Keynote session

As the centrepiece of the Keynote session on 29 August, the Keynote lecture features a world-renowned speaker who is especially invited to present on a topic of interest that should appeal to all congress participants. The Keynote session is followed by the welcome reception, where a buffet dinner will be served.

We are proud to announce that the Keynote lecturer at the ECNP Congress in Amsterdam this year will be Frans de Waal from Atlanta, USA.

The Keynote lecture is entitled:

'Prosocial primates: cooperation and empathy'

Dr. Frans B. M. de Waal is a Dutch/American biologist and primatologist known for his work on the behavior and social intelligence of primates. His first book, Chimpanzee Politics (1982) compared the schmoozing and scheming of chimpanzees involved in power struggles with that of human politicians. His scientific work has been published in hundreds of technical articles in journals such as Science, Nature, Scientific American, and outlets specialized in animal behavior. His popular books - translated into many languages - have made him one of the world's most visible primatologists. His latest books are The Age of Empathy (2009, Harmony) and The Bonobo and the Atheist (Norton, 2013). De Waal is C. H. Candler Professor in the Psychology Department of Emory University and Director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Center, in Atlanta, Georgia. He has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (US), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences. In 2007, he was selected by Time as one of The Worlds’ 100 Most Influential People Today, and in 2011 by Discover as among 47 (all time) Great Minds of Science.