Announcing HBES 2026

Dear HBES Community,

Now that HBES 2025 in Atlantic City is over, it’s time to start thinking towards 2026. Hosting HBES shows dedication to the society, so thanks to Josh Duntley and the hosts of HBES 2025 for a successful conference. What’s in store for HBES 2026?

We are very pleased to announce that HBES 2026 will be held in Rabat, Morocco, at the University Mohammad VI Polytechnic (UM6P) from May 13-16, 2026. This will be a joint conference with the Cultural Evolution Society (CES).

Unique Benefits of HBES 2026 in Rabat

Having HBES 2026 at UM6P in Rabat is exciting for many reasons.

First, UM6P has a growing community of evolutionary social scientists, including HBES members and students thereof (Zach Garfield, Ed Seabright, Sarah Alami, Mathieu Charbonneau, Rebecca Koomen, Cody Moser, Dominique Guillo, Alejandro Erut, Nicolas Porot, Emmanuel Trouche, & Cathal O’Madagain). As many hosts can attest, a good team is important, rather than relying on just a single evolutionary person to host, and this is a big team who have put in a lot of work over the last year preparing to host HBES 2026.

Second, we’re excited about the venue itself. It’s a good place venue for hosting events, with brand new facilities. Our hosting team has negotiated with UM6P to provide a lot of support, which will help keep costs down for our attendees, including students. In addition to hotels, there will be student dorms available for those who want keep costs even lower.

Third, it’s a chance for a joint conference with another prominent evolutionary society: the Cultural Evolution Society (CES). The conferences will be back-to-back: CES from May 11-13, and HBES from May 13-16, with one day of overlapping talks (May 13). This opportunity will provide a lot of useful cross-pollination between these two societies.

Fourth, this is a unique opportunity to bring HBES and CES to Africa, allowing African scholars to attend and present their research (in addition to the rest of the world). Much research in Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavioral Ecology is conducted in Africa, so this will strengthen ties to African research institutions involved in these areas. Many scholars in the Global South have trouble traveling to North America or Europe (e.g., visas), so this conference can attract researchers who normally can’t attend HBES. UM6P values socioeconomic, cultural, and religious diversity. At the School of Collective Intelligence, where many of the host faculty are based, half the student body are international students from across Africa, and half are women. At the conference, we will hear perspectives from many researchers we don’t normally hear from, and foster the HBES goal of being a truly global society for the evolution of human behavior.

Altogether, this is an exciting opportunity for a great location, hosted by a great team, with another great evolutionary society, and with voices we seldom get to hear.

Travel to Rabat

We’ve never held an HBES in Morocco, and many members have never been there. As such, we recognize that some HBES members might have questions about Morocco. The hosts have put together a FAQ to answer common questions – it’s attached at this link, and will be updated as new questions come in (the date gets updated as the file does). The hosts also have solicited a letter from a local LGBTQ+ organization specifically about LGBTQ+ issues, which is available at this link. Here’s a quick overview.

How to get there: Many cities in Europe and North America have direct flights to Rabat or to Casablanca (1h by high-speed train), so direct and connecting flights are available

Costs: We estimate that total costs will be equivalent to or lower than most HBES meetings, because the high support from UM6P will result in low registration fees. Flights from North America are roughly equivalent to a flight to Europe (like some HBES meetings), and flights from Europe are close to that of a within-Europe flight.

Safety: Rabat is the capital of Morocco and has long been an international tourist destination. It is a safe and modern city, with crime rates lower than many US or European cities, including a lower risk of terrorism and unrest. UM6P campus itself is particularly secure. The tap water is drinkable in large Moroccan cities. Safety is always a concern when traveling, so the hosts have provided relevant details in the FAQ.

Women’s safety: Rabat is the safest city in Morocco for women. In major Moroccan cities, women can dress as they would in North America or Canada – Rabat itself is a cosmopolitan city, and residents are used to diversity in dress, especially among foreigners. Morocco criminalized sexual harassment in public spaces in 2018, and sexual harassment has decreased dramatically. Anecdotally, HBES members who have traveled to Morocco and Rabat in both personal and professional capacities report positive experiences. See the FAQ for details.

LGBTQ+ rights: Although same-sex relations are illegal in Morocco, these laws are only enforced against Moroccan citizens. LGBTQ+ tourists typically report no issues. The hosts have partnered with community organizers and advocates for Queer rights in Morocco to draft a letter to HBES members, which addresses the safety issue, and argues against boycotting Moroccan academic institutions. Please see the attached letter and the FAQ.

Religion: Morocco is a majority-Muslim country, but it is known for religious tolerance. Legal protections for religious beliefs are enshrined in the 2011 constitution, and major cities have active churches and synagogues. As one sign of tolerance: UM6P is very supportive of hosting two evolutionary conferences, which is something we cannot say about some campuses in North America and Europe.

The FAQ goes into more detail on each of these issues and more (e.g., travel details). The HBES exec has been working with the hosts for over a year, and we have been working together to ensure HBES 2026 will provide a safe and welcoming climate for all HBES members.

Overall: We’re Excited about HBES 2026 in Rabat!

HBES 2026 represents multiple unique opportunities, in addition to the usual quality experience of an HBES conference. We hope that the FAQ helps to answer any questions people have. If you have additional questions, please contact the hosts using the details found in the FAQ.

Looking forward to seeing you in Rabat!

Sincerely,

The HBES Team

PS: We start working with hosts a few years in advance, so if anyone is interested in hosting HBES in 2027 or beyond, please contact the HBES President.