The keynote theme of the congress is How do animals perceive the world? The congress includes presentations of four keynote speakers of 45 minutes. The keynote speakers are:
- Dr. Emily R. Burdfield-Steel (University of Amsterdam)
- Dr. Evy van Berlo (University of Amsterdam)
- Dr. Lucy Bates (University of Portsmouth)
- To be announced
Additionally, there will be several parallel sessions with short oral presentations—12 minutes with 3 minutes for questions—and time slots for poster presentations. The best presentations will be awarded a prize.
Besides the oral presentations, on Monday a parallel session of workshops will be given. A total of 3 separate workshops will be given focussing on: science communication, use of AI in science, presenation skills and public engagement. The topics of the workshops are subject to change.
Furthermore, on Sunday at 21:00 a storytelling contest will be held to provide a podium for everyone to share their most fascinating, heart-warming or funny experiences from studying animals. Such stories often do not make it into scientific publications, but they are a big part of what makes zoological research so special! Stories can be about anything, but preferably align somewhat with the topic of the congress and are preferably no longer than 15 minutes. You can register beforehand via the Registration form and send your story to info.zoology2025@gmail.com with as a subject ‘Storytelling contest [your name]’. The contest will be held in the ARTIS Planetarium which is located at the entrance of the zoo.
Lastly, we welcome all researchers to send in pictures of their study subjects for the second edition of the annual zoology photo competition! Pictures can be sent to info.zoology2025@gmail.com with as a subject ‘Photo competition [your name]’. The winner will be announced at the end of the congress and the photos will be displayed in the ARTIS-Groote Museum.
Storytelling night under the starry sky at the Planetarium, ©ARTIS