International Center for Consciousness Studies (ICCS)
The International Center for Consciousness Studies (ICCS) is an international hub of philosophers dedicated to exploring the nature of consciousness and the mind through rigorous philosophical and interdisciplinary research.
Founded in 2024 by Dmitry Volkov, Pietro Perconti, and Alessio Plebe, in collaboration with the University of Messina, ICCS is a non-profit cultural association devoted to advancing philosophical research on consciousness through an integrated and interdisciplinary approach.
The Center is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence and ethical responsibility. It supports the philosophical investigation of the mind and consciousness while actively encouraging dialogue across disciplines in order to address some of the most challenging problems in contemporary philosophy. ICCS's mission is to promote a deeper understanding of consciousness and the mind by fostering global scholarly exchange and collaboration. To this end, the Center has established a dynamic international network of leading philosophers working collectively to advance research in consciousness studies.
The ICCS Academic Council brings together internationally renowned scholars in philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and related fields, including:
Keith Frankish — Honorary Professor of Philosophy, University of Sheffield; Visiting Research Fellow, The Open University; Adjunct Professor, Brain and Mind Programme, University of Crete
Emanuele Castano — Professor of Psychology, University of Florence
Mario De Caro — Professor of Moral Philosophy, Roma Tre University; Visiting Professor, Tufts University
Nick Humphrey — Emeritus Professor of Psychology, London School of Economics; Senior Member, Darwin College, Cambridge
Michael Pauen — Professor of Philosophy, Humboldt University of Berlin
The ICCS Advisory Board is composed of internationally distinguished scholars whose research spans philosophy of mind, cognitive science, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, robotics, and ethics, including:
Alberto Voltolini — Full Professor of Philosophy of Mind, University of Turin
Alex Byrne — Professor of Philosophy, MIT
Antonio Chella — Professor of Robotics and Director of the RoboticsLab, University of Palermo
Daniel Stoljar — Professor of Philosophy, Australian National University
Giorgio Vallortigara — Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Director of the Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento
Tim Bayne — Professor of Philosophy, Monash University
Uriah Kriegel — Professor of Philosophy, Rice University
Eric Olson — Professor of Philosophy, University of Sheffield
Riccardo Manzotti — Professor of Theoretical Philosophy, IULM University
Claudia Passos-Ferreira — Assistant Professor of Bioethics, New York University
The International Center for Consciousness Studies organizes an annual international conference addressing key problems in the philosophy of mind and related disciplines, including philosophy, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. The inaugural conference was held in Siena, Italy in 2024, followed by the 2025 conference in Heraklion, Crete.
One of the Center's flagship initiatives is the Dennett Prize, an annual award presented to an outstanding scholar whose work has made a significant contribution to advancing our understanding of the brain and consciousness.
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