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ICCS Inaugural Conference Marks a Milestone for Consciousness Studies

July 29, 2024

The inaugural conference of the recently established International Center for Consciousness Studies (ICCS), titled "Uncovering the Magic of Consciousness: Philosophy, Neuroscience, AI," took place from June 27–29, 2024, at the Santa Maria della Scala Museum in Siena.


The event was organized by Riccardo Manzotti, Pietro Perconti, Dmitry Volkov, and Alessio Plebe in collaboration with the University of Siena, the University for Foreigners of Siena, IULM, the University of Messina, and under the patronage of the Municipality of Siena, represented by Councillor Vanna Giunti.


The event registered 150 participants and has become a moment of high significance for the City of Siena, showcasing its potential and capability to host major international conferences. The conference welcomed internationally acclaimed philosophers, neuroscientists, AI researchers, and students. Held in one of the city's most prestigious locations, rich in history and cultural value, and just a stone's throw from Piazza del Campo, ready to host the Palio, the event was a great success.


Dmitry Volkov, one of the founders of the ICCS, explained the mission of the center: “To support interdisciplinary discussion, help philosophers engage with science and encourage scientists, cognitive psychologists, neuroscientists, computer scientists to address hard philosophical issues. We have an ambition to solve the mind-body problem, but even if we wouldn’t be able to do it right away, we want to contribute to the solution of practical challenges like building anthropomorphic ethical robots.”


"There is great potential for further growth of the center," declared Francois Kammerer, a philosopher of mind and cognitive sciences, CNRS (Strasbourg), at the end of the event. "This was a beautiful conference in a fantastic location, with a dense line-up of international speakers from various disciplines relevant to consciousness. We heard many interesting talks and had relevant discussions in a collegial and stimulating atmosphere."


Eric Olson, member of the ICCS Academic Council and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield, remarked, "The Siena event was particularly interesting, and the location was fantastic. It was great to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, and engage in discussions on a wide variety of topics." 


Keith Frankish, also a member of the ICCS Academic Council, Honorary Professor at the University of Sheffield, UK; Visiting Research Fellow at the Open University, UK; and Adjunct Professor in the Brain and Mind program in Neuroscience at the University of Crete, Greece, was "very impressed by the ICCS's inaugural conference—a three-day interdisciplinary event at which experts from neuroscience, AI, and philosophy presented models of consciousness and proposed new directions for consciousness research. Judging from the success of the event, the ICCS promises to play an important role in promoting consciousness studies, and I am excited to be involved in its work."


Certainly, the most touching moment was the commemoration of a giant in the philosophy of mind, Daniel Dennett, a dear friend to many participants. The other co-founder of ICCS, Alessio Plebe, Professor of Philosophy of Science, University of Messina, Italy, outlined Dennett’s fundamental contributions: "At the conference, the influence of Daniel Dennett, who recently passed away, was felt. Dennett was a pioneer in the modern exploration of consciousness. His attitude was certainly perceived: to be fascinated by the magic of consciousness, but as a stimulus to investigate it scientifically, without fear of mysteries, as the evidence of progress from various perspectives presented at the conference attested."


The outcome of the conference was summarized by Pietro Perconti, Co-founder of the ICCS and Professor of Philosophy of Mind, University of Messina, Italy: "The conference highlighted recent advancements in consciousness studies, revealing that while we are uncovering some of its secrets, it remains partly beyond the grasp of experimental science. Nevertheless, the direction is now marked, and this elusive phenomenon is becoming more familiar, potentially transforming human interchanges in the future."


You can learn more about the speakers and topics discussed at the conference from the Program. Recordings of selected speeches will soon be published on our YouTube channel—subscribe to stay up to date!