{"id":238,"date":"2025-12-08T16:42:46","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T16:42:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/?p=238"},"modified":"2025-12-09T09:00:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T09:00:39","slug":"cedar-december-2025-metting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/","title":{"rendered":"CEDAR December 2025 Metting"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"standard-markdown grid-cols-1 grid gap-4 [&amp;_&gt;_*]:min-w-0 !gap-3.5\">\n<h1 class=\"font-claude-response-title mt-1 text-text-100\">Exploring Social Robots and AI in Finance<\/h1>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">CEDAR recently hosted an engaging session featuring research presentations on social robotics and artificial intelligence applications. The meeting brought together researchers exploring how technology can address human challenges, from student loneliness to financial data analysis.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"font-claude-response-heading text-text-100 mt-1 -mb-0.5\">Can Robots Be Companions for Lonely Students?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \"><strong>Franziska E. Heck<\/strong> presented fascinating research on whether social robots could help address loneliness among university students\u2014a growing concern often overlooked in favour of studies focused on elderly people or children with autism.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-255 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/Dec_2_2025-300x233.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"503\" height=\"391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/Dec_2_2025-300x233.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/Dec_2_2025-768x595.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/Dec_2_2025.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 503px) 100vw, 503px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"font-claude-response-subheading text-text-100 mt-1 -mb-1.5\">The Loneliness Problem<\/h3>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">University students face unique challenges. Established social ties are disrupted during transitions, new networks are still forming, and formal support services often have limited availability, long waiting lists, and concerns about stigma. The costs\u2014both financial and emotional\u2014are high, with loneliness linked to depression, anxiety, lower wellbeing, and reduced academic engagement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-243 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/1-300x128.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"554\" height=\"236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/1-300x128.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/1-1024x437.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/1-768x328.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/1.jpg 1167w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 554px) 100vw, 554px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"font-claude-response-subheading text-text-100 mt-1 -mb-1.5\">Two Types of Loneliness<\/h3>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">Franziska&#8217;s research revealed an important distinction:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"[&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc space-y-2.5 pl-7\">\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><strong>Emotional loneliness<\/strong>: The lack of a close, intimate attachment figure, experienced as inner emptiness<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><strong>Social loneliness<\/strong>: Missing a broader social network or sense of belonging, feeling left out from a wider circle<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">Understanding this difference proved crucial, as students experiencing these different types of loneliness responded very differently to robots.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-242 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/2-300x177.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"552\" height=\"326\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/2-300x177.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/2-1024x603.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/2-768x452.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/2.jpg 1102w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 552px) 100vw, 552px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"font-claude-response-subheading text-text-100 mt-1 -mb-1.5\">Mapping the Patterns<\/h3>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">An online survey of 250 UK students examined how different forms of loneliness were associated with attitudes toward AI and robots. The results challenged assumptions:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"[&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc space-y-2.5 pl-7\">\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Emotional loneliness \u2192 more sceptical of AI<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Social loneliness \u2192 less negative about robots<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">It&#8217;s not simply &#8220;lonelier = more into robots&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">Gender and culture also played roles, with women generally more cautious about robots (especially when emotionally lonely), and those from individualist backgrounds slightly less positive overall.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-241 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/3-300x181.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"529\" height=\"319\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/3-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/3-1024x616.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/3-768x462.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/3.jpg 1123w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"font-claude-response-subheading text-text-100 mt-1 -mb-1.5\">The Stories Behind the Numbers<\/h3>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">Following the survey, Franziska interviewed 25 UK students grouped into five loneliness profiles, showing them three robots: Pepper, Nao, and Furhat. The conversations revealed remarkably different expectations:<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \"><strong>Very lonely students<\/strong> saw robots as companions and partners, imagining ongoing interaction and emotional support with few concerns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \"><strong>Emotionally lonely students<\/strong> wanted reassurance and closeness but were highly sensitive to authenticity, worried about &#8220;fake&#8221; emotional cues and manipulation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \"><strong>Socially lonely students<\/strong> wanted light companionship\u2014small talk, routine help, and low-pressure everyday presence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \"><strong>Medium and not-lonely students<\/strong> viewed robots as practical assistants, setting strong boundaries and disliking emotional behaviours, often raising concerns about privacy and job loss.