8^th International Student Course
in Behavioural Biology

organised by the Institut Francilien d‘Ethologie IFE

17-18 November 2025

Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Campus Condorcet, Aubervilliers, France

General description

This student course (in person or online participation) is offered to students and young researchers (Master students, PhD students, Post docs) in behavioural sciences and related disciplines. It includes five plenary talks by international senior researchers, a round table discussion on Artificial Intelligence in Behavioural Sciences, and student poster presentations (only in person, no online poster session). See preliminary conference program below. The participation, either in person or online, is free of charge. The language at the conference will be English.

Dates and Conference venue

The course will take place on Monday, 17 November 2025 and Tuesday, 18 November 2025 at the Campus Condorcet, Conference Centre (centre de colloques), Place du Front Populaire, 93322 Aubervilliers, France. The Conference Centre is just right next to one of the exits of the Station "Front Populaire" of Metro line 12.

Online participants will receive a ZOOM link per email.

Registration

To register, send an email to IFE.info.contact@gmail.com

Insert “Registration-in person” or “Registration-online” in the subject line of your email. In the body of this email, only include the following information, in different lines:

* Posters should be in English, in A0 portrait format.

There are no registration fees, either for participation in person or online. Drinks and snacks during the breaks are free. However, the number of participants is limited (“first come, first serve”).

* We are accepting a maximum of 150 participants in person. Registrations until 31 October 2025 will be considered, as long as the maximum number is not reached.

* Online participation is limited to 500 persons. Registrations until 12 November 2025 will be considered, as long as the maximum number is not reached.

Once we have received your registration per email, you will receive a confirmation mail with further details within the following days. In case of online participation, another mail with your ZOOM link one day prior to the start of the conference. Participants will receive a certificate of participation on demand.

Conference program

All times given are in Central European Time (Paris time).

Monday, 17 November 2025

08:30am – 09:00am

Conference registration (only in-person participants)

09:00am – 09:30am

Opening ceremony and welcome address

09:30am – 10:30am

Evolution of learning and memory in Heliconius butterflies

Dr. Stephen Montgomery (University of Bristol, UK)

10:30am – 11:00am

Coffee break

11:00am – 12:00pm

Cognitive neuroscience in miniature brains – dissecting higher-order learning in honey bees

Dr. Martin Giurfa (Sorbonne University, France)

12:00pm – 02:15pm

Lunch

02:15pm – 03:15pm

The evolution of polygyny in ants

Dr. Claudie Doums (Ecole Pratique des Hautes Études-PSL, France)

03:15pm – 06:30pm

Student poster presentation (only for in-person participants, no access via ZOOM)

06:30pm – 09:00pm

Dinner

Tuesday, 18 November 2025

09:00am – 09:15am

Announcements

09:15am – 10:15am

Birds in space and time:  the role communication and movement in understanding animal societies

Dr. Marc Naguib (Wageningen University, The Netherlands)

10:15am – 11:15am

Short- and long-term consequences of disturbances during the early developmental period

Dr. Raquel Monclús (University Sorbonne Paris Nord, France)

11:15am – 11:45am

Coffee break

11:45am – 12:45pm

Round table discussion: AI and behavioural biology: what are the stakes?

Moderator: Dr. Christophe Féron (Univ. Sorbonne Paris Nord, France)

12:45pm – 13:15pm

Closing session with final discussion and awarding of poster prizes

Contact us: IFE.info.contact@gmail.com