- The 3-day conference featured a plethora of intriguing talks and discussions on functioning of the human mind and brain by a vibrant community of researchers.
The 10th edition of the Annual Conference of Cognitive Science (ACCS-X) concluded at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur on Tuesday.
A press release issued by the institution informed that the 3-day conference featured a plethora of intriguing talks and discussions on the functioning of the human mind and brain and brought together a vibrant community of researchers (both students and faculty) in the areas of Cognitive Psychology, Neuroscience, Computer Science and Linguistics.
The Conference was hosted under the aegis of the Association for Cognitive Science (ACS) at the Department of Cognitive Science, IIT Kanpur, supported by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, and guided by the Association of Cognitive Science.
The release further pointed out that the event was attended by faculty from several institutions within the country including IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Bhubaneshwar, IIIT Hyderabad, IIIT Delhi, Centre for Behavioural and Cognitive Science, University of Allahabad, University of Hyderabad, National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Haryana, NIMHANS Bengaluru and IISc Bengaluru, among others.
Prof. Ark Verma, convener of the conference, kicked off the conference with a welcome note along with Prof. Narayanan Srinivasan, Head, Department of Cognitive Science at IIT Kanpur. This was followed by the formal inauguration by Prof. S. Ganesh, Director of IIT Kanpur.
Prof. Marc Brysbaert from Ghent University in Belgium, while delivering his keynote address, focused on what psychologists can learn from engineers on how to approach big problems and improve their research practices. A session dedicated to attention and perception followed, where students from various academic departments across the country presented their work.
Presentations were also made on the sessions focusing on Learning, Memory, and Language by participants.
Dr. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and former director, of IIT Kanpur, and Prof. Harish Karnick, Honorary Professor of, the Department of Cognitive Science, IIT Kanpur, who was instrumental in the development of Cognitive Science in the institution, also offered key addresses.
The events for the inaugural day culminated with a presentation by the sponsors of the event, Sanki – Tobii showcasing the innovative portable eye-tracking device that enables researchers to conduct eye-tracking experiments in real-world settings.
On the second day, discussions were held on the intricate relationship between emotions and cognition through insightful student presentations. Two sessions were held focusing on cognitive disorders and intervention wherein discussions were held on potential interventions, and solutions for those affected.
On the third day of the conference discussions on cognitive control, wherein researchers from across the country presented their work and engaged in stimulating dialogues with attendees.
The final session of ACCS-X, centered around creativity and aesthetics wherein researchers from various institutes presented their work engaged the audience with their insightful findings and responses, and offered deep dives into the realms of creativity.
The Best Oral Presentation and the Best Poster Presentation constituted in the memory of the Late. Professor V S Chandrashekhar Pammi, former Professor of Cognitive Science at the Centre for Behavioural and Cognitive Science, University of Allahabad, was presented by Prof. Surampadi Bapi Raju, IIIT – Hyderabad during the valedictory session.
