Welcome

Dear colleagues and other guests,

We are pleased to invite you to the European Congress of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine and Welfare (EVCBMAW) in Helsinki, Finland, 18-19 September 2025.

Many of you will arrive in the country on Wednesday, and therefore the opening ceremony of the Congress will be held at a cocktail event hosted by the City of Helsinki at the City Hall in the centre of Helsinki. The entire congress and closing dinner will also take place in the city centre. We want to give more visibility to the posters, which is why they will be exclusively presented on Thursday evening at the Beer/Wine by the posters event.

As usual, the Study Day for residents and their supervisors and other interested persons will be organized before the congress. This year’s session will focus on experimental design and data analysis in animal behavior and welfare research.

We hope you make the most of your visit and enjoy Helsinki to the full. Helsinki is a unique combination of quirky cityscape and tranquil nature, offering peace and space to feel, hear and experience more. And don’t forget the sauna – a culturally important place for us to wash and relax. Helsinki has several public saunas, many of which also offer swimming possibility.

On behalf of the local organizing committee, I warmly welcome you to Helsinki.

Tervetuloa!

Laura Hänninen, DVM, PhD, Dip ECAWBM-AWSEL

(Chair of the EVCBMAW National Committee 2025)

General information

Badges

We kindly request that all participants and exhibitors wear their badges throughout the congress. Access to plenary and parallel sessions will be granted only with your personal name badge.

Certificate of attendance

Following the congress, participants will receive an email with a link to a brief satisfaction survey to provide feedback on the event’s organization.

After completing the survey, you will be able to download your Certificate of Attendance.

Organising Secretariat

Wednesday 2 October
8.00 AM – 6.00 PM

Thursday 3 October
8.00 AM – 6.00 PM

Friday 4 October
8.00 AM – 6.00 PM

Slide Center

Oral presentations and speakers, poster teasers

Presentations should be provided on a USB stick no later than two hours prior to the start of the session.

Please go to the Slide Centre located at the Reception desk in the lobby with your USB stick. There will be a technical support team available to assist you upon request.

IMPORTANT: please note that it will not be possible to use your laptop for your presentation or upload your slides during the session in the auditorium.

Welcome reception and Congress Dinner

Welcome reception

Thursday 3 October (upon registration) – from 6.00 PM

Attendance to the welcome reception is free but registration is needed.

ASIEM – 6 rue Albert de Lapparent, 75007 Paris

*From 6pm until midnight.

Please kindly note that there is no shuttle service provided at the end of the welcome reception.

Congress Dinner

Friday 4 October (upon registration) – 7.30 PM

Le Petit Boutary – 16 rue Jacquemont, 75017 Paris

Participants to the Congress dinner are provided with the mention “Congress Dinner – 4 October” on the badge.

*From 7.30PM until midnight. Please kindly ensure to arrive on time at the venue.

How to get to the restaurant from ASIEM?

– Walk to “Segur” metro station (4 mins walk from ASIEM)

– Get on the metro line 10 towards “Gare d’Austerlitz”

– Get off at “Duroc” station

– Get on the metro line 13 towards Saint-Denis-Université or Asnières – Gennevilliers – Les Courtilles

– Get off at “La Fourche” station- Walk 4 mins to get to 16 rue Jacquemont, 75017 Paris

Committees

Local organization committee

Laura Hänninen

More info

DVM, ECAWBM-AWSEL Diplomate
PhD, adjunct professor (docent)
Senior clinical instructor at the Faculty of Veterinary Science (University of Helsinki)
ORCID ID 0000-0001-5118-8451

Anna Valros

More info

Master degree in Biology
Full professor of animal welfare science at the Faculty of Veterinary Science (University of Helsinki)
ECAWBM-AWSEL associate member
ORCID ID 0000-0002-4431-3346

Kirsi Swan

More info

DVM, ECAWBM-AWSEL Diplomate
PhD
Clinical instructor at Faculty of Veterinary Science (University of Helsinki)
ORCID ID 0000-0003-1705-7786

