<div dir="ltr">Dear all:<div><br></div><div>Please see below a Call for the 1st International Summer School on Cognitive Computation, being organized and hosted by the University of Scotland in Scotland, UK, from 25-20 August 2013. <a href="http://www.cs.stir.ac.uk/events/COGCOMP2013" target="_blank">http://www.cs.stir.ac.uk/events/COGCOMP2013</a></div>

<div><br></div><div>Limited places (some funding available for eligible students). Deadline: 29 Apri 2013. To apply/or for more information: please email: <a href="mailto:cogcomp2013@cs.stir.ac.uk" target="_blank" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">cogcomp2013@cs.stir.ac.uk</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;text-align:justify;font-family:Arial"> </span></div>

<div><span style="text-align:justify;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"><br></span></div><div>Please forward to interested colleagues/research students.</div><div><br></div><div>Kind regards</div>
<div><br></div><div>Amir Hussain</div><div><a href="http://cs.stir.ac.uk/~ahu/" target="_blank">http://cs.stir.ac.uk/~ahu/</a></div><div><br></div><div>
















<p align="center" style="margin:6pt 0cm;text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:24pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,85)">SICSA International Summer School on:</span></b></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:6pt 0cm;text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:24pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,85)">Cognitive Computation</span></b></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:3pt 0cm;text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:18pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,85)">25th-30th Aug 2013</span></b></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:3pt 0cm;text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:18pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,85)">University of Stirling, Scotland, UK</span></b></p>

<p style="margin:6pt 0cm;text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Overview</span></b></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Cognitive
computation is a new and challenging area, which promises to facilitate the
development of novel brain-inspired cognitive technologies for engineering the intelligent
systems of tomorrow. This Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA) sponsored International Summer School on Cognitive
Computation is an innovative multidisciplinary event, aiming to unite young
researchers coming from a variety of backgrounds. The stimulating and relaxed
atmosphere will invite a close and productive interaction between both School
participants and their mentors.</span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:6pt;font-family:Arial"> </span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">The
vision of this Summer School is to empower participants with an
interdisciplinary understanding of some of the key underlying methodologies,
concepts and techniques in cognitive computation, and their strengths and
limitations (demonstrated by a range of case studies). Participants will also
learn of future directions in this exciting multi-disciplinary field. Topics
covered will include: perception, action, attention, learning and memory,
decision making and control, language processing, communication, reasoning,
pattern recognition, problem solving, and consciousness. </span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:6pt;font-family:Arial"> </span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">The
five-day programme will consist of a set of tutorial-style lectures, all delivered
by experts of international standing combined with hands-on practical sessions
for constructing and working with the techniques covered in the course
material. The initial sessions will serve as advanced introduction to cognitive
computation, including practical sessions and a comprehensive review of the
underlying interdisciplinary fields, specifically:</span></p>

<p style="margin-left:18pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman'">      
</span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">computational modelling in neuroscience: a workshop
style introduction (Dr. <b>Bruce Graham,
Stirling</b>),</span></p>

<p style="margin-left:18pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman'">      
</span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">computational intelligence and machine learning:
methods, theories and tools for solving key cognition tasks such as learning
and pattern recognition (<b>Kevin Swingler,
Incite Ltd., Stirling</b>)</span></p>

<p style="margin-left:18pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman'">       </span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">cognitive
augmentations of swarm intelligence & agent-based simulation: theory &
applications (Dr.<b>Jerry Swan</b> <b>Stirling</b>)</span></p>

<p style="margin-left:18pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman'">      
</span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">social cognition & cognitive behavioural
systems: theory to applications (Dr.<b>Alessandro
Vinciarelli, Glasgow</b>)</span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">The subsequent
sessions will cover more advanced approaches to cognitive systems research and
development (including emerging theories, real-world application case studies
and future challenges), including:</span></p>

<p style="margin-left:18pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman'">      
</span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">informational models of 'mind' theory and practice:
from computational models of consciousness to theories of information
integration and intuitions about the mind and creation of mind-like state
structures - case studies with an exploratory robot (<b>Keynote Lecturer</b>: Prof. <b>Igor
Aleksander, Imperial College</b>)</span></p>

<p style="margin-left:18pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman'">      
</span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">reverse engineering the brain for cognitive
computation: multi-scale modelling from membranes, to circuits, systems and
robots - a case study with action selection in the basal ganglia (Prof. <b>Kevin Gurney, Sheffield</b>)</span></p>

<p style="margin-left:18pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman'">      
</span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">towards multi-modal cognitive systems: case studies
on insect robotics (Prof. <b>Barbara Webb,
Edinburgh</b>)</span></p>

<p style="margin-left:18pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman'">      
</span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">novel bayesian approaches to perception, cognition
and disease: case studies using theoretical models and psychophysical
experiments (Dr. <b>Peggy Series, Edinburgh</b>)</span></p>

<p style="margin-left:18pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman'">      
</span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">silicon/neuromorphic cognitive systems: building
bridges to build brains (Prof. <b>Leslie
Smith, Stirling</b>)</span></p>

