The Neurosymbolic Learning and Reasoning Association (NeSy) is committed to fostering a supportive and welcoming environment to individuals of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, physical abilities, religions, ages, and socio-economic backgrounds. The purpose of NeSy is come together for open and thoughtful discussions, encourage freedom of ideas and expression, and foster healthy scientific debates. To be able to achieve these goals, our community needs an inclusive environment that respects and values all individuals.

The NeSy organization and the affiliated conference are committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment where everyone can participate without fear of discrimination or harassment.

Guiding Principles

We use “members” to refer to NeSy organization members and conference participants.

  1. Members shall be a good steward of priorities, culture, and collaborations.
  2. Members shall communicate professionally on the group Slack and on email. Profanity, offensive language, stigmatization, intentional misgendering, body shaming, heckling, and bullying will not be tolerated, as they violate the NeSy Code of Conduct.
  3. Get to know your colleagues, and maintain a friendly and convivial atmosphere
  4. Treat the other members as a team and genuinely hope for, work towards, and celebrate each others’ successes.
  5. Make a sincere attempt to understand, empathize-with, and support each other as people.
  6. Be generous, patient, and altruistic towards less senior/powerful members.
  7. Be respectful of the time, obligations, and challenges of more senior/powerful members of the group.
  8. Take the initiative to solve your problems, and feel empowered to ask for help.
  9. Focus on external rather than internal competition and see other members as assets, not liabilities.
  10. Respect the areas in which each of you are working and do not poach in each other’s space.
  11. Be invested in the success of the community and actively participate in its leadership and meetings.
  12. Take an interest in and be ambassadors to the academic community.
  13. Be respectful, friendly, and generous with people from other groups and communities.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Integrity Goals

  • NeSy will encourage and recruit diverse representation on planning and program committees, keynote speakers, session chairs, panelists, and invited guests.
  • For each conference, NeSy will create an outreach plan to encourage diverse participation, including students, early-career researchers, and those from underrepresented regions. This includes but is not limited to: reduced registration fees for students, a doctoral consortium, and mentoring breakfasts.
  • NeSy will keep itself accountable and track demographic data, which is voluntarily provided, for speakers, attendees, and organizers.
  • NeSy commits to revising this policy annually based on feedback and changing community needs.