Marianna Norring

More info

Master degree in Biology
PhD, adjunct professor (docent)
ORCID ID 0000-0001-8130-3959

Satu Raussi

More info

Master degree in Biology
PhD
Principal Specialist at the Finnish Animal welfare center, Natural resources institute Finland
ORCHID 0000-0001-9079-9706

Tiina Kauppinen

More info

Master degree in Biology
PhD
Senior Specialist at the Finnish Animal welfare center, Natural resources institute Finland
ORCID ID 0000-0003-4223-6233

Kati Tuomola

More info

DVM
PhD
Visiting scholar at the Faculty of Veterinary Science (University of Helsinki)
Private horse veterinarian
ORCID ID 0000-0002-2984-1458

Tuulia Appleby

More info

DVM, Dip CABC
Veterinarian at the The Federation of Education in Central Ostrobothnia, Finland

Kati White

More info

DVM
Resident in ECAWBM-AWSEL, University of Helsinki
Executive director, SEY Finland

International organizing committee

Christine Halsberghe

President ESVCE

Anouck Haverbeke

ECAWBM – BM

Peter Thornton

ECAWBM – AWSEL

Karen Hiestand

Chair AWSELVA

Emmanuelle Titeux

Chair National Committee for 2024

Laura Hänninen

Chair National Committee for 2025

Programme

Program at glance (changes possible)

A detailed programme to be announced closer to the congress

17 September – the day before, the Helsinki City Hall

18:00 – 19:00 Registration starts
17:30 – 19:00 Helsinki City Welcome reception at the City Hall

18 September – Day 1 University Main Building
08:30 – 09:00 | Registration
09:00 – 18:00 | Sessions
18:00 – 21:00 | Poster Session

19 September – Day 2 University Main Building
09:00 – 17:45 | Sessions
17:45 – 18:00 | Closing of the 7^th EVCBMAW

19:30 | Congress Buffet and dance, place to be announced

Submission of abstracts open until 3 April 2025
Early registration until 22 June
Registration from 23 June
Study day 17 September
Congress 18-19 September

Invited speakers

Miiamaaria Kujala

“One health and one welfare in interactions of pets and their humans”

Dr. Miiamaaria Kujala is an adjunct professor (docent) of comparative cognitive neuroscience and Academy Research Fellow of the Research Council of Finland. She received a PhD on the brain basis of human social cognition from the University of Helsinki in 2010 and conducted post-doctoral research in Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, France. In 2011, she joined the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki to improve comparative research methodologies in the cognitive-affective studies of humans and companion dogs. From 2020, she has studied human-canine interaction, utilizing accelerometry and cardiac measures, at the Jyväskylä Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Research, University of Jyväskylä. She is interested in social cognition and emotionality in humans and non-human species, especially companion dogs; cross-species interaction; and the development of expertise in understanding non-human social cues.

Olli Loukola

“What we can learn from bees?”

Dr. Olli Loukola is a Finnish behavioural ecologist, an adjunct professor (docent) of animal ecology, and widely known as “the guy who taught bees to play football.” He earned his PhD from the University of Oulu, Finland, in 2014, studying social information use in passerine birds. Following his doctoral research, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Queen Mary University of London. Currently, Dr. Loukola is a senior research fellow at the Ecology and Genetics Research Unit at the University of Oulu. His work explores the cognitive abilities of various species, the role of information use within and between species, and its ecological and evolutionary significance. He is also interested in how environmental factors, such as species interactions and chemical exposure, influence cognition.

