We are pleased to announce that the 2025 ZOOlogy congress, titled:
ZOOming into the world of animals
will take place from Sunday 7th till Tuesday 9th of December 2025 in ARTIS-Groote Museum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
The congress will emphasize research carried out in zoos, but other presentations on zoology research are also VERY welcome. The organizing committee specifically wants to encourage young researchers and students to present their research at the congress.
Key information
- Conference Location: The ARTIS-Groote Museum located at the Artisplein (Plantage Middenlaan 41, 1018 CZ Amsterdam), next to ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo.
- Dates: The event will take place on Sunday, December 7th, Monday December 8th and Tuesday December 9th.
- Contact email: info.zoology2025@gmail.com.
- Key Dates and Deadlines:
- Abstract submission opening: to be determined
- Registration/payment opening: to be determined
- Abstract submission deadline: to be determined
- Picture submission for the Best Picture Contest: to be determined
- Final registration deadline: to be determined
- Conference dinner location: December 8th, evening Pannenkoekenboot, Ms. van Riemsdijkweg 33, 1033 RD Amsterdam.
- Story telling competition: December 7th from 21:00-23:00.
- Best Poster/Presentation awards, winner announced December 9th.
- Best Scientific Picture Contest, winner announced December 9th.
Programme
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, and increasing inclusivity and diversity in science. 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.
Venues
The congress venue will be the ARTIS-Groote Museum located at the Artisplein (Plantage Middenlaan 41, 1018 CZ Amsterdam), next to ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo.
The venue is easily reachable by public transport via tram lines 14, 7, and 19. Tram 14 from Amsterdam Central Station stops directly in front of the museum, exit at the ARTIS stop. Tram lines 7 and 19 stop at Alexanderplein, just a short walk from the venue. The nearest metro station is Waterlooplein (lines 51, 53, and 54), located about a 10-minute walk away. If you prefer to travel by car, parking is available at the ARTIS parking lot, with parking tickets payable at the ARTIS ticket offices or directly in the parking lot.
The dinner on the evening of Monday the 8th, will take place on the Pannenkoekenboot (Pancakeboat). The boat departures at 19:00 and will take us on a 2-hour journey on the IJ-river. During this time you can eat as many pancakes as you want including vegetarian and vegan options. If you want to come along, please register in time due to limited spaces on board.
Code of conduct
We are committed to fostering a welcoming, inclusive, and harassment-free environment for all conference attendees. Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. Attendees who violate these guidelines may face sanctions or expulsion at the discretion of the conference organizers.
Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
- Verbal comments that reinforce social biases related to gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, or nationality
- Display of sexual images in public spaces
- Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following
- Non-consensual photography or recording
- Sustained disruption of talks or events
- Inappropriate physical contact or unwelcome sexual advances
- Advocating for or encouraging any of the above behaviours
Contact details: info.zoology2025@gmail.com