Conference Poster
Download the conference poster (PDF, A4) — please feel free to print it out and share it.
ECogS 2026
Registration
- 2026-04-10 - Abstract submission is closed. Accepted presenters have been notified.
Share on:
About the Workshop
What does embodied cognitive science have to say about recent developments in AI, and what might these developments reveal about the nature and limits of embodied cognition?
Under the theme “From Embodied AI to LLMs and Back,” the event brings together researchers in neuroscience, robotics, philosophy, cognitive science, and computer science to explore how advances in large language models and generative AI challenge, reinforce, or reorient embodied accounts of mind.
Building on themes from previous ECogS conferences – agency across scales, interaction as foundational, and the multiscale nature of well-being – this meeting examines how embodiment, coordination, and sense-making play out at the evolving frontier of AI. Key questions include, but are not limited to: Can LLMs be meaningfully described as agents, and if so, on what terms? How can embodied and enactive approaches inform efforts in AI alignment? What does human-AI interaction reveal about cognition as a relational, situated process? How might embodied perspectives guide the development of AI that supports rather than undermines human flourishing?
The program will feature a mix of invited talks, themed discussions, and poster presentations, fostering interdisciplinary exchange and critical reflection on where embodied cognitive science and AI development are right now and where they might go next.
Further details about the program and how to apply will be announced soon.
Last year's ECogS 2025 at OIST, themed "Agency Across Scales: From Cells to Societies"
Keynote Speakers
Director, Donders Centre for Cognition, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University
Post-doc researcher, University of Helsinki
Emeritus Professor of Artificial Intelligence
Department of Computing
Imperial College London
Principal Scientist
Google DeepMind
Professor
Cognitive Neurorobotics Research Unit
Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
Professor
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
University of Tokyo
Associate professor
Cognitive modeling group
University of Groningen
Associate Professor
Hokkaido University Center for Human Nature,
Artificial Intelligence, and Neuroscience
Professor
Philosophy department
East China Normal University
Professor
UMass Dartmouth
Invited auxiliary professor
Researcher
FCSH, Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Professor Emeritus
VUB Artificial Intelligence Lab
Registration Information
| Registration Type | Registration Fee | Accommodation | Meals |
| Student | 40,000 JPY | Yes (On-campus) | Yes |
| Non-Student | 90,000 JPY | No | Yes |
On-campus accommodation is shared and has limited availability for students.
Following acceptance of an abstract, a payment link will be emailed to participants based on their registration category.
Both registration categories include access to all talks, all scheduled meals, and transport to and from the excursion (entrance fees not included).
Conference excursion at ECogS 2023, themed "What is Well-being? Comparative Perspectives"
Program
Day One | 09 November 2026
No events scheduled.
Day Two | 10 November 2026
No events scheduled.
Day Three | 11 November 2026
No events scheduled.
Day Four | 12 November 2026
No events scheduled.
Day Five | 13 November 2026
No events scheduled.
Organizers & Contact
email address: ecogs@oist.jp
Conference Chair, OIST
Panel Chair, OIST
Local Organizer, OIST
Local Organizer, OIST
Technical Support, OIST
OIST MAP
Venue
Sydney Brenner Lecture Theater (Seminar Room B250)
Sydney Brenner Lecture Theater (Seminar Room B250)
Accommodation
Student registration includes shared on-campus accommodation (see Registration above). All other participants are asked to book their own rooms at one of the resort hotels near campus. Onna-son is a resort area, so we recommend booking early.
- THE PERIDOT Smart Hotel Tancha Ward — the closest hotel to OIST, in the same district as campus (approx. 15 minutes on foot)
- Rizzan Sea-Park Hotel Tancha Bay — large beach resort in Tancha (approx. 30 minutes on foot); also the Airport Limousine Bus stop nearest to OIST
- Kafuu Resort Fuchaku CONDO・HOTEL — in Fuchaku (approx. 40 minutes on foot)
- Hotel Monterey Okinawa Spa & Resort — beachfront resort in Fuchaku, next to the Kafuu Resort
- The Moon Beach Museum Resort — beach resort in the Moon Beach area of Onna-son
OIST operates a weekday shuttle bus for external visitors with stops in the Fuchaku and Moon Beach areas; seating is limited and a shuttle bus pass is required, so please contact the organizers at ecogs@oist.jp if you plan to rely on it.
How to get to OIST
The most convenient public connection is the Airport Limousine Bus (Area C) from Naha Airport to the Onna-son resort hotels, including the Rizzan Sea-Park Hotel and The Moon Beach Museum Resort (approx. 1.5–2 hours, 1,700–2,000 JPY); from the Rizzan stop it is a short taxi ride to campus (approx. 800–1,000 JPY). Alternatively, take local bus #120 (approx. 2–2.5 hours), a taxi (the DiDi and GO apps work well in Okinawa), or a rental car. For full directions please see the OIST access map.
Visa & Letter of Invitation
International participants are responsible for confirming their own visa requirements for entry to Japan. Many nationalities may enter visa-free for short stays—please check the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs website and, if a visa is required, contact your nearest Japanese embassy or consulate well in advance.
Registered participants who need a letter of invitation to support a visa application may request one by emailing ecogs@oist.jp with their name, affiliation, and registration details. Please note that a letter of invitation does not guarantee visa issuance, and the organizers cannot assist with the application beyond providing this letter.
Code of Conduct
ecsu_Code of Conduct_Approved-by-CWC_20250115_1Be Aware of Travel Arrangement Scam!
Conference organizers and invited speakers are often contacted by number of "travel agencies" to which OIST is not related, based on the publicly available information on the web.
Please refrain from replying to those agencies unless OIST organizers or secretariat have explicitly contacted you beforehand.
When in doubt, please send a copy of any email communication to OIST Conferences and Workshops and Symposia Section workshop@oist.jp.