One of the World’s Leading Emotion Researchers, Professor Rachel E. Jack, to Give a Lecture in Riga

On 30 January at 6:00 PM, the annual Robert Blumberg Excellence Lecture in Cognitive Science will take place at the RSU Anatomy Museum of Rīga Stradiņš University. The lecture will be delivered by one of the world’s leading contemporary emotion researchers, Professor Rachael E. Jack from the University of Glasgow (Scotland).

In her lecture, “Cultural Diversity in Facial Expressions of Emotion,” the professor will address one of the central questions in contemporary cognitive science: how people from different cultures perceive and interpret emotions in faces, and which aspects of this process are universal. To attend the lecture, interested participants are invited to register on the University of Latvia Foundation website by 28 January.

“Professor Rachael E. Jack’s work has fundamentally changed how modern science thinks about emotions—from the notion of universal facial expressions to a far more nuanced, culturally grounded understanding of emotional perception. By integrating experimental psychology and machine-learning methods, her research has demonstrated that emotion perception cannot be reduced to a universal basic-emotion system. These discoveries mark the most significant transformation of Darwin’s and subsequent basic-emotion theories in modern science. This year, the Robert Blumberg Excellence Lecture offers the Latvian academic community a rare opportunity to engage in this cognitive science debate, which directly influences research in psychology, artificial intelligence, and social interaction,” emphasizes the lecture organizer, Professor Jurģis Šķilters, Head of the Laboratory for Perception and Cognitive Systems at the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Exact Sciences and Technologies, University of Latvia (UL).

Rachael E. Jack is a professor of psychology, computer science, and cognitive science, and the president of one of the most influential organizations in emotion research worldwide—the Society for Affective Science (SAS). This will be the first visit of an SAS president to the Baltic region.

Professor Jack is also a recipient of the Spearman Medal, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Editor-in-Chief of Advances in Psychological Science Open, and one of the most highly cited scientists in her field.

The Robert Blumberg Excellence Lecture Series in Cognitive Science was established in 2018 through collaboration between the Laboratory for Perception and Cognitive Systems of the Faculty of Computer Science at the University of Latvia and Robert Blumberg—Honorary Member of the University of Latvia, philanthropist, board member of Friends of University of Latvia, and Honorary Consul of Latvia in the State of Illinois.

It is the only event in the Baltic region dedicated to honoring a high-level, significant interdisciplinary contribution to cognitive science. The lecture series provides an opportunity for Latvia’s scientific and student communities to engage 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 broad audience of researchers, students, and interested members of the public, offering an in-depth perspective on emotion perception, cultural influences, and social cognitive processes.

Previous lectures and related events have brought together prominent researchers from the fields of perception, psychology, music, mathematics, and neuroscience.

The lecture is organized in cooperation with the University of Latvia and the RSU Anatomy Museum. Administrative support for the event is provided by the University of Latvia Foundation.