Chair:
Adam Maria Gadomski
ENEA (Italian National Research  Agency for the Energy and the Environment)

 Co-chairs:
:Paolo Petta, 
OFAI, Austrian Research Inst. for Artificial Intelligence, 

Andrzej Straszak
SRI-PAS (Systems Research Institute - Polish Academy of Sciences)

Diederik Aerts (CLEA,Brussels Free U.,Be)  Albert A. Angehrn (INSEAD,Fr) 
Peter Astheimer (Aabertay U..UK)
Nikos Bogonikolos (ZEUS, WEGRE,Gr)
Nagib Callaos,(SCI Journal, Ve)
Cristiano Castelfranchi(CNR, ICST, U.Siena,It) 
Wlodzislaw Duch (SingaporeTU,Sg&Pl)
Flavio Fontana (ENEA,It)
Stan Franklin (U.of Memphis, USA)
Adam M.Gadomski (ENEA, ECONA,It) 
Gregory Kersten (Concordia U.,Ca) 
Jiming Liu (Hong Kong Baptist U., HK)
Klaus Mainzer, (Phil.Uni-Augsburg, De)
Ryszard Michalski (George Mason U.,USA)
Marta Olivetti-Belardinelli (ECONA, U.of Rome,It)
Paolo Petta (OFAI,At)
Charles Petrie (Stanford Univ.,USA)
Omer F.Rana (Cardiff University, UK)
Zbyszek Ras (U.of North Carolina,USA)
Andrzej Straszak (IBS-PAN,Pl)
Vasyl Yanenko (Glushkov In. of Cybernetics,Uk) 
Yiming Ye (IBM, USA)

September 30-October 1, 2003 Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies  CNR, Rome, Italy     Last s.       Welcome from Brussels

SCEF-2003 is devoted to the memory of      Professor Jan Zytkow who was well known in the international scientific community, who belonged to the pioneers of Scientific Discovery and who developed the first Machine Discovery systems like BACON and FAHRENHEIT.  His optymism, scientific and organizational contributions were essential  for two previous International AIA Round-Table meetings [Jan in Roma], http://www.cs.uncc.edu/~ras/Zytkowl

RATIONALE 

The first international workshop on the foundations of socio-cognitive engineering SCEF-2003 is being organised as the third edition of the AIA (Abstract Intelligent Agent) Round-Tables initiative. 
 Our intention is to further the tradition and main topics of the International AIA Round-Tables that took place among the very first events on agent-based technology in 1993 and 1994  (http://erg4146.casaccia.enea.it/AIA-RTs.htm).
 The main objective of the previous AIA Round-Tables has been to discuss the possibility of an integration of software engineering and cognitive sciences perspectives in the area of natural and artificial intelligent systems. After a decade of intensive world-wide theoretical and applicative efforts, we are convinced that the concept of intelligence cannot be separated from the global systemic and social approaches. Therefore, this new AIA initiative is focused on emerging interdisciplinary intelligence-based Socio-Cognitive Engineering (SCE). 

  From the top-down perspective, socio-cognitive engineering can be seen as a branch of general system engineering, it integrates paradigms of: physics, systemics, engineering, cognitive and social sciences. It is founded on an interaction of three basic modeling perspectives: cognitive psychology, sociology and computer science. 

Application of integrated paradigms should improve the modeling and management of complex and heterogeneous systems, such as large critical infrastructures (electricity and telecommunication networks), e-learning, e-health and other networked services, as well as human-society interrelations, which all require synergy between technological possibilities, human organisations, and individuals welfare needs. 

The fulcrum of SCE research is an Abstract Intelligent Agent (AiA) with its interactions with its environment, and with the environment's cognitive ontology. AIA is a hypothetical model that captures the essence of all systems which we accept as "intelligent" in the common sense.
Therefore, AIA is a property of: 

                              --  an individual person - in psychology, 
                              -- a social component (group, organization) - in sociology, and 
                              -- a software intelligent agent (an intelligent bot) in computer science. 

  In all these cases, AIAs are unique possible decision-makers and executors of decisional processes.
The key problems of SCE refer to the congruence between computational definitions of such basic concepts as Knowledge Engineering, Knowledge Management, Decision-Making, Risk-Management, as well as, to the various forms of socio-cognitive interactions (cooperation, negotiation, e-learning). 
 

SCOPE

This workshop is intended to bring together leading scientists, interdisciplinary researchers, theorists, experienced practitioners, and policy makers from all science and engineering fields relating to the communicating cognitive natural and artificial intelligent agents/entities. 
The workshop follows the recent ideas and perspective emerged during the first successful special session, "Socio-Cognitive Modelling for Business Intelligence" of the BIS 2002 International Conference  (http://bis.kie.ae.poznan.pl/5th_bis/special_sessions/socio.htm).
Summarising, the workshop should favour systemic integration of research and engineering perspectives across application domains, research disciplines and available technologies.
The debates of the 3rd AIA Round-Table should lead to a conclusive document; therefore, the materials of the SCE-2003 shall be elaborated, interpreted, and published under redaction of voluntary members of the Scientific Board.

RELEVANT TOPICS

Given the distinguished attendees, the whole Workshop shall consist mainly of "keynote" talks on a wide range of socio-cognitive intelligence engineering. The Workshop will include topics related to: modeling socio-cognitive systems, individual and distributed decision-making frameworks, managerial decision-support systems, knowledge management, domain-independent and -dependent intelligencies ("x-intelligence": organisational intelligence, business intelligence, expert intelligence, ...), socio-cognitive grids,  future intelligent ambient assessments, and promising SCE technologies.
The list of keywords of the workshop is long and it also includes:
distributed cognition, socially shared cognition in organisation, computational ethics, as well as situated cognition, and human- centred design from human and Artificial Intelligence perspectives.
 In any case, the important property of every submission  has to be the clear reference to a general vision of
 socio-cognitive systems ( identification, design, management), and to a possible computational realisation of the presented ideas/hypothesis/solutions. 
For better identification of your contribution topic see http://erg4146.casaccia.enea.it/toga-tech.html , as well as, the absintelagent e-group archive: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/absintelagent/  .

PARTICIPATION

The participation is limited to about 30 leading scientists, interdisciplinary researchers, experienced practitioners and research policy makers. Active participation is strongly recommended.

e-Submissions
 Three forms of e-submissions will be accepted: 

1. regular presentation - a full written paper 
2. regular presentation - an extended abstract (the form is attached) and a presentation file (PowerPoint, PDF, ...) which has to be available at the workshop. 
3. specification of the subject of the oral contribution to the debate session, a summary.

 Participations fee 
It includes only the cost of  the Social Dinner. The cost of lunches is not included. 

DEADLINES/DATES:

   +  September 13, 2003 -  Submission of extended abstract (1-2 pages) or draft (full-length, about 8 pages) papers
   +  September 18, 2003 - Notification of acceptance/rejection of  contributions.
   +  September 24 , 2003 - Submission of final papers or extended abstracts and registration deadline.

  ORGANIZATION

   The workshop is organized by HID ( High-Intelligence and Decision Research Group), ENEA
   with cooperation of  the EMIR Proposal Partners:

- Intelligent Agents and New Media Group, OFAI, Austrian Research Inst. for Artificial Intelligence.
- ECONA – Italian Interuniversity Centre for Cognitive Processes in Natural and Artificial Systems.
- IBS-PAN  (Systems Research Institute  - Polish Academy of Science).
- ULab (Multimedia,Usability and  Networked Software Systems Development), ENEA.-      Organization  of  Internet Conferencing Tool.

  PROVISIONAL AGENDA