RSU hosts international conference on phenomenology and technology
On 3-5 September, philosophers, researchers and practitioners from 30 countries will gather in Riga to discuss how technology is transforming people's experiences, perceptions of the world and interpersonal relationships. Researchers Māra Grīnfelde and Uldis Vēgners from the Social Sciences Research Center at Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU), in collaboration with the University of Latvia, are organising the 10th Central and East European Society for Phenomenology (CEESP) conference Phenomenology and Technology. The event will take place in Riga, at 4 Kalpaka bulvāris, in English, bringing together 67 participants from around the world.
RSU researchers Grīnfelde and Vēgners are co-founders and board members of CEESP, and this is the second time that the association's conference is being held in Riga – the first time was in 2017. The programme includes discussions on four main topics:
- Artificial intelligence and virtual reality;
- Healthcare and medical technology;
- The interaction between the environment and technology;
- Ethical and political aspects of technological development.
These issues will be examined from an interdisciplinary perspective, analysing the changes that technology has brought about in contemporary society and human consciousness.
The theme of the conference is particularly relevant at a time when technology is increasingly influencing everyday life, interpersonal communication, and value systems.
‘New technologies not only open up new areas of opportunity for various activities, but also make us see things in a new light, shape our experience, determine the goals of human projects, and change our views on what is worth striving for in the first place,’
acknowledge philosophers Bjørn Hofmann, Norway, and Fredrik Svenaeus, Sweden.
A wide range of international experts confirm that Riga has become an important platform for discussions on the interaction between technology and humans, making this event one of the most important academic forums in Latvia in 2025.
