Join us for CES in Rabat!
This year's Cultural Evolution Society (CES) Conference 2026 (CES 26), which will be a hybrid conference held at the Rabat campus of the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) on 11th–13th May 2026, and hosted by the Africa Institute for Research in Economics and Social Sciences (AIRESS) and the School of Collective Intelligence (SCI).
This year's CES conference will include a shared day with the Human Behavior and Evolution Society meeting, with joint activities designed to strengthen dialogue and synergy between the two communities.
Rabat is Morocco's historic capital, known for its coastal charm, lively cafes, and rich cultural heritage. Visitors can explore the city's medina, gardens, and seaside, while also enjoying a vibrant dining and arts scene. If you would like to extend your stay, Rabat is just one hour by train from Casablanca to the south, and under three hours from Marrakech to the southeast.
Follow the conference account on BlueSky for updates and use #CESRabat.
Committees
Local organizing committee
Sarah Alami
(co-chair)
Anthropology
Mathieu Charbonneau
(co-chair)
Philosophy
Zachary
Garfield
Anthropology
Edmond
Seabright
Anthropology
Scientific committee
Sarah Alami
(co-chair)
Anthropology
Bret
Beheim
Anthropology
Monique
Borgerhoff Mulder
Anthropology
Mathieu Charbonneau
(co-chair)
Philosophy
Rebecca
Koomen
Psychology
Cody
Moser
Cognitive Science
Supported by
Frequently Asked Questions
Venue
Conference location
The conference will be held at the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P), on the Rabat campus within the Social Sciences, Economics and Humanities Cluster and the School of Collective Intelligence. The Social Sciences, Economics and Humanities Cluster comprises:
- The Faculty of Governance, Economics and Social Sciences (FGSES); offering Bachelor's, Master's, as well as Ph.D. programs.
- The Africa Institute for Research in Economics and Social Sciences (AIRESS): geared towards research
- The Public Policy School (PPS) offering executive education programs for decision-makers in both public and private sectors.
The School of Collective Intelligence is an interdisciplinary research and teaching institution dedicated to studying collective behavior, decision-making and problem-solving.
Each of these entities fulfills its mission, using the knowledge and experience shared among a community of professors, researchers, scholars as well as public decision-makers.
Mohammed VI Polytechnic University – Rabat Campus
Rocade Rabat-Salé,
Rabat 11103
Getting to the campus
First time visiting
To get to the campus from Rabat, you can use:
- Public transportation: Take tramway Line 2 (L2) to its Sale Terminus (7 MAD), then transfer to bus line 201, which stops in front of the campus. The total bus ride (6,5 MAD) takes approximately 25 minutes. Small taxis are also an option, but the meter is unlikely to be used as the campus is outside the city. Be sure to negotiate the fare in advance, with 100 MAD as the maximum.
- On-campus accommodation: If you are staying at our campus hotel, the venue is within walking distance.
Conference days
A shuttle service will be available during the conference to transport participants from downtown Rabat to the campus and back.
Downloadables
The Final Program is now out.
The Final Program
Instructions for presenters
Chairing: Each standard session's chair is the last participant presenting in that session. This will ensure that all participants are on time and sessions do not extend beyond their time slot. Note that due to some cancellations, not all sessions are fully booked, so there may be more time for Q&A after all presentations are made. Please keep on time to allow attendees to easily navigate from one session to another.
Talks: Standard talks are allocated 15 minutes, including questions. We advise participants to plan for a 12-minute talk. Lightning talks are 5 minutes. Please make sure to send your presentation (in .ppt, .pptx, or .pdf; rooms are equipped with computers that are not Mac compatible) before your session to the session's room email (the list will be provided in a separate email later). Our volunteers will be able to download your presentation and have it ready for your talk. Rooms and their email addresses will be communicated shortly in a separate email.
Poster session: the poster session is scheduled as the last activity on May 11th, in parallel with refreshments. Posters should be A0 size (landscape orientation). You can have your poster printed in Rabat at ILEF, located near the Medina, website: https://www.ilef.ma/ and emails: [email protected] and [email protected]; or at RB Event & Communication, located in the Agdal neighbourhood, email: [email protected]
Final Program
Book of Abstracts
The Book of Abstracts is now available.
Plenary speakers
Abdellatif
Bencherifa
UIR, Anthropology
Nicole
Creanza
Vanderbilt, Biology
Michelle
Kline
Brunel, Psychology
Helena
Miton
Stanford, Cognitive Science
Stephen
Vaisey
Duke, Sociology
Joint CES/HBES Plenary speaker
Hugo
Mercier
CNRS/Jean Nicod, Psychology
Key dates
15 September, 2025
Start of submission
30 November, 2025
Submission deadline
Early January
Notification to authors
Submission Conditions
There are 4 types of abstracts (each can be up to 250 words):
- 15-20 minute talk (these will be collated into appropriately themed parallel sessions)
- Lightning (~5 minutes) talk (these will be collated into plenary sessions)
- Poster (accepted posters will be on display during all breaks and a dedicated poster session with drinks reception)
- Thematic Session (organized session with three or four presentations)
You may only submit one abstract for a 15-20 minute talk, lightning talk, or poster.
In line with CES Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) aims, all abstracts will be reviewed anonymously to reduce subconscious bias and ensure a balanced and diverse conference programme.
All abstracts will be reviewed anonymously to reduce subconscious bias and ensure a balanced and diverse conference program.
