From Across the Globe to Montpellier: EFP2026 Recap

EFP
2 days ago
2 min read

EFP2026 wrapped up in Montpellier, France, running from June 29th to July 3rd, and it brought the primatology community together in a big way! Around 350 people took part, coming all the way from 27 different countries, and enjoyed four great plenary talks by Christine Webb, Liran Samuni, Angela Maldonado, and Krishna Balasubramaniam.

Photo credit: Christine Webb, Liran Samuni, Angela Maldonado, and Krishna Balasubramaniam

The EFP awarded 14 grants, seven to students from the North and seven from the South, including three through the French Speaking Primatology Society (SFDP), helping make their participation possible. This is part of a wider effort to bring in primatologists from outside Europe too.

The conference also included a moving session honoring two great icons in the field of primatology, Jane Goodall and Biruté Galdikas. Alison Ashbury spoke about Biruté Galdikas, while Anne Pusey and Mike Wilson spoke about Jane Goodall, celebrating their lasting impact and contributions to the field.

On top of that, six students received student prizes in recognition of their hard work and achievements.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) for EFP Highlights

Patricia Izar's plenary was a real highlight of the conference. She shared research and reflections on the challenges women face in primatology, along with ideas for addressing them. This connected well with a poster based on registration data, which suggested that women tend to hold fewer permanent positions, or perhaps that women in permanent positions attend the conference less often.

This focus on inclusion carried through into the practical support offered on site. Linguistic help was available for attendees, and alongside a code of conduct and an anonymous reporting form, nine trained EDI representatives were on hand to provide support and guidance in situations involving misconduct.

The two dedicated EDI events were also a great success: about 55 people joined the ECR icebreaker (Pongo Bingo), and around 75 attended the networking event (Paths and Perspectives).

So here is a huge thank you to everyone who came, presented, and made EFP2026 such a special event!