The 29th Chuo University Academic Symposium “Cognitive Diversity; Approach from Psychology”

  The seminars were available either in face-to-face or on online, whichever is preferable, and the seminar on 14th was for the general public and the 16th was for the students of the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Graduate School of Science and Engineering. Prior to the opening of the seminar, Professor Toshikazu Kato (Vice President of Chuo University, General Manager of Chuo University Research Promotion Office, Professor of the Faculty of Science and Engineering) gave an opening speech in English and was followed by Professor Jonas Vibell’s lecture in English as well. 
  The seminar became an interdisciplinary one where diverse range of researchers from other faculties or departments, other universities, and various enterprises have attended; among them were inside and outside campus researchers who are experts in “cognitive diversity,” which is the theme of this seminar, or in Kansei Engineering which Professor Kato specializes in. On 16th, 25 attendees at venue and 20 attendees online, mainly from the Faculty of Science and Engineering and Graduate School of Science and Engineering, listened carefully to the lecture. 　
  The research areas of Professor Vibell are cognitive psychology, behavioral psychology and neuropsychology. Along with the process of revealing the linkage between human’s behavior/cognition and one’s brain activation, he studies multisensory perception and attention etc. applying the psychophysical methods or non-invasive brain imaging tools. His studies now focus on different sensation modality, especially on perception of space presentation between vision and touch, as well as on development and understanding of neuron recording of brain signals. 
  Professor Jonas is also a director at the research institution in Hawaii, “Brain & Behaviour (B&B) Laboratory.” During the lecture, he has introduced his research activities by showing practical examples of the study such as actual research cases, commercialized rehab system and application, and neurorehabilitation using electrical waves in brain. In addition, he also mentioned about the “Brain Hackathon” event which students in University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa attended, and the attendees were fortunate enough to have being shared his future visions regarding his research field.