CogSci Meetup 2026 in Hamamatsu

Update information

April 10, 2026 : Website launched and call for submissions begins.

A real-time intersection of Japanese and global cognitive science

The CogSci meetup in Hamamatsu was launched in 2024 with the concept of "connecting Japanese cognitive science with global cognitive science." Aiming to create cognitive science research originating in Japan, it conducts activities related to CogSci, the annual conference of the Cognitive Science Society, a core community of cognitive science worldwide.

CogSci is an international cognitive science society that has developed primarily in the United States and has made a significant contribution to the establishment of cognitive science as an interdisciplinary field. However, in recent years, with increasing globalization, the further internationalization of CogSci itself has become a focus of attention. Against this backdrop, Meetups have been held around the world as a grassroots initiative to promote the international spread of cognitive science with CogSci as a hub.

These Meetups foster the CogSci community in their respective regions, involving researchers who find it difficult to attend the main CogSci conference due to geographical or economic reasons, as well as those who are unable to attend that year.

When organizing a Meetup in Japan, we cannot ignore the foundation and unique characteristics that Japanese cognitive science has cultivated. In such a mature society, young researchers can challenge the world with hope -the CogSci meetup in Hamamatsu is planned as a stepping stone toward realizing such a future.

This year, building on our experience from the 2025 event, we will strengthen our collaboration with the CogSci conference. Specifically, we will set the dates for this event to be two days (July 23-24) during the CogSci 2026 conference (July 22-25). We will then establish a satellite venue in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, by providing real-time connectivity, including streaming of CogSci's main sessions. Designing the program with time differences in mind, this event will be held in a retreat format, providing an environment where participants can engage in intensive discussions.

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 Category

This event allows participation and presentations from either the CogSci 2026 venue in Rio de Janeiro or the venue set up in Hamamatsu.
By connecting the two venues online, we aim to create synergy between different physical environments and foster the emergence of new ideas, activities, and communities that would not have been possible before. We are seeking presenters in the following presentation categories from those who support this objective. Presentations are expected to be in Japanese or English.

• Ongoing challenge at CogSci ( OnCale | Presentations from Rio / Hamamatsu )

  • This session is for presenters at CogSci 2026. Please introduce an overview of your research, report on the content of your planned presentation, and share the reactions and discussions you received at CogSci. The presentation format can be flexibly adjusted in relation to the CogSci program. This category is an ideal platform for CogSci presenters who are unable to attend Rio. We also welcome presentations from presenters attending CogSci from Rio who wish to convey the excitement of the venue to Japan.

• Locating self-interest in CogSci (LsCog | Presentation from Hamamatsu )

  • This category is for a wide range of researchers and students interested in cognitive science. Participants are asked to explore the connection between their own research and CogSci and give presentations . Presentations are encouraged to include a review of past or current CogSci publications. Presentations highlighting the appeal of CogSci by regular CogSci participants, as well as critical perspectives from researchers and students who have not previously had contact with CogSci, are also welcome.

• Road to CogSci (RtoCog | Presentation from Hamamatsu )

  • This category is for presentations of research that was submitted to CogSci (or related cognitive science conferences) but was not accepted. Please present the peer review results and share areas for improvement and future prospects. Papers from past years are also welcome. Through these presentations, we hope to discuss strategies for disseminating Japanese cognitive science to the world.

• CogSci International in Japan (CogiJ | Presentations from Rio / 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) will be invited to share their backgrounds, careers, cognitive science research endeavors, and contributions to the community . Presentations by researchers and international students residing in Japan, both in Hamamatsu and online by overseas researchers interested in cognitive science in Japan, are welcome.

All categories aim to consider the internationalization of Japanese academic societies, taking into account their relationship with the international conference CogSci . As long as the presentation adheres to this purpose, presenters are free to flexibly structure their presentations at their own discretion.

Mentoring from the organizing committee will be provided as needed . For example, for papers to be presented at LsCog, the organizing committee can recommend reference papers. CogSci is a conference that encompasses a wide range of approaches, from neuroscience and behavioral experiments to human-computer interaction, computer science, and practical research. Therefore, presentations from those who have had little prior connection to CogSci or cognitive science are also very welcome.

The presentation time, including Q&A, is scheduled to be approximately 30 minutes, but this may be adjusted depending on the 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.

• From the following form (until June 23)
  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdXGXesq4mq32snj8ZfhFezSmZP5c18M6q33mjMlsDqzWNhuA/viewform?usp=publish-editor

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.