CONFERENCE
The topic of the lecture – “Understanding Cultural Diversity in Facial Expressions of Emotion” – will address one of the paramount questions of modern cognitive science: how people in different cultures perceive and interpret emotions manifested in faces, and which aspects of these processes are universal. To attend the lecture, registration must be completed on the UL Foundation website by 28 January 2026.
“The work accomplished by Professor Rachel E. Jack has fundamentally changed the way modern science considers emotions – from the notion of universal facial expressions to a more nuanced, culturally rooted understanding of affective perception. Integrating experimental psychology and machine learning methods, her research has demonstrated that emotion perception is not reducible to a universal system of basic emotions, and these discoveries mark the most significant transformation of Darwin’s and subsequent theories of basic emotions in modern science. This year’s Robert Blumberg Distinguished Lecture offers the Latvian academic community a rare opportunity to engage in this discussion of cognitive science, which directly affects psychology, as well as the research dedicated to artificial intelligence and social interaction,” emphasises the organizer of the lecture Professor Jurģis Šķilters, the Head of the Laboratory for Perceptual and Cognitive Systems at the University of Latvia (UL) Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) Department of Computer Science.
Rachel E. Jack is a Professor of Computational Social Cognition, the President of one of the most influential organizations in emotion research in the world, the Society for Affective Science (SAS). This will be the first visit of the SAS President to the Baltic region.
Professor R. E. Jack is a recipient of the Spearman Medal and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Editor-in-Chief of the journal Advances in Psychological Science Open, and one of the most cited scientists in her field.
The series of Robert Blumberg Distinguished Lectures in Cognitive Science was launched in 2018 in collaboration with the UL Laboratory for Perceptual and Cognitive Systems and Robert Blumberg, UL Honorary Member, patron, Board Member of the organisation Friends of the University of Latvia, and Honorary Consul of Latvia in the State of Illinois.
It is the only event in the Baltic region organised to honour the highest level of significant interdisciplinary contributions to cognitive science. It is an opportunity for the Latvian scientific and student community to get acquainted with the work of world-class experts and gain the latest insights into the study of the human mind and emotions. The upcoming lecture is open to a wide audience of scientists, students and interested parties, offering a profound insight into the research of affective perception, cultural influence and social cognitive processes.
The earlier lectures and events have welcomed prominent researchers from the fields of perception, psychology, music, mathematics and neuroscience.
The lecture is organized in collaboration with UL and the RSU Anatomy Museum. Support for the lecture is administered by the University of Latvia Foundation.
 on 30 January, 18:00. This year, the speaker is one of the leading contemporary researchers in the field exploring expressions of emotions, Professor Rachael E. Jack from the University of Glasgow (Scotland).){kind=link}