The Second Kyoto Kokoro Initiative Symposium: "In and Out of Kokoro" (10 October 2016)

On 10 October, Kyoto University's Kokoro Research Center hosted the Second Kyoto Kokoro Initiative Symposium, "In and Out of Kokoro ", at Shiran Kaikan with 204 people attending.

Supported by the Inamori Foundation, the Initiative was launched last year as an interdisciplinary research project dedicated to exploring kokoro (the human mind and spirit) from multiple perspectives. The inaugural symposium took place September 2015 under the general theme of " Kokoro and History".

The Second Symposium opened with remarks by center director Professor Sakiko Yoshikawa, followed by Professor Toshio Kawai, also of KRC, reporting on four workshops held over the past year as part of the Initiative: "Artificial Minds and Biological Brains: Self-Organization, Algorithms, and Massive Data Flows" by Professor Takashi Ikegami of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo; "The Status of the Mind in Dual-Aspect Monism" by Dr Harald Atmanspacher, executive staff member/affiliated fellow, Collegium Helveticum, ETH and University Zurich; "Realm of Non-Obstruction of Principle and Phenomena" by Professor Shinichi Nakazawa of Institut pour la Science Sauvage, Meiji University; and "Japanese Landscapes and the Subject: an Old and New Mode of Consciousness" by Associate Professor Yasuhiro Tanaka of the Kyoto University Graduate School of Education.

Professor Norio Akasaka of the Faculty of Letters, Gakushuin University, then delivered a lecture, "From Nomads to Settlers: How Has Kokoro also Changed?".

A panel session followed with Professor Ikegami and KU President Juichi Yamagiwa joining Professors Kawai and Akasaka.

The Symposium came to a close with remarks by Professor Nagahiro Minato, Kyoto University's executive vice-president for research, planning, and hospital administration.

Extended presentation summaries:

• Toshio Kawai, "In and Out of Kokoro : Highlights from the First Series of Kyoto Kokoro Initiative Workshops"
• Norio Akasaka, "From Nomads to Settlers: How Has Kokoro also Changed?"