Back in Kunming, Back to PhD Applications
I’ve been back in Kunming — the city where I was born and raised — for a while now, after visiting my grandma near Lijiang. Time really flies. PhD application season is suddenly around the corner, and somehow summer already feels like it’s ending.
I spent a lot of time catching up with old friends. It hit me that we’ve all officially entered adulthood — some are working, some job hunting, others applying for grad school like me. One friend studying in the U.S. mentioned that due to budget cuts, some PhD programs might pause admissions starting in Fall 2026. In some cases, even current students are being asked to transfer because their universities can no longer fund them.
It’s unsettling, but not entirely surprising. Life doesn’t really slow down, and uncertainty is part of the deal. All we can do is stay focused and move forward. (Still, I wouldn’t mind a hug from Baymax.)
So here I am, doing what I can: researching the field, writing things down, and trying to figure out where people in HRI actually publish their work. Here’s what I’ve found so far.
What Is HRI And Who Studies It?
Human–Robot Interaction (HRI) is a multidisciplinary field focused on designing, understanding, and evaluating how humans and robots interact. While related work existed earlier, HRI began to emerge as a distinct field in the mid-1990s to early 2000s, driven by collaboration across robotics, cognitive science, psychology, human factors, natural language processing, and human-computer interaction (Goodrich & Schultz, 2007).
Top Conferences in HRI & Social Robotics
HRI-Focused Conferences
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IEEE International Symposium on Robot & Human Interactive Communication (RoMan): Held annually since 1992, RO-MAN is one of the earliest conferences in HRI. While it began with a robotics focus, it has become increasingly multidisciplinary, attracting work from psychology, HCI, cognitive science, ethics, and design. It covers a broad range of topics on human–robot communication and interaction.
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ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI): The flagship annual conference dedicated to HRI research. It brings together a global, multidisciplinary community to present and discuss cutting-edge work in theory, design, technology, and user studies related to human–robot interaction.
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IEEE/RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots (Humanoids): Established in 2000, Humanoids is the leading conference on humanoid robotics. It covers topics such as perception, control, learning, biomechanics, HRI, and cognition, with a strong focus on anthropomorphic robot design and behavior.
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International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR): Focuses specifically on social robots in real-world contexts. Covers design, evaluation, interaction, ethics, and long-term deployment of social robots.
Robotics Conferences with HRI Tracks
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IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA): One of the most prestigious robotics conferences, ICRA includes HRI sessions that often focus on technical interaction capabilities, motion planning, and autonomous systems.
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Robotics: Science and Systems (RSS): A highly selective robotics conference where HRI work occasionally appears, especially when grounded in novel algorithms or experimental setups.
HCI and Multidisciplinary Conferences
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ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI): While not focused on robotics, CHI regularly features HRI work, particularly in areas like user studies, interaction design, and social perception.
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International Communication Association (ICA): A major conference in communication and media studies. While not robotics-focused, ICA includes work on how humans perceive and communicate with robots, often within the Human-Machine Communication or Communication and Technology divisions.
Note: Many of the conferences listed below are organized or sponsored by IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and ACM (Association for Computing Machinery). These two are among the largest professional organizations in engineering and computing, supporting research through conferences, journals, and community-building.
Top Journals in HRI & Social Robotics
HRI-Focused Journals
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ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction (THRI): A leading journal dedicated specifically to human-robot interaction research. THRI publishes interdisciplinary work on theory, methods, systems, and user studies related to how humans and robots interact.
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International Journal of Social Robotics (IJSR): Focused on social robots and their applications, IJSR covers topics like robot design, user experience, ethical and social implications, and long-term interaction studies.
General Robotics Journals with HRI Work
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IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO): A top-tier journal covering all aspects of robotics, including algorithms, mechatronics, control, and HRI. While it has a strong technical focus, it often includes work on human-robot collaboration and interaction design.
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Science Robotics: A high-impact journal publishing cutting-edge robotics research across disciplines. While not focused on HRI, it occasionally features influential work on human–robot interaction, particularly in healthcare, education, and wearable robotics.
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International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR): One of the oldest and most respected robotics journals. IJRR publishes foundational work in robotics, including occasional studies on HRI, especially those that contribute new methods or experimental insights.
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Frontiers in Robotics and AI – Human–Robot Interaction section: An open-access journal with a dedicated HRI section. Covers technical and human-centered research with faster review timelines.
HCI and Multidisciplinary Journals
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Human–Computer Interaction (HCI): A flagship journal in HCI. While not robotics-specific, it often publishes studies on interaction design and user experience relevant to HRI.
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Computers in Human Behavior (CHB): A widely cited journal covering how people engage with technology. CHB occasionally features HRI work, particularly in areas like trust, emotion, social presence, and education.
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AI & Society: An interdisciplinary journal exploring ethical, cultural, and policy aspects of AI and robotics. Occasionally publishes HRI-related work.
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Interacting with Computers: Covers interaction design, intelligent systems, and sometimes HRI. Emphasizes usability and applied cognition.
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International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction (IJCCI): Focused on the design and evaluation of interactive technologies for children. IJCCI publishes HRI studies involving child–robot interaction, learning technologies, developmental outcomes, and ethical considerations.
Wrapping Up
Most of the information in this post was gathered from publicly available resources (e.g., conference websites, journal portals, and community forums). I’ve tried to keep it concise and beginner-friendly, but things do change, so always double-check the latest submission deadlines and scopes if you’re planning to submit.
There’s definitely a lot to absorb when you’re just getting into HRI. The field is broad, interdisciplinary, and evolving fast, which can feel overwhelming, but also means there’s space for many different backgrounds and ways of thinking. Whether you’re coming from engineering, psychology, communication, design, or somewhere in between, there’s probably a corner of HRI where your work can contribute.
This post is part of how I’m making sense of the field while getting ready for PhD applications. If it helps someone else in the process (even just a little) then it’s worth sharing. If you have suggestions, corrections, or journals I missed, feel free to let me know!