Key dates
23 January 2026
Registration opens
29 March 2026
Early bird registration deadline
13 May 2026
Deadline for registration
Fees
| Category | Early Regular | Regular | Online Early | Online Regular |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student member | 1750 | 2200 | 1000 | 1350 |
| Student non-member | 1750 | 2200 | 1000 | 1350 |
| Regular member | 2600 | 3200 | 1750 | 2300 |
| Regular non-member | 3900 | 4400 | 3150 | 3550 |
| HBES speaker | 2000 | 2000 | - | - |
* 10MAD = 1USD
To Register
Registration is possible via the registration form below:
Available Payment Method
Credit Card
We strongly encourage payment by credit card, as it is the most convenient and efficient method. However, if you encounter any difficulties using your credit card for any reason, a bank transfer is also possible. Participants who choose this payment method must send a copy of their transfer order to [email protected] so that appropriate follow-up can be made with the finance department. Banking details
On-campus Accommodation
The campus offers a range of accommodation options, including the campus hotel and student residences. Prices vary based on the chosen option. Both are within walking distance of the event venue.
| Options | Price per night (Single room) | Price per night (Double room) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residences | Single Room | 180 MAD/Night | - |
| Studio | 240 MAD/Night | - | |
| Executive Studio | 660 MAD/Night | - | |
| Suite | 840 MAD/Night | - | |
| Hotels | Bed Only | 1008 MAD/Night | 1008 MAD/Night |
| Bed & Breakfast | 1188 MAD/Night | 1404 MAD/Night | |
| Half Board | 1518 MAD/Night | 2130 MAD/Night | |
| Full Board | 1848 MAD/Night | 2856 MAD/Night | |
1€ = 11 MAD / 1USD = 10 MAD
Off-campus Stay
Rabat presents a wide variety of accommodation options to suit all preferences and budgets. From luxury hotels and riads to cozy bed & breakfasts, you can find an adequate place to stay. Here are few hotel recommendations across different neighborhoods.
| Hassan | Tour Hassan Palace |
| Downtown Rabat | ONOMO Hotel |
| Marriott Rabat Hôtel | Marriott Rabat Hôtel |
| First Suites Hôtel | First Suites Hôtel |
Getting to Rabat
Rabat-Salé Airport (RBA)
The closest airport to the city, located approximately 30 minutes away. Taxis and bus line AE are available outside the arrivals' terminal, with fares displayed in the airport hall and taxi parking area.
Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (CMN)
The airport is 1.5 hours away from Rabat, it offers direct trains to the city departing every hour. Train tickets can be purchased online or directly at the station, with a trip cost of 100 MAD.
Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport (TNG)
Located 3 hours from Rabat, the most convenient option is to head to Tangier's train station and take the train to Rabat (approximately 200 MAD).
Airport taxi routes and approximate fares
| Route | Day fare | Night fare |
|---|---|---|
| From Rabat airport to downtown Rabat | 150 MAD | 250 MAD |
| From Casablanca airport to downtown Casablanca | 250 MAD | 300 MAD |
| From Tangier airport to Tangier train station | 120 MAD | 180 MAD |
1€ = 11 MAD / 1USD = 10 MAD
Shuttle
Daily shuttle: A shuttle service will link the campus directly with the Hotel Onomo in the Hassan neighborhood (downtown). Shuttles will arrive at Hotel Onomo starting at 7:00 AM, with the first departing after 7:30 AM once full, and the last departing at 8:00 AM. Return shuttles will depart from the Gate 1 entrance once the conference day ends, running for up to one hour after.
Gala dinner transport: A separate bus will pick up dinner attendees from campus at the end of the final day, take you to the venue, and return you to campus. The venue is very close to downtown and easily accessible.
Taxis: Blue city taxis cannot travel from Rabat to the campus, but private "white" taxis can. We recommend Taxi Confort Maroc, which can arrange airport pickups and rides to campus for approximately 200 DH. Reservations should ideally be made 24 hours in advance. Contact them via WhatsApp at +212 668 839 763 or email [email protected]. They're available 24/7 and can communicate in English. Mention the conference when booking. Note that payment is cash only, so withdraw from an ATM at the airport before leaving.
Frequently Asked Questions
CES2026 – Code of Conduct
CES is dedicated to providing a welcoming conference experience for everyone, regardless of their personal characteristics such as: sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, neurodiversity, physical appearance, body size, race/ethnicity, age, religion, nationality, marital/relationship status, pregnancy, lactation, parenting/caring responsibilities, socio-economic status, accent/dialect and level of spoken English.
Expectations of attendees
We expect all attendees to treat each other with respect throughout the conference, in both academic and social settings. We ask all attendees to pay particular consideration to power imbalances caused by social and academic hierarchies which may make it easier for some attendees than others to advocate for their own interests, and therefore be prepared to advocate for each other. For example, postgraduate students may feel unable to challenge unacceptable behaviour of senior professors due to perceived risks to their career prospects.
We expect all debate and critical discourse to be respectful, avoiding unnecessary hostility especially in question-and-answer sessions. Please use non-judgemental language in presentations especially when discussing people and their behaviours (e.g. when discussing human mating behaviour, terms such as 'promiscuous' can have negative connotations in English, while the more neutral 'multiple sexual partners' could be used instead). We also acknowledge, and ask you to respect, that negative connotations of certain terms may vary across delegates due to language and cultural differences.
Please pay particular attention to the use of images in presentations and avoid unnecessarily sexualised images, images of study participants obtained without clear consent and other kinds of exploitative images (e.g. humans touching wild animals), bearing in mind