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-240 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/4-300x160.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"530\" height=\"283\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/4-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/4-1024x546.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/4-768x409.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/4.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 530px) 100vw, 530px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"font-claude-response-subheading text-text-100 mt-1 -mb-1.5\">Testing Real Interactions<\/h3>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">The next step? Moving from opinions to actual experience. Franziska designed an experiment where every participant interacts with Pepper twice:<\/p>\n<ol class=\"[&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-decimal space-y-2.5 pl-7\">\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><strong>Personal Assistant mode<\/strong>: Structured, task-focused support for goal-setting<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><strong>Companion-Disclosure mode<\/strong>: Warm, reflective, relational conversation<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">The study investigates whether loneliness influences how students respond to and prefer different robot interventions.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-254 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/Dec2025-300x208.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/Dec2025-300x208.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/Dec2025-768x531.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/Dec2025.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"font-claude-response-subheading text-text-100 mt-1 -mb-1.5\">The Bigger Question<\/h3>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">During discussion, an important critique emerged: Should we invest in creating robot companions when we could simply fund more human counsellors? Franziska acknowledged this applies to most students, but noted certain groups\u2014particularly those on the autism spectrum\u2014demonstrably open up more to robots than humans. The reality is that universities aren&#8217;t increasing counselling budgets anytime soon, but many have robots sitting unused. Perhaps the solution isn&#8217;t either-or, but finding the right role for each.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"border-border-300 my-4\" \/>\n<h2 class=\"font-claude-response-heading text-text-100 mt-1 -mb-0.5\">Making Sense of Financial Data with Graphs<\/h2>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \"><strong>Dr Zia Ullah<\/strong>, Lecturer in the School of Computing, presented research on using graph neural networks to recognise financial entities in text\u2014a challenge with real-world implications for fraud detection, market analysis, and financial monitoring.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"font-claude-response-subheading text-text-100 mt-1 -mb-1.5\">Why This Matters<\/h3>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">When hackers broke into Bangladesh Bank&#8217;s systems in 2016, they generated 70 fake payment orders attempting to steal $1.94 billion. Detecting such events requires systems that can accurately identify financial entities in text: organisations, locations, monetary amounts, and their relationships.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-250 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/A-300x115.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"511\" height=\"196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/A-300x115.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/A-1024x393.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/A-768x295.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/A-1536x589.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/A.jpg 1665w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 511px) 100vw, 511px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"font-claude-response-subheading text-text-100 mt-1 -mb-1.5\">The Challenge<\/h3>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">Financial text poses unique difficulties:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"[&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc space-y-2.5 pl-7\">\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Multi-word named entities<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">High numerical intensity<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Extensive acronyms and ambiguous meanings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">Traditional systems struggle, particularly with identifying multi-word entities and adapting to financial domain specifics.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"font-claude-response-subheading text-text-100 mt-1 -mb-1.5\">The Solution: BiGCAT<\/h3>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">Zia&#8217;s team developed BiGCAT, combining three powerful approaches:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"[&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc space-y-2.5 pl-7\">\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><strong>BiLSTM<\/strong>: Captures sequential context<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><strong>GCN<\/strong> (Graph Convolutional Networks): Models structural patterns<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><strong>GAT<\/strong> (Graph Attention Networks): Learns relationships between entities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-249 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/B-300x178.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"507\" height=\"301\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/B-300x178.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/B-1024x607.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/B-768x456.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/B.jpg 1185w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 507px) 100vw, 507px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">The innovation lies in representing text as a span graph, where entities and their relationships form nodes and edges. By weighting these graphs with large language model embeddings, the system captures both local context and global structural patterns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-248 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/C-300x134.