Kristyn Vitale

“A Look Inside the Lives of Cats: The science behind cat-human and cat-cat interactions”

Dr. Kristyn Vitale is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and an internationally recognized expert in cat behavior. She earned a PhD in Animal Science from Oregon State University (USA) and served as a Visiting Research Fellow in Cognitive Psychology at Kyoto University (Japan). She is currently an Assistant Professor of Animal Health and Behavior at Unity Environmental University (USA). Her research interests include cross-cultural comparisons of human-animal interactions, human-animal attachment relationships, animal learning and training, and companion animal welfare. Much of her work is focused on cat social behavior, cat-human relationships, and the impact of life experience on cat social cognition. She has also supported research into pig-human interactions and dog-assisted interventions for children. Her research and expertise have been internationally featured in media outlets such as National Geographic, Science Magazine, BBC, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and DER SPIEGEL. Her work has also been featured in film documentaries such as How the Cat Conquered the World (ARTE France) and Inside the Mind of a Cat (Netflix).

Evening events

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Theme: Study day afterwork.

Venue: Les Caractères, 25 Rue des Grands Augustins, 75006 Paris — check here

Times: 6:00 pm to midnight

*All study day participants are invited to this event.

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Theme: Wine and cheese tasting with vegetarian options

Venue: ASIEM, 6 rue Albert de Lapparent, 75007, Paris

Time: from 6:00 pm to 12:00 am

*The registration is free but mandatory.

Friday, October 4, 2024

Theme: Closing gala of the congress

Venue: Le Petit Boutary, 16 Rue Jacquemont, 75017 Paris

— In a quiet street in Les Batignolles, chef Romeo Agbodjan welcomes you to his kitchen, set up directly in the heart of the restaurant, with unique, relaxed but refined and original surprise menus, changed regularly according to the market and the seasons. Check here.

Time: from 7:30 pm to 12:00 am

*Registration and payment via the web.

Venue

The conference will be held at the main building of the University of Helsinki, with the entrance on Fabianinkatu 33. Sessions will take place in the Small Hall (Pieni juhlasali) on the 4th floor and in the Auditorium on the 2nd floor. The poster session will occur exclusively on Thursday evening, located on the ground floor hall Agora.

Registration will be available on-site at the registration desk.

The venue is fully accessible, with street-level entry, an accessible lift serving all floors, and a dedicated disabled elevator in the stairs.

For convenience, multiple hotels are within a 300-meter walking distance. Located just a 600-meter walk from the railway station, the main building is also easily reached by public transit. The nearest Metro stop is Helsingin Yliopisto – Helsingfors Universitet, with an entrance 250 meters away, and several trams stop right by the main building on Aleksanterinkatu (Senaatintori stop, less than 100 meters away).

Click here to view the google map.

Click here to view the accessibility map of Helsinki.

Search for the most convenient route for you at the HSL Route Planner!
All vehicles used on public transport are accessible. Please see for more information here.
Whether you’re visiting Helsinki with your young children or for some other reason looking for easily accessible places to visit in Helsinki, check these out.

Helsinki University Main Building

Fabianinkatu 33
Helsinki
Finland

Accessibility information

The Main Building
Accessibility information here.

The Auditorium, 2^nd floor
Congress room
Partly accessible (shallow stairs)
Induction loop

The Small festival room, 4^th floor
Congress room
Accessible
Induction loop

The Agora, 1^st floor
Poster session
Accessible

How to get to Helsinki

Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is located 20 km from the centre of Helsinki. From the airport you can get to Helsinki city centre by train (30min), bus (40-50 min) or taxi (30 min). Helsinki airport transport connections here.

There are also 19 other airports in Finland (see here).

Ferries from Tallinn and Stockholm bring passengers directly to Helsinki city centre. From Travemünde, the ferry arrives at the Port of Vuosaari, about 15 km from the city centre (60 min by bus-metro, 30 min by car). All ferries also take passengers by car.

The distances are long in Finland, but public transport works well, and the roads are mostly in good condition. You will find information about public transport, driving and foreign driving licenses in Finland here

Registration

To register for the conference, please complete the online registration form HERE.

Kindly first read the instructions and conditions given below.

Reservations will be handled on a “first come – first served” basis.
Each form is to be filled in individually by only one participant. If you have problems with completing the online form, please contact the local conference secretariat at Confedent International. E-mail: evcbmaw2025@confedent.fi

Fees

- Early bird student and resident 290eur.
- Early bird memeber 340eur.
- Early bird others 390eur.

