streaming is conducted with the approval of the Cognitive Science Society. Presentations at this event may be cited as, for example, “Oral presentation at the 2025 Japan Satellite meeting of the Cognitive Science Society (CogSci Meetup 2025 in Hamamatsu).”

Presentation Categories

At this event, participants are welcome to attend and present either at the main CogSci venue or at the satellite venue in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. By connecting both venues online, we aim to generate synergy between distinct physical environments, fostering the emergence of new ideas, activities, and communities that go beyond traditional formats.

We invite presenters who resonate with this vision to participate in the following presentation categories. Presentations may be given in either English or Japanese.

• Ongoing Challenge at CogSci (OnCale | Presentations from San Francisco/Hamamatsu)

  • This session is intended for presenters at CogSci. Participants are invited to introduce the background of their research, share the content of their presentation, and report on the feedback and discussions they received at the conference. Given the timing and structure of the CogSci program, the presentation format can be flexibly adjusted.

• Locating Self-Interest in CogSci (LsCog | Presentations from Hamamatsu)

  • This category is open to a broad range of researchers and students with an interest in cognitive science. Presenters are encouraged to explore and articulate the connections between their own research and the themes of CogSci. Presentations are recommended to include reviews of past or current-year CogSci papers. We also welcome engaging introductions to CogSci by seasoned participants, as well as critical perspectives from those who have had little or no prior engagement with the conference.

• Road to CogSci (RtoCog | Presentations from Hamamatsu)

  • This category is for presentations of research that was submitted but not accepted to CogSci (or other related cognitive science conferences). Presenters are asked to share the reviewers’ comments and discuss how the work could be improved or developed further. Submissions from previous years are welcome, not just from 2025. We also encourage reports on cases where a paper was later accepted at another conference or journal. Through these presentations, we aim to create opportunities for discussing strategies to amplify the global impact of cognitive science research originating in Japan.

• CogSci International in Japan (CogiJ | Presentations from San Francisco/Hamamatsu)

  • This category focuses on international cognitive science initiatives taking place in Japan. Researchers from diverse countries and regions with ties to Japan—including international students—are invited to share their backgrounds, career paths, approaches to cognitive science research, and contributions to the academic community. Presentations from researchers and students based in Japan (at the Hamamatsu venue) are welcome, as well as online presentations from overseas researchers interested in Japanese cognitive science.

All categories are intended to foster reflection on the internationalization of Japanese academic communities through their relationship with the international conference CogSci. As long as the content aligns with this overarching purpose, presenters are encouraged to structure their presentations with flexibility and creativity at their own discretion.

Mentoring support will be available from the organizing team as needed. For example, in the case of presentations under the LsCog category, we can suggest relevant papers for review and reference.

CogSci encompasses a wide range of approaches, from neuroscience and behavioral experiments to human interfaces, computer science, and applied research. Therefore, we warmly welcome presentations from those whose work may not have had strong prior connections to CogSci or cognitive science more broadly.

We encourage you to register without hesitation—no need to feel pressured.

Please note that there will be no formal proceedings published for this event. However, we will use Slack as a communication platform. Presenters will be asked to upload their slides and any supplementary materials to their designated Slack channels.

Presentation slots are expected to be approximately 30 minutes, including Q&A, though this may be adjusted depending on the total number of presentations.

Call for Participation

The program of this event will not end with independent presentations, but will include many discussion sessions. Therefore, we hope that many people who do not have a presentation topic but are interested in the internationalization of research will participate. The expected participants are as follows.

• Graduate and undergraduate students want to present at international conferences in the future.

• Young researchers and graduate students who are facing problems in dealing with reviewers.

• Regular CogSci participants who wish to increase Japan's presence in the community

• Researchers in cognitive science and related fields who have not participated in CogSci in the past but share a common awareness of issues related to the internationalization of research.

• Senior and mid-career researchers who are passionate about fostering future researchers in this field.

• Furthermore, to all researchers and students who wish to form a research community on human intelligence

We believe that the discussion encompassing the above diverse backgrounds will result in an emergence that can increase Japanese competitiveness in international societies.

• July 7 Jun 27 (Fri): Due to registration

  • The number of participants at the on-site venue is limited to 50, so please register as early as possible.

• Early July: Activating Slack workgroup

[Invited speaker] Jun Kawaguchi (Nagoya University / Yamagata University)

[Panel discussion] Sotaro Shimada (Meiji University), Etsuko Haryu (Tokyo University), Tatsuya Daikoku (Tokyo University)

[Online Viewing] Theme 2: The Role of AI in Theories of the Future, Josh Tenenbaum (MIT)

• Registration form (until July 7 June 27)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-uo6qIcH6m6XulzlIFW9CVN9E0I_uuFoW1bUf4aA657K37Q/viewform?usp=header

Meetup groups are open to all and should provide an environment in which diverse participants may learn, network, and enjoy the company of colleagues. All forms of harassment are prohibited, and specific prohibited behaviors include but are not limited to the following:

• Harassment or intimidation based on gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, political orientation and views, religion (or lack thereof), or other group status

• Unwelcome behavior or comments related to the above categories that create a hostile environment (e.g., sexist or racist jokes)

• Sexual harassment or intimidation, including unwelcome sexual attention

• Harassing photography or recording

• Stalking

• Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior

Enforcement
Any attendee asked to stop harassing behavior or other behavior in violation of the Code of Conduct is expected to comply immediately. The meetup organizer reserves the right to take actions in order to keep the event a welcoming environment for all participants. These actions may range from simply warning the offender to asking that person to leave.

Reporting
If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please report this to the meetup organizer immediately. You can make a report either personally or by emailing your report to the organizer.