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"513\" height=\"229\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/C-300x134.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/C-1024x456.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/C-768x342.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/C.jpg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"font-claude-response-subheading text-text-100 mt-1 -mb-1.5\">Impressive Results<\/h3>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">BiGCAT achieved state-of-the-art performance on two financial datasets (FINER-ORD and FIN), significantly outperforming existing baselines. This represents the first application of graph-based representation learning in the financial domain for named entity recognition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-247 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/D-300x252.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"252\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/D-300x252.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/D-768x646.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/D.jpg 847w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">The research opens exciting possibilities for financial monitoring, early fraud detection, and automated market analysis\u2014all areas where accurate entity recognition is crucial.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"border-border-300 my-4\" \/>\n<h2 class=\"font-claude-response-heading text-text-100 mt-1 -mb-0.5\">Bridging Research and Practice<\/h2>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">Both presentations highlighted CEDAR&#8217;s strength in addressing real-world challenges through innovative technology applications. Whether exploring how robots might support student wellbeing or developing AI systems to analyse financial data, the research combines rigorous methodology with practical impact.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">These studies remind us that technology isn&#8217;t inherently good or bad\u2014its value depends on thoughtful design, understanding human needs, and acknowledging both possibilities and limitations.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"border-border-300 my-4\" \/>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \"><em>For more information about CEDAR activities or to arrange a lab tour, contact Marina Wimmer (<a class=\"underline\" href=\"mailto:m.wimmer@napier.ac.uk\">m.wimmer@napier.ac.uk<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"h-8\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Exploring Social Robots and AI in Finance CEDAR recently hosted an engaging session featuring research presentations on social robotics and artificial intelligence applications. The meeting brought together researchers exploring how technology can address human challenges, from student loneliness to financial data analysis. Can Robots Be Companions for Lonely Students? Franziska E. Heck presented fascinating research &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">CEDAR December 2025 Metting<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":407,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>CEDAR December 2025 Metting - Centre for Mind, Creativity and Environment Research<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"CEDAR December 2025 Metting - Centre for Mind, Creativity and Environment Research\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Exploring Social Robots and AI in Finance CEDAR recently hosted an engaging session featuring research presentations on social robotics and artificial intelligence applications. The meeting brought together researchers exploring how technology can address human challenges, from student loneliness to financial data analysis. Can Robots Be Companions for Lonely Students? Franziska E. Heck presented fascinating research &hellip; Continue reading CEDAR December 2025 Metting\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Centre for Mind, Creativity and Environment Research\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-08T16:42:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-09T09:00:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/Dec_2_2025.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"775\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"nataliereguis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"nataliereguis\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/08\\\/cedar-december-2025-metting\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/08\\\/cedar-december-2025-metting\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"nataliereguis\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/77cb4c1273975286449eece0f0863d65\"},\"headline\":\"CEDAR December 2025 Metting\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-08T16:42:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-09T09:00:39+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/08\\\/cedar-december-2025-metting\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":844,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/08\\\/cedar-december-2025-metting\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/120\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Dec_2_2025-300x233.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Uncategorized\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/08\\\/cedar-december-2025-metting\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/08\\\/cedar-december-2025-metting\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/08\\\/cedar-december-2025-metting\\\/\",\"name\":\"CEDAR December 2025 Metting - Centre for Mind, Creativity and Environment Research\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/08\\\/cedar-december-2025-metting\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/08\\\/cedar-december-2025-metting\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/120\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Dec_2_2025-300x233.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-08T16:42:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-09T09:00:39+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/08\\\/cedar-december-2025-metting\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/08\\\/cedar-december-2025-metting\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/08\\\/cedar-december-2025-metting\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/120\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Dec_2_2025.