26th Biennial Meeting

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

I am very pleased to announce that the 26th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD) will take place in person, June 19-23, 2022 on the Island of Rhodes, at Rodos Palace Hotel, Greece.

We were very disappointed that we had to cancel the ISSBD 2020 conference due to the pandemic. We had a record number of submissions and we were expecting to have an outstanding meeting. The program was complete and it was of excellent quality.

We hope that you all navigated safely this challenge and that you are healthy and well.

We invite colleagues and students who were planning to attend the 2020 conference as well as those who had not planned to attend that conference to submit their work for ISSBD 2022. As you will see in the instructions for abstract submission, work that was accepted for the 2020 conference and that has already gone through peer review, assuming it has not already been presented or published internationally, will be automatically accepted for ISSBD 2022.

Why the island of Rhodes in Greece? The Island of Rhodes is not only known for its endless beaches, wonderful weather, its medieval old town, beautiful landscape but also for its long experience in organizing large International Scientific Conferences. When the gods divided the world among themselves, so an ancient Greek legend goes, Helios (the Sun god) noticed an island emerging from the sea. He was so fascinated by its beauty that he immediately asked Zeus whether he might have this island as his share. Rhodes was that island. The island seems to glide like a dolphin, over the waves in the transparent seas of the south-eastern Aegean, where West meets East.

The Conference will promote and facilitate the presentation of research on, among other topics, (a) human development throughout the life-span, (b) basic and applied research, (c) developmental risks and resilience, (d) biological determinants of development, (e) methodological issues, (f) topics of global concern that affect developing individuals’ lives, such as climate change, globalization, migration, catastrophic events, including war and terrorism, new and old technologies. The Conference will give special emphasis on the translation of developmental science to policy and on translational research. Last but not least, the Congress will actively promote contributions by scientists of different disciplines, such as neuroscience, genetics, sociology, political science, education, media and the importance of recognizing contributions from all parts of the world.

The Conference will offer numerous networking opportunities so that you will be able to meet and interact with leading scientists and researchers, friends and colleagues, as well as sponsors and exhibitors.

The social program will highlight our Greek cuisine, unique culture and arts, combined with the breathtaking natural beauty of the island. Pre- and post-congress tours will underscore the role of the Island of Rhodes as one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations.

The proposed conference offers the occasion for a fertile dialogue and exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods between scholars in a setting known for its beauty and history. We believe ISSBD 2022 promises to offer participants a memorable experience.

We hope you will join us for a symphony of outstanding science and to celebrate together our freedom from the pandemic.

With best wishes,
Frosso Motti-Stefanidi
Chair of the Conference

With best wishes,
Frosso Motti-Stefanidi
Chair of the Conference
Meeting Secretariat
Christos Moraitis
Senior Project Manager
Τηλ.: 2310247734-43
E-mail: christos@globalevents.gr

Dear ISSBD Colleagues and Friends,

I am very pleased to invite and welcome you to ISSBD 2022 in Rhodes Greece. As you know, this meeting has been delayed from the original 2020 schedule. Since that year, we have all been through difficult times. Some have survived the pandemic relatively unscathed while others have suffered through extremely difficult times. We have seen food insecurity, unemployment, illness, deaths, and untold repercussions of the global pandemic. It has certainly been experienced differently by people in different parts of the world. Even as we prepare for ISSBD 2022 and circumstances are improving dramatically in many parts of the world, in other places things remain extremely difficult. My sympathies and deep concern to all as some continue to struggle while others endeavor to recover from the difficult experiences we have had.

One thing we have learned from this pandemic is that human behavior is critical to human survival. The virus spread because people and governments refused to recognize it and/or take the necessary steps to thwart it. But we have also seen wonderful examples of people reaching out to others to help them cope with difficult circumstances. We have seen government policy that reached out to help people who were experiencing the most difficult times of their lives. In short, it’s been the worst of times; it’s been the best of times.

If ever we could feel the pull and importance of what we do, i.e. seek to study, understand, intervene and optimize human behavior, it has been over this last year. I feel it is critical that we bring what we know and identify what we do not yet know to help our families, societies and the world recover and thrive in the times ahead. What better time to come together as individuals, professionals and humans to consider and optimize how we can best contribute to creating our future?

I look forward to meeting with you in Rhodes – to hear about what we have learned over the last year and to help plan for a better future.

With Warm Wishes,
Toni C. Antonucci, Ph.D.
ISSBD, President

LOCAL ORGANIZERS
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece