European Primate Society

European Primate Society

The European Primate Society is an international scholarly association bringing together primatologists, conservationists, zoologists, ethologists, and biomedical researchers from across Europe and partner regions. It fosters collaboration among members linked to institutions such as the Max Planck Society, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Zurich, CNRS, and University of Barcelona, and maintains ties with global organizations including the International Primatological Society, the World Wide Fund for Nature, the IUCN, and the European Commission.

History

The society emerged in the aftermath of post‑war scientific reorganization influenced by entities like the Royal Society, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and the Wellcome Trust, tracing intellectual roots to fieldwork traditions exemplified by figures associated with the London Zoological Society, the American Society of Primatologists, and the legacy of research conducted at sites such as Gombe Stream National Park, Kibale National Park, and Takahata‑era Japanese projects. Early meetings convened scholars affiliated with the University of Edinburgh, the Free University of Berlin, the University of Naples Federico II, and the University of Lisbon, and attracted historians of science from institutions like the École Normale Supérieure and the Heidelberg University. Over decades the society interacted with funding bodies including the Wellcome Trust, the European Research Council, and national academies such as the Académie des sciences and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, while engaging with conservation policy frameworks like the Bern Convention and the Habitats Directive.

Objectives and Activities

The society's objectives align with research, conservation, and education agendas promoted by organizations such as the UNESCO, the European Environment Agency, and the Council of Europe. Core activities involve coordinating thematic working groups similar to collaborations seen at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Smithsonian Institution, facilitating postgraduate training linked to programs at the University College London, the University of Milan, and the University of Warsaw, and advising for field projects in collaboration with groups like Fauna & Flora International, Conservation International, and the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. It promotes standards for animal welfare referenced by the European Medicines Agency and echoes ethical frameworks discussed at meetings of the World Medical Association and the European Research Council.

Governance and Membership

Governance typically involves elected officers and an international board drawing expertise from institutions including the Karolinska Institutet, the University of Groningen, the Pasteur Institute, the University of Vienna, and the University of Helsinki. Committees mirror structures found within the Royal Society and the Max Planck Society and liaise with funders such as the European Science Foundation and the NERC. Membership spans academics, curators from museums like the Natural History Museum, London and the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, veterinary specialists associated with the Royal Veterinary College, and policy advisors who have worked with the European Parliament and national ministries including the Ministry of Environment (France) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (Germany). Honorary members have included researchers who trained at the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, the University of Tokyo, and the University of California, Davis.

Conferences and Publications

Annual and biennial congresses attract delegates who present at venues such as the University of Barcelona, the University of Lisbon, the University of Zurich, the University of Bologna, and the University of Warsaw. Conferences have hosted keynote speakers associated with the Smithsonian Institution, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, the Port Lympne Reserve, and field programs in Madagascar and Borneo. The society publishes proceedings and bulletins that have been disseminated through partnerships with publishers like Springer, Oxford University Press, and Cambridge University Press, and through journals collaboratively edited with the Journal of Human Evolution, Primates (journal), Folia Primatologica, American Journal of Primatology, and regional periodicals linked to the European Journal of Wildlife Research. Special issues have featured contributions from authors affiliated with the University of Oxford, the CNRS, the Max Planck Society, the University of Barcelona, and the University of Zurich.

Research and Conservation Initiatives

Research priorities include behavioral ecology, comparative cognition, epidemiology, and conservation biology undertaken in partnership with field stations like the Budongo Conservation Field Station, the Makira Natural Park, the Kibale Chimpanzee Project, and the Centre ValBio. Collaborative projects have sought support from the European Research Council, the Horizon 2020 program, the National Science Foundation, and philanthropic organizations such as the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Conservation initiatives involve coordination with NGOs like TRAFFIC, BirdLife International, Fauna & Flora International, and government agencies exemplified by the Ministry of Forestry (Indonesia) and the Kenyan Wildlife Service for range country engagement. Disease surveillance and One Health collaborations have linked members to the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Pasteur Institute, and clinical researchers at the Karolinska Institutet and Imperial College London.

Category:Learned societies Category:Primatology organizations Category:Conservation organizations in Europe