<p style="margin-left:18pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;font-family:'Times New Roman'">      
</span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">towards neurobiologically inspired cognitive
control of complex autonomous agents and their networked systems: case studies in
next-generation intelligent transportation systems and planetary exploration
rovers (Prof. <b>Amir Hussain </b>& Dr.
<b>Erfu Yang, Stirling</b>)</span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Audience</span></b></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">The
School is intended for PhD students and researchers working in all areas of
cognitive computation, including its theoretical, applied, artificial and
natural dimensions. More generally, it will appeal to researchers interested in
biologically inspired computing techniques and applications, for example:
machine learning, <span style>computational intelligence, cognitive
and computational neuroscience, machine consciousness, neural hardware
implementations and biologically inspired robotics and systems.</span> <span style>Although the course will have substantial technical
content, no prerequisites are required beyond a good background in computer
science/informatics or a related subject.</span></span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Programme & Venue</span></b></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">The summer school will run from 10am to 5pm each day (9.30am-6pm
on Tuesday, 27^th, and Thursday, 29^th Aug 2013). Springer’s
Neuroscience Publishing Editor, Dr Martijn Roelandse, will also give a talk on “publishing
interdisciplinary research in scientific journals” on the first day, Monday, 26
August, from 4pm-5pm, which will be followed by a PhD Posters Session, and Exhibition
organized by Springer, from 5pm-7pm (with prize awarded to the best poster). Authors
of selected posters, judged by the Keynote Guest Lecturer: Professor Igor
Aleksander, will be invited to submit extended/full papers to Springer’s
Cognitive Computation journal (</span><a href="http://www.springer.com/12559" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">http://www.springer.com/12559</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">). The full (draft) School programme is available below.</span></p>



<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">The summer school will be held in the Division of Computing
Science, School of Natural Sciences at the University of Stirling. Activities
will take place in the Cottrell Building. Travel directions and maps can be
found at: </span><a href="http://www.stir.ac.uk/about/getting-here/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">http://www.stir.ac.uk/about/getting-here/</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"> </span></p>



<p style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Registration</span></b></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">£250 (no accommodation) or £450 for 4 nights accommodation (breakfast
and dinner inclusive, with arrival on Mon, 26 Aug, departure on Fri, 30 Aug), £500
for 5 nights accommodation (arrival: Sun, 25 Aug, departure: Fri, 30 Aug, or
arrival: Mon, 26 Aug, departure: Sat, 31 Aug), £550 for 6 nights (arrival: Sun,
25 Aug, departure: Sat, 31 Aug -no other options are available and only Sun-Fri
nights are guaranteed - other options, e.g. Sat nights on 24 Aug and/or 31 Aug,
only if available). Accommodation is on campus and will be in single en-suite
rooms. The registration fee (without accommodation) covers the Workshop, the School
dinner on Wednesday 28 Aug (at 7pm), along with lunches and teas/coffees each
day. Students are responsible for their own travel arrangements and expenses to
get to Stirling. SICSA students can access local support from their own
Schools/Departments to support such travel</span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">SICSA will cover the £500 registration fee for PhD students in
computer science departments of SICSA member Scottish universities (for a full
list of SICSA Universities, see: </span><a href="http://www.sicsa.ac.uk/about/SICSA_Universities" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">http://www.sicsa.ac.uk/about/SICSA_Universities</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">). The number of SICSA students is limited and a decision on
ranking will be taken if necessary. Up to two competitive places are also being
sponsored by the IEEE UKRI Computational Intelligence Society (CIS) Chapter - please
indicate if you wish to be considered for these in your application.</span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Application Procedure and Deadlines: Round 1: </span></b><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">April 29^th, 2013</span></b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">. If there are places remaining, the second round of applications
will close on May 20^th 2013.</span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Please email your application consisting of the following to
the Stirling Summer School Administration team </span><a href="mailto:cogcomp2013@cs.stir.ac.uk" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">cogcomp2013@cs.stir.ac.uk</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"> and include the following details:</span></p>



<ul type="disc">
 <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">First
     Name and Last Name, Email & Website</span></li>
 <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Current
     degree, field of study and Institution (including country)</span></li>
 <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Accommodation
     needed, for how many nights (minimum 4), arrival and departure dates</span></li>
 <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Supervisor’s
     Name and full contact details</span></li>
 <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Your
     biography (maximum 250 words), including titles of up to 3 of your
     relevant publications (if any)</span></li>
 <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Description
     of your research activities and interests (250 words)</span></li>
 <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Your
     motivation & expectations of a summer school in Cognitive Computation (250
     words)</span></li>
 <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Skills
     (experience with systems, languages, toolkits, research methods) (100
     words)</span></li>
 <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Title
     and abstract of your Poster (maximum 500 words) - optional</span></li>
</ul>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">All applications will be used to screen potential attendees
to ensure their suitability for the content of the summer school. If your
application is successful, you will be contacted by email (within one week of
the relevant deadline) to arrange the applicable payments.</span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Organisers</span></b></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">The summer school is organised by the Division of Computing
Science at the University of Stirling. The School co-ordinator is Professor
Amir Hussain, E-mail: </span><a href="mailto:ahu@cs.stir.ac.uk" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">ahu@cs.stir.ac.uk</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"></span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">Contact</span></b></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">For more information, please contact the Administration
Team (E-mail: </span><a href="mailto:cogcomp2013@cs.stir.ac.uk" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">cogcomp2013@cs.stir.ac.uk</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"> )</span><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"></span></b></p>



<p style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial">This school is funded by the
Scottish Informatics & Computer Science Alliance (SICSA:
<a href="http://www.sicsa.ac.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.sicsa.ac.uk/</a>), & technically co-sponsored by Springer and the
IEEE UKRI IAS and CIS Chapters</span></b></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial"> </span></b></p>

</div></div>
<DIV align=left><HR>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old.</FONT></DIV>
<FONT face=Arial color=gray size=2>The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.<BR></FONT>
</DIV>