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/120\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Dec_2_2025.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":775},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/08\\\/cedar-december-2025-metting\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"CEDAR December 2025 Metting\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/\",\"name\":\"Centre for Mind, Creativity and Environment Research\",\"description\":\"Are we more productive at home or in the office? How can we adapt buildings to be flexible in their usage? How can we teach our next generation to be creative and innovative thinkers in the workplace? How can we design inclusive and adaptable space to enhance cognitive flexibility and innovation? The Centre for Mind and Creativity Research examines how environmental influences affect cognition and vice versa how we can successfully bring cognition into environmental design (buildings, spaces, software, robots). The blog will present the work of our centre in an accessible way to engage with academic colleagues, industry partners, public services, and the general public.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Centre for Mind, Creativity and Environment Research\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/120\\\/2022\\\/09\\\/cropped-Sitecore-Brick-Lock-up-2-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/120\\\/2022\\\/09\\\/cropped-Sitecore-Brick-Lock-up-2-1.png\",\"width\":248,\"height\":248,\"caption\":\"Centre for Mind, Creativity and Environment Research\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/77cb4c1273975286449eece0f0863d65\",\"name\":\"nataliereguis\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/272554070fdd5ca92e127111441b03e4360dae15919e8c0038ab329e26b16e2f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/272554070fdd5ca92e127111441b03e4360dae15919e8c0038ab329e26b16e2f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/272554070fdd5ca92e127111441b03e4360dae15919e8c0038ab329e26b16e2f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"nataliereguis\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/enu-mindcrea\\\/author\\\/nataliereguis\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"CEDAR December 2025 Metting - Centre for Mind, Creativity and Environment Research","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"CEDAR December 2025 Metting - Centre for Mind, Creativity and Environment Research","og_description":"Exploring Social Robots and AI in Finance CEDAR recently hosted an engaging session featuring research presentations on social robotics and artificial intelligence applications. The meeting brought together researchers exploring how technology can address human challenges, from student loneliness to financial data analysis. Can Robots Be Companions for Lonely Students? Franziska E. Heck presented fascinating research &hellip; Continue reading CEDAR December 2025 Metting","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/","og_site_name":"Centre for Mind, Creativity and Environment Research","article_published_time":"2025-12-08T16:42:46+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-09T09:00:39+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":775,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/Dec_2_2025.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"nataliereguis","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"nataliereguis","Estimated reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/"},"author":{"name":"nataliereguis","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/#\/schema\/person\/77cb4c1273975286449eece0f0863d65"},"headline":"CEDAR December 2025 Metting","datePublished":"2025-12-08T16:42:46+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-09T09:00:39+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/"},"wordCount":844,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/Dec_2_2025-300x233.jpg","articleSection":["Uncategorized"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/","name":"CEDAR December 2025 Metting - Centre for Mind, Creativity and Environment Research","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/Dec_2_2025-300x233.jpg","datePublished":"2025-12-08T16:42:46+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-09T09:00:39+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/Dec_2_2025.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2025\/12\/Dec_2_2025.jpg","width":1000,"height":775},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/08\/cedar-december-2025-metting\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"CEDAR December 2025 Metting"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/","name":"Centre for Mind, Creativity and Environment Research","description":"Are we more productive at home or in the office? How can we adapt buildings to be flexible in their usage? How can we teach our next generation to be creative and innovative thinkers in the workplace? How can we design inclusive and adaptable space to enhance cognitive flexibility and innovation? The Centre for Mind and Creativity Research examines how environmental influences affect cognition and vice versa how we can successfully bring cognition into environmental design (buildings, spaces, software, robots). The blog will present the work of our centre in an accessible way to engage with academic colleagues, industry partners, public services, and the general public.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/#organization","name":"Centre for Mind, Creativity and Environment Research","url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2022\/09\/cropped-Sitecore-Brick-Lock-up-2-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2022\/09\/cropped-Sitecore-Brick-Lock-up-2-1.png","width":248,"height":248,"caption":"Centre for Mind, Creativity and Environment Research"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/#\/schema\/person\/77cb4c1273975286449eece0f0863d65","name":"nataliereguis","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/272554070fdd5ca92e127111441b03e4360dae15919e8c0038ab329e26b16e2f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/272554070fdd5ca92e127111441b03e4360dae15919e8c0038ab329e26b16e2f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/272554070fdd5ca92e127111441b03e4360dae15919e8c0038ab329e26b16e2f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"nataliereguis"},"url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/author\/nataliereguis\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/407"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":257,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238\/revisions\/257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}