PHI 605SEM-SMI (13336): The World's Ontology Ecosystem

Hybrid Interactive Graduate Seminar. In Person and Online, both Synchronously and Asynchronously

August 3–7, 2026

Washington, DC and Online

Registration information and course details are provided below.

Course Overview

The University at Buffalo is pleased to announce PHI 605SEM-SMI (13336), The World's Ontology Ecosystem, taught by John Beverley and Barry Smith. Offered through UB's internationally recognized Applied Ontology graduate programs, this seminar provides a structured introduction to ontology as both a philosophical discipline and a foundational technology for modern information systems.

The seminar combines lectures, group discussion, and structured debate with leading researchers in ontology and knowledge representation. It may be taken for credit by enrolled UB students, prospective students, or outside participants.

Participation is available in person or online, either synchronously or asynchronously. Places are limited for the in-person sessions.

Course Focus

The seminar centers on Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) and its role as the most widely adopted framework for ontology-driven science, industry, and government.

Topics include:

Global adoption and practical deployment of BFO
BFO and ISO/IEC 21838 (Parts 1 and 2)
Applications in emerging domains such as quantum physics and historical data modeling
Critical comparison of BFO with alternative ontology and data modeling approaches
Intensive training in BFO tradecraft
Role of philosophy in ontology development and dissemination

Domains of Application

National security and defense
Law and public policy
Economics and finance
Industrial and systems engineering
Organizational and institutional modeling
Mathematics and physics
Ontology-based data integration and knowledge graphs
The role of ontologies in contemporary AI systems

Course Format

Workshop Week (August 3–7, 2026)

Lectures, hands-on workshops, group discussions, and debates conducted both in person and online. Sessions in morning and afternoon. Additional meetings in evenings.

Post-Workshop Component (Students Seeking Course Credit)

Regular Zoom sessions, ontology exercises, a final presentation, and an individual research paper.

Registration

Go here

Syllabus

Syllabus and further information are available here.