CFP: Nagoya Forum on the Philosophy of Engineering 2027: Engineering, Science, and the Forms of Knowledge: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

Call for Abstracts

Nagoya Forum on the Philosophy of Engineering 2027

Engineering, Science, and the Forms of Knowledge: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

Theme 

Engineering is often understood as the application of scientific knowledge. Yet designing, building, testing, and maintaining artefacts and systems involve complex relationships between theoretical understanding, practical skills, and judgements about purposes, constraints, and acceptable outcomes. How should we understand the forms of knowledge involved in engineering, and their relationships with scientific inquiry and ethical responsibility?
This forum brings the philosophy of engineering into dialogue with the history of philosophy and science. It asks how philosophical accounts of knowledge, practice, nature, and artifice can illuminate engineering, and how attention to engineering can, in turn, reshape our understanding of these accounts. Historical inquiry thus provides an opportunity both to reconsider familiar distinctions between science and engineering and to recover questions and approaches that can enrich contemporary debates.
A further concern is the relationship between knowledge and value in engineering practice. Decisions about what to design, how to evaluate its performance, and which risks to accept raise questions that connect epistemology and methodology with ethics and social responsibility. The forum therefore welcomes historical studies alongside contemporary philosophical analyses and reflections on engineering practice, including work on design, maintenance, engineering education, and the ethical, legal, and social issues surrounding emerging technologies.
Conceived as an initial gathering, the Nagoya Forum aims to open an international dialogue on the philosophy of engineering and its historical dimensions. Through a keynote lecture, research presentations, and discussion, it seeks to identify shared questions, establish connections among researchers working in different traditions, and explore possibilities for future exchange.

Topics
We welcome contributions on themes including, but not limited to:
•Engineering knowledge and the history of philosophy
•Engineering knowledge and scientific knowledge
•Engineering ethics and design responsibility
•Risk, safety, maintenance, and infrastructure
•Kantian, neo-Kantian, and post-Kantian approaches to science and engineering
•Engineering education and philosophical reflection
•East Asian and global perspectives on engineering

Keynote Speaker
Yusuke Nagato (University of Osaka)

Submission of Abstracts
Please send an abstract of 300–500 words in English, as a Word or PDF document, to [email protected] with the subject line “NFPE 2027 — Abstract Submission”.
Please include in the body of your email your name, affiliation, email address, and an indication of whether you intend to present in person or online.
The deadline for submission is 15 December 2026. Authors will be notified of the outcome by 23 December 2026.
Presentation Format

Each presentation will last a maximum of 35 minutes, followed by 15 minutes of discussion. The number of slots is limited, and submissions will be selected by the Organiser. Presenters may participate either in person in Nagoya or online.
Language

The working language of the forum is English. All presentations and discussion will be conducted in English.

Venue, Format, and Registration
The forum will be held at Nagoya Institute of Technology (Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya) and simultaneously online. Attendance is free of charge for both in-person and online participants. Registration details for online attendance will be announced on the conference website in January 2027.
Travel and accommodation costs are the responsibility of participants. The organisers are unfortunately not able to provide travel bursaries.

Provisional Programme
The following outline is provisional and will be finalised once the programme is settled. Times are given in Japan Standard Time (UTC+9), Central European Time (UTC+1, in force on these dates), and Coordinated Universal Time.

Day 1 — Saturday 20 February 2027

[JST]  [CET (Berlin)]  [UTC]

16:00    08:00      07:00
Opening remarks

16:15    08:15      07:15
Presentation 1 (35 min + 15 min discussion)

17:15    09:15      08:15
Presentation 2 (35 min + 15 min discussion)

18:15    10:15      09:15
Keynote lecture (60 min + 30 min discussion)

19:45    11:45      10:45
End of Day 1

Day 2 — Sunday 21 February 2027

[JST]  [CET (Berlin)]  [UTC]

16:00    08:00      07:00
Presentation 3 (35 min + 15 min discussion)

17:00    09:00      08:00
Presentation 4 (35 min + 15 min discussion)

18:00    10:00      09:00
Presentation 5 (35 min + 15 min discussion)

19:00    11:00      10:00
General discussion and future perspectives

19:30    11:30      10:30   
Closing remarks
 
Key Dates
Deadline for abstracts: 15 December 2026
Notification of acceptance: 23 December 2026
Registration for online attendance opens: January 2027
Conference: 20–21 February 2027

Organiser
Tadahiro OOTA (Nagoya Institute of Technology)
The forum is co-organised by the Society for Engineering Ethics at Nagoya Institute of Technology.

Funding
This conference is supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 23K12011.

Contact
Email: [email protected] 

Website
https://x.gd/ryKdH