The science of subjectivity

On February 17–18, 2026, we will hold an international symposium, "The Science of Subjectivity Symposium", at Kobe University. For full details, please visit the official website: https://sites.google.com/view/2026-kobe-consciousness/home

Dates: Tuesday, February 17 – Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Venue: Rokko-dai 2nd Campus, Kobe University

Organizer: Takuya Niikawa (Kobe University) 

Language: English

Speakers (in alphabetical order)

Tim Bayne (Monash University, Philosophy)

Thomas Boraud (Université de Bordeaux, Cognitive Neuroscience)

Kalina Christoff (University of British Columbia, Cognitive Neuroscience)

Shaun Gallagher (University of Memphis, Philosophy)

Takuya Niikawa (Kobe University, Philosophy)

Maja Spener (University of Birmingham, Philosophy)

Michel Thiebaut de Schotten (Université de Bordeaux, Cognitive Neuroscience)

Program

February 17

Venue: Rokko Hall, Kobe University Centennial Hall (Hyakunen Kinenkan)

Address: 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, Japan

10:00–11:00 Takuya Niikawa — “Narrative Consciousness Project”

11:00–12:30 Kalina Christoff Hadjiilieva — “Spontaneous Thought as a Window into Subjectivity”

12:30–14:30 Lunch Break and Poster Session

14:30–16:00 Maja Spener — TBA

16:00–16:30 Coffee Break

16:30–18:00 Michel Thiebaut de Schotten — “Streams of consciousness and epistemological biases”

18:15 Reception

February 18

Venue: Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University, Room B331

Address: 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, Japan

10:30–12:00 Shaun Gallagher — “Self-consciousness and interoception: From Avicenna to contemporary embodied neuroscience”

12:00–14:00 Lunch Break

14:00–15:30 Thomas Boraud — “Decision making and freewill”

15:30–16:00 Coffee Break

16:00–17:30 Tim Bayne — “Birth and the Emergence of Consciousness”

How to Participate

Please register in advance via the registration form: https://forms.gle/2V5M4NhSxfnKnmwB7

Contact

Email: [email protected]