Biennial Meetings

Since ISSBD’s first Biennial Meeting in Nijmegen in 1971, attendance has grown from approximately 200 participants to more than 2,000, most recently at the 2026 Biennial Meeting in Incheon, Republic of Korea.

The importance and influence of the Biennial Meetings are reflected in the growing interest in cross-cultural and cross-national research on behavioural development, the many international collaborations and research initiatives that have emerged from these meetings, and increased engagement with ISSBD in the countries and regions where meetings have been held.

The Biennial Meetings bring together developmental scientists from around the world to present new research, exchange ideas, build international networks, and develop collaborations across countries, cultures, disciplines, and career stages. To reflect its international mission and encourage participation from different regions of the world, ISSBD seeks to rotate the location of its Biennial Meetings across continents.

Past Biennial Meetings

Since 1971, ISSBD has held 28 Biennial Meetings across six continents: 14 in Europe, six in North America, four in Asia, two in Australia, one in Africa, and one in South America.

The Biennial Meeting scheduled to take place in Rhodes in 2020 was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic and was subsequently held in 2022.