Programme

The programme and the abstract booklet are now available for download!

Instructions for Presenters

Oral sessions

A talk lasts 15 minutes and is followed by 5 min discussion including the transition between speakers. Talks can be sent via email or uploaded to our system during registration. Please bring your talk on a USB flash drive.

Please name your talk using your last name.

Talks will be run on a Windows computer and the start of talks as well as transition between them will be organized by our team members. There will be no possibility of connecting your own computer to the projector. We will provide you with a wireless laser-pointer that you can use to skip through the slides during your presentation. The talks will be deleted from our computers after the end of the congress.

Please follow the instructions below to avoid technical issues during the presentation:

• Presentations should be saved either as a PowerPoint- (.ppt) or a PDF-file (.pdf). Please save your presentation as PowerPoint Presentation 97-2007, 2010 or higher
• If your presentation contains a video or sound file, make sure the file is embedded in the presentation and does not rely on an external file location. You can test the presentation to ensure it is displayed correctly and runs smoothly
• Make sure to stick to standard 4:3 format for your slides (it will better fit the projection screen)
• Make sure to only use fonts that are available on the basic Microsoft Windows installation
  • If you intend to use special fonts, you need to save these fonts together with your presentation. Therefore, click on “tools”, then “options”, then “save” and check the box “embed true type fonts” before saving the presentation
• If you prepared your presentation on a non-Windows operating system (e.g. MacOS or Linux), please come to us to test for compatibility issued before your talk

When preparing your presentation, please make sure that is it accessible for everyone. Thus, please:

• Ensure that font size is big enough to be read easily (font size > 16)
• Ensure that there is enough contrast between background and font/images
• Ensure that the resolution of the images in your presentation is sufficient
• Ensure that information conveyed through colour, e.g. in a graph, is colour-blind friendly (e.g. see these tips)

Posters

Posters should be in portrait/vertical format and we recommend A0 format, which equals 84,1cm x 118,9cm. Posters cannot be bigger than 115cm x 145cm. We will provide attachment materials for posters.

You will receive the number of your poster during registration. These numbers correspond to the location of your poster. Posters have to be hung up before 15:00 on Thursday 22nd of February and will be discarded if they have not been removed by 16:30 on Friday 23rd of February.

Presenters are asked to stand next to their poster during the poster session (Thursday, February 22th) from 17:00 to 19:00.

When preparing your poster, please make sure that is it accessible for everyone:

• Ensure that font size is big enough to be read easily
• Ensure that there is enough contrast between background and font/images
• Ensure that information conveyed through colour, e.g. in a graph, is colour-blind friendly (you can find tips here)

Venue & Location

The Annual Meeting of the Ethological Society 2024 will be held at the University of Münster campus. The university is located in the city of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, and was founded in 1780. The city's attitude to life is clearly influenced by the university. The countless students populate the city's beer gardens and public spaces, especially when the weather is good. Of course, the bicycle as the main means of transport fits in particularly well with this relaxed lifestyle.

The behavioural sciences in Münster have a long tradition that has been shaped by names like Bernhard Rensch, Konrad Lorenz, Gerti Dücker, and Norbert Sachser. Today, research and teaching in this discipline are represented by Sylvia Kaiser, Helene Richter, and Melanie Dammhahn.

All events of the conference will be held in the Schloss Münster, officially called the “Fürstbischöfliches Schloss Münster”. It was built as the residence of the prince-bishop of Münster, modern-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was built between 1767 and 1787 in baroque style as a mansion for Maximilian Friedrich von Königsegg-Rothenfels. Since 1954 it has been the seat and landmark of the University of Münster. The castle is built from the typical Baumberger sandstone of Münster.

Today it is the administrative headquarters of the University of Münster. The Institute of Botany in the Department of Biology at the University of Münster, which was built at the end of the 19th century, is located in the castle garden. At the same time, the institute's botanical garden is located there, which is definitely worth a visit.

Things to do in Münster

Münster is a charming city with plenty of sightseeing and fun activities to offer. Here are some of the top things to do in the area:

1. Explore the Altstadt: Altstadt, or Old Town, is home to historic buildings and charming streets, perfect for a leisurely stroll or shopping.
2. Take a walk in the Botanical Garden: The Botanical Garden is perfect for a relaxing walk and is home to a wide variety of plants and wildlife.
3. Visit the Allwetter Zoo: The zoo features many different species and a small aquarium.
4. Check out the numerous museums: There are many interesting museums in the city, such as the LWL Museum of Natural History (with a Planetarium), Geomuseum of the University of Münster, Friedenssaal (Hall of Peace), City Museum of Münster and LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur.
5. Visit St Lambert's Church: The church is an impressive example of Westphalian late Gothic architecture and lies on the north side of the Prinzipalmarkt (main market square) in the city centre.
6. Stroll along the Aasee: The lake is a popular recreation destination near the city centre and the university.
7. Visit the Rieselfelder: The Rieselfelder are an EU Special Protection Area. It is part of the Natura 2000 network of protected areas and offers refuge for many endangered bird species. It is located north of the Coerde district.

Travel within Münster

By foot, the schloss lies roughly 2km (30 min) from the train station. There are several busses (e.g., lines 11, 12) that go from the train station to the Schloss. Just find the bus stop closest to your accommodation and type it in Goggle Maps or the Deutsche Bahn Navigator App and it will give you the best route and departure times.

Map of Münster showing the train station and the conference venue.

Hotels

Click here to see a list of possible hotels.

FAQ

Will childcare be provided?

For parents, we will provide professional childcare. Please inform us during the registration or as soon as possible afterwards if you would like to bring your child/children to the conference together with his/her/their age and we will try our best to make this conference a lively experience for everyone.

For breastfeeding mothers, we will provide a calm and comfortable room in which you can use a breast pump or feed your baby undisturbed.

I have a para-ability or other special need, will you be able to accommodate this?

We can offer support during the conference through technical devices such as an inductive listening system and will assist in finding a suitable sign language interpreter. Furthermore, we want to ensure unlimited mobility during the conference regardless of personal limitations in movability. If you require any other assistance, please let us know during registration or soon thereafter.

Can I cancel my registration, and if so, is there a cancelation fee?

Cancellation with 80% refunding is possible until January 31 2024. Thereafter, we cannot refund payments of the registration fee.

How can I report unacceptable behaviour?

If you experience any instance of discrimination, assault, unwanted sexual attention, inappropriate comments, or any other unacceptable behaviours, please reach out to us by going to the Information Desk, contacting one of us through email (kaisesy@uni-muenster.de or rrimbach@uni-muenster.de) or by approaching one of our team members at the venue. 

Can I bring my children to the conference dinner?

Yes, that is possible. Please inform us if you plan to bring your child/children to the dinner so we can organize a sufficient number of highchairs, if required.

COVID-19 information

There are no COVID-19 related restrictions in Germany. There are no more mandatory medical masks in public transport.