Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!torsqnt!tmsoft!masnet!canremote!dmark@acsu.buffalo.edu From: dmark@acsu.buffalo.edu@canremote.uucp (dmark@acsu.buffalo.edu) Newsgroups: comp.ai Subject: Re: Cognitive & Linguistic As Message-ID: <89122504120159@masnet.uucp> Date: 21 Dec 89 05:04:00 GMT Organization: Canada Remote Systems Limited, Mississauga, ON, Canada Lines: 99 From: dmark@acsu.buffalo.edu (David Mark) Subj: Cognitive & Linguistic Aspects of Geographic Space: Call for Participants Orga: SUNY at Buffalo Call for Participants: NATO ADVANCED STUDY INSTITUTE "COGNITIVE AND LINGUISTIC ASPECTS OF GEOGRAPHIC SPACE" July 8-20, 1989 Las Navas del Marques, Spain The Scientific Affairs Division of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has awarded a grant to support an Advanced Study Institute (ASI) on the topic of "Cognitive and Linguistic Aspects of Geographic Space". Subject to final confirmation, this ASI will be conducted July 8-20, 1990, at Castillo-Palacio "Magalia" in Las Navas del Marques, Provincia de Avila, Spain. The Director of the ASI is David M. Mark, of the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA), Buffalo, New York, USA; the Associate Director of the Institute is Andrew Frank, NCGIA, Orono, Maine, USA. The NCGIA is a co-Sponsor of the meeting, and the official language of the ASI will be English. The objective of the ASI is to provide high-level instruction and discussion in areas of cognitive science, linguistics, mathematics, artificial intelligence, computer science, cartography, anthropology, and behavioral geography to scholars wishing to improve geographic information systems, or to use GISs in their basic research on various topics. The ASI also will provide a forum to extend the research agenda on the topic. Human geography has a long tradition of concern for spatial cognition, and for the ways in which mental representations of geographic space influence spatial behavior. Spatial cognition is also of central concern to cognitive science. Implementation of cognitively-sound models should lead to improved geographic information systems (GIS) user interfaces, spatial query languages, and spatial inference methods, and will require application of topology, geometry, and artificial intelligence. Such models will be crucial in the removal of impediments to cross-linguistic transfer of GIS technology. The ASI will begin with introductory lectures on the workshop topic and on Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Then, invited Lecturers will present on specific topics. Confirmed lecturers for the ASI include: Mark Blades, (Psychology, University of Sheffield, England); Maria Catedra Tomas (Antropologia Social, Universidad Complutense Madrid, Spain); C. Grant Head (Geography, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada); John Herring (Mathematician, Intergraph Corporation, USA); Ewald Lang (Linguistics, University of Wuppertal, Federal Republic of Germany ); and Amilcar Sernadas (Departamento de Matematica, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Portugal). We have tentative indications that the following will also be lecturers: Jean-Gabriel Ganascia (Universite de Paris Sud, Orsay , France); Reginald Golledge, (Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA); Annette Herskovits (Computer Science, Wellesley College, Massachusetts, USA); George Lakoff (Linguistics & Cognitive Science, University of California, Berkeley, USA); Zenon Pylyshyn (Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Canada); and Leonard Talmy (Cognitive Science, University of California, Berkeley, USA). Because of the capacity of the site, this ASI is limited to a maximum of 60 "student" participants. (The term "student" is used by NATO to describe all ASI participants who are neither invited lecturers nor organizers.) Ideally, NATO prefers that ASI "students" be of recent post-Doctoral status; however, they may include senior scholars, current post-graduate students, or employees of government or private agencies. ASIs are governed by NATO rules. Among these is a requirement that no more than 20 percent of the total number of "students" may come from countries outside of NATO, and no more than 25 percent may come from any particular NATO country. (For NATO ASI purposes, a person's "country" is defined by current place of residence and work or study, and not by citizenship.) Thus, we have a quota of at most 15 additional participants from each NATO country, meaning that competition for places among potential participants from some NATO countries will be high. We also have a limited ability to provide financial support (mainly in the form of living expenses) to participants from NATO countries. There will be no registration fee for the meeting. Because places in the ASI are strictly limited, we are proposing a rigorous application procedure. Anyone wishing to attend the ASI should submit an application in writing (by electronic mail, FAX, or post), so as to arrive in Buffalo on or before February 28, 1990. Applications must contain the following information: (1) a one page resume or abbreviated curriculum vitae, emphasizing experience or training relevant to the ASI topic, and including current country of residence and highest academic degree earned, with year; and (2) a one page statement of interest, indicating the reason for wishing to attend the ASI, and the applicant's potential contribution to the ASI. *-*-*-*-* Message continued in next message *-*-*-*-* --- * Via MaSNet/HST96/HST144/V32 - UN AI * Via Usenet Newsgroup comp.ai