After June the 22^nd

Late registration students and resident 340eur.
Late registration member 380eur.
Late registration others 430eur.

Dinner ticket price

85eur.

Study day price

Free of charge to residents and their supervisors.
Others 100eur.

Payment of registration fees:

Invoice payment:

Invoicing fee EUR 19 will be added to all invoices. Note that an additional fee of EUR 19 will be charged for any changes to a sent invoice (e.g. invalid invoicing address or additional data not given during registration).
The invoice reference number must show as identification on bank transactions. The invoice will include all necessary international bank information for the bank transfer. All bank charges should be covered by the payer.
Registration and other reservations will be confirmed only once a full payment has been received.

Online credit card and GooglePay payment:

The following credit card are accepted: Visa, MasterCard and Eurocard. GooglePay is also available as payment method.
Registration and other reservations will be confirmed only once a full payment has been received.

Cancellation policy

For cancellations made by or on July 19th, 2025, full refund (50 eur handling fee will be deducted).
For cancellations made after July 19th, 2025, no refunds will be made.
There will be no refund for no-shows. Denial of a visa application to Finland does not entitle a participant to any refunds.
The congress organizers cannot accept liability for personal injuries sustained, for loss of, or damage to property belonging to participants (or their accompanying persons), either during or as a result of the congress. The registration fees do not include insurance of any kind so please check the validity and coverage of your own travel insurance.
The organisers do not take responsibility for force majeure reasons for cancellation of the event (natural disaster, outbreak of severe contagious epidemic, major strikes etc.). In such a case, the organising committee reserves the right to decide about refunding of paid registration fees.

Accommodation

The Congress Organisers have booked room quotas for the congress participants in the following hotels. When reservation is done via the registration form the below mentioned prices are valid. For late bookings, availability cannot be guaranteed. Delegates are free to make their own accommodation arrangements, but availability or prices cannot be guaranteed and is at delegate’s own risk.

Early reservation of accommodation is recommended.

Solo Sokos Hotel Helsinki

Kluuvikatu 8
00100 Helsinki

Solo Sokos Hotel Helsinki, renovated entirely in the spring of 2022, is perfect for people who love the pulse of the city, an urban lifestyle and personalised experiences. The location of our wonderful city hotel is perfect for business trips and mini holidays alike, as it is within walking distance from shopping streets and malls, the most interesting museums and local sights. The hotel is easy to come to by train, bus, tram or car.

Distance from congress venue: 200 m

Room rates (per room / night)
EUR 176,00 Standard single room
EUR 196,00 Standard double room

Hotel Arthur

Vuorikatu 19
00100 Helsinki

The private and cozy Hotel Arthur is located in Helsinki city center right next to the Central Railway Station. Helsinki’s most prominent sights, large department stores and theaters are all within walking distance of the hotel. The Helsinki University metro station and tram stops for tram lines 3, 9, 6T and 6 are next to the hotel.

Distance from congress venue: 500 m

Room rates (per room / night)

EUR 125,00 Standard single room

EUR 135,00 Standard twin room

Accommodation payment

A hotel deposit of one night must be paid in advance together with the registration fees. The hotel deposit will be deducted from the total cost of accommodation. The remaining hotel payment will be charged at the hotel upon check-in. Reservations without full deposit payment cannot be accepted. The hotel has the right to charge all booked nights in case of late cancellation or early departure.

If you are paying the fees against invoice, kindly note that your reservation is guaranteed only after we have received the payment. If you require accommodation outside the given dates, please contact the local secretariat at evcbmaw2025@confedent.fi

All room rates include breakfast and VAT.

Welcome reception

Free of charge but registration needed.

Thursday 19^th shortly after the end of the congress presentations.

Stazione Leopolda di Pisa.

* Members of ECAWBM, ESVCE, AWSELVA in good standing for 2024

Social dinner

65 euros and registration needed.

Friday 20^th October.

Shuttle bus from Pisa included.

Villa Poschi.

Not gala dinner.