Debrecen, Hungary\online
6 — 7 October 2026
Deadline for proposals – 15 August 2026
The Anthrozoology Research Group of the University of Debrecen and the Faculty of Education for Children and Special Educational Needs of the University of Debrecen invite you to participate in the 5th International Anthrozoology Conference titled “Perspectives of the Human-Animal Relationship”, which aims to investigate human-animal interactions from an interdisciplinary perspective.
The anthrozoological approach has been an internationally well-known subfield of ethnobiology since the 1980s, combining qualitative and quantitative methods in an interdisciplinary manner to study the interactions between humans and animals as well as the human-animal bond. It engages inquiries into the human perception and knowledge of non-human animals and looks at the roles that animals play in human societies not only in utilitarian but also in cultural, religious, artistic and philosophical terms.
The human-animal bond is a relevant research subject in many scientific fields; however, each discipline has its own framework, methodology, and terminology, therefore most resulting publications do not reach beyond their own context. The anthrozoological approach creates a common platform for scholars and professionals from various fields to explore connections between different aspects of human-animal interactions that would otherwise remain hidden.
The conference will provide a platform for scholars from many disciplines. Representation from the fields of pedagogy, special education, ethology, psychology, philosophy, literary and cultural studies, cultural anthropology, and economics are welcome.
We invite proposals that may address, yet are not restricted to, the following topics:
• Intellectual and historical aspects of the human-animal relationship
• The social perception of animals: what does it mean to be an animal in human culture?
• Cultural aspects of the human-animal relationship
• The welfare of animals
• Changes in economic animal farming
• Animal-related beliefs in various cultures
• The religious significance of animals in human history
• The symbolism of animals in literature and art
• Specificities of companion animal ownership in consumer societies
• Ethological aspects of animal-assisted activities
• Affective bonds between humans and animals
• Pedagogical and psychological aspects of animal-assisted care
• Possibilities of using support animals
• The role of animals in early childhood
• The role of animals in human nutrition
• The effect of the ecological crisis on the human-animal relationship
• Conference venue: Faculty of Education for Children and Special Educational Needs, University of Debrecen, 4220 Hungary, Hajdúböszörmény, Désány István utca 1-9.
• Conference format: The conference is planned to be held on-site and online, the audience and speakers can participate both virtually and in person.
APPLICATION: https://tinyurl.com/AntroZooENG2026
• Participation fees:
Conference participation fee: €30 (for PhD students: €15)
The conference participation fee must be transferred to the account of the University of Debrecen:
Beneficiary’s name: University of Debrecen
Beneficiary’s address: Egyetem tér 1. Debrecen, Hungary H-4032
IBAN number: HU03 1173 8008 2148 9815 0000 0000
Beneficiary’s bank name: OTP Bank Nyrt.
Beneficiary’s bank address: Nádor street 16. Budapest, Hungary H-1051
Swift code: OTPVHUHB
In the comment/message section, please enter:
THE NAME OF THE PARTICIPANT
and the following code: 5D5UBP00KONFANTRO
• Registration deadline:
We expect abstracts and biographies from presenters by 15 August, 2025.
We will inform applicants of their acceptance by 31 August 2025.
• Publication:
We plan to publish a book of studies from the selected conference presentations.
• Contact: [email protected]
