Subject: Knowledge acquisition, representation and application in human minds and machines, 
with a focus on the emergence, nature and loss of cognitive representations

This interdisciplinary research initiative unites scholars from linguistics, psychology, computer science, and philosophy to explore how knowledge is acquired, represented, and applied across both human and artificial systems. While contemporary discussions of artificial intelligence often center on performance metrics or broad comparisons, our initiative aims to go further – investigating cognition as a dynamic, developmental phenomenon that encompasses both growth (e.g., learning and information acquisition) and decline (e.g., memory loss and forgetting). Central to our inquiry is how cognitive systems, whether human or artificial, acquire and apply knowledge in real-world settings.  

The initiative is grounded in the shared belief that a robust understanding of cognition demands more than specialized disciplinary work – it requires cross-disciplinary dialogue, empirical exchange, and critical methodological reflection. We are not only interested in what cognition is or how it functions, but also how diverse conceptual and empirical approaches can be integrated. We therefore unite across discipline and faculty boundaries to jointly discuss this cutting-edge topic.