1st International Conference 
on Human-Robot Personal Relationships 
 
Maastricht University, The Netherlands 
 
June 12-13, 2008 
 
 
Announcement 
Call for papers 
 
Within the fields of Human-Computer Interaction and Human-Robot Interaction, the past 
few years have witnessed a strong upsurge of interest in the more personal aspects of 
human relationships with these artificial partners. Nowhere has this strength of interest 
been more apparent than at Maastricht University, where the defence of a recent PhD 
thesis, “Intimate Relationships with Artificial Partners”, attracted wide media publicity 
on an unprecedented scale; therefore, Maastricht University is organizing and hosting the 
1st International Conference on Human-Robot Personal Relationships, during the period 
June 12-13, 2008.  
 
Conference sessions are planned on the following topics:  
• Robot Emotions  
• Robot Personalities 
• Gender Approaches 
• Affective Approaches 
• Psychological Approaches 
• Sociological Approaches 
• Roboethics 
• Philosophical Approaches 
 
We welcome contributions in the form of an extended abstract and/or paper. 
 
*Important dates* 
 
Deadline for extended abstracts (max 1500 words) or papers 
March 31, 2008 
 
Notification of acceptance 
April 18, 2008 
 
Deadline for final versions 
28 May, 2008 
 
Conference Proceedings: 
Submissions will be peer-reviewed. A selection of papers will be considered for inclusion 
in an international volume of the proceedings to be published in the Critical Studies series 
(Editions Rodopi, Amsterdam/New York). The language of the conference is English. 
 
*Submission address*: 
humanrobot@micc.unimaas.nl 
MICC-Maastricht ICT Competence Centre 
Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands 
 
Conference Venue: 
The Karl Dittrich zaal, Maastricht University, Bonnefantenplein 2, Maastricht, The 
Netherlands. 
 
Programme Chair: 
Professor Myriam Diocaretz, MICC 
 
Programme Committee:  
Professor Jaap van den Herik, MICC 
Professor Mineke Bosch, Center for Gender and Diversity, Maastricht University 
Professor Maaike Meijer, Center for Gender and Diversity, Maastricht University 
Dr. David Levy, London, UK 
 
Registration fee: 
 Before June 1, 2008 After June 1, 2008 
Non-Students Euro 125 Euro 175 
Ph.D. Students Euro 75 Euro 100 
Students Euro 25 Euro 25 
 
 
 
For more information please contact the organizing committee & secretariat:   
Joke Hellemons and Liesbeth Nederlands, email: humanrobot@micc.unimaas.nl