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From: dmark@acsu.buffalo.edu (David Mark)
Subj: Cognitive & Linguistic Aspects of Geographic Space: Call for Participants
Orga: SUNY at Buffalo


                           Call for Participants:

                       NATO ADVANCED STUDY INSTITUTE
           "COGNITIVE AND LINGUISTIC ASPECTS OF GEOGRAPHIC SPACE"
                               July 8-20, 1989
                       Las Navas del Marques, Spain

The Scientific Affairs Division of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization  (NATO) has awarded a grant to support an Advanced Study
Institute (ASI)  on the topic of "Cognitive and Linguistic Aspects of
Geographic  Space".  Subject to final confirmation, this ASI will be
conducted  July 8-20, 1990, at  Castillo-Palacio "Magalia" in Las
Navas del Marques,  Provincia de Avila, Spain.  The Director of the
ASI is David M. Mark, of the  National Center for Geographic
Information and Analysis (NCGIA), Buffalo,  New York, USA; the
Associate Director of the Institute is Andrew Frank,  NCGIA, Orono,
Maine, USA.  The NCGIA is a co-Sponsor of the meeting, and  the
official language of the ASI will be English.

The objective of the ASI is to provide high-level instruction and 
discussion in areas of cognitive science, linguistics, mathematics,
artificial  intelligence, computer science, cartography,
anthropology, and behavioral  geography to scholars wishing to
improve geographic information systems,  or to use GISs in their
basic research on various topics.   The ASI also will  provide a
forum to extend the research agenda on the topic.  Human  geography
has a long tradition of concern for spatial cognition, and for the 
ways in which mental representations of geographic space influence
spatial  behavior.  Spatial cognition is also of central concern to
cognitive science.   Implementation of cognitively-sound models
should lead to improved  geographic information systems (GIS) user
interfaces, spatial query languages,  and spatial inference methods,
and will require application of topology,  geometry, and artificial
intelligence.  Such models will be crucial in the  removal of
impediments to cross-linguistic transfer of GIS technology.  

The ASI will begin with introductory lectures on the workshop topic 
and on Geographic Information Systems (GIS).  Then, invited Lecturers
will  present on specific topics.  Confirmed lecturers for the ASI
include:  Mark  Blades, (Psychology, University of Sheffield,
England);  Maria Catedra Tomas  (Antropologia Social, Universidad
Complutense Madrid, Spain);  C. Grant Head  (Geography, Wilfrid
Laurier University, Canada);  John Herring  (Mathematician,
Intergraph Corporation, USA);  Ewald Lang (Linguistics,  University
of Wuppertal, Federal Republic of Germany );  and Amilcar  Sernadas
(Departamento de Matematica, Instituto Superior Tecnico,  Portugal). 
We have tentative indications that the following will also be 
lecturers:  Jean-Gabriel Ganascia (Universite de Paris Sud, Orsay ,
France);   Reginald Golledge, (Geography, University of California,
Santa Barbara, USA);   Annette Herskovits (Computer Science,
Wellesley College, Massachusetts,  USA);  George Lakoff (Linguistics
& Cognitive Science, University of  California, Berkeley, USA); 
Zenon Pylyshyn (Psychology, University of  Western Ontario, Canada); 
and Leonard Talmy (Cognitive Science, University  of California,
Berkeley, USA).  

Because of the capacity of the site, this ASI is limited to a maximum 
of 60 "student" participants.  (The term "student" is used by NATO to
describe  all ASI participants who are neither invited lecturers nor
organizers.)   Ideally, NATO prefers that ASI "students" be of recent
post-Doctoral status;  however, they may include senior scholars,
current post-graduate students,  or employees of government or
private agencies.  ASIs are governed by  NATO rules.  Among these is
a requirement that no more than 20 percent of  the total number of
"students" may come from countries outside of NATO,  and no more than
25 percent may come from any particular NATO country.   (For NATO ASI
purposes, a person's "country" is defined by current place of 
residence and work or study, and not by citizenship.)  Thus, we have
a quota  of at most 15 additional participants from each NATO
country, meaning that  competition for places among potential
participants from some NATO  countries will be high.  We also have a
limited ability to provide financial  support (mainly in the form of
living expenses) to participants from NATO  countries.  There will be
no registration fee for the meeting.

Because places in the ASI are strictly limited, we are proposing a 
rigorous application procedure.  Anyone wishing to attend the ASI
should  submit an application in writing (by electronic mail, FAX, or
post), so as to  arrive in Buffalo on or before February 28, 1990. 
Applications must contain  the following information:  

(1) a one page resume or abbreviated curriculum vitae, emphasizing 
experience or training relevant to the ASI topic, and including
current  country of residence and highest academic degree earned,
with year; and 

(2) a one page statement of interest, indicating the reason for
wishing to  attend the ASI, and the applicant's potential
contribution to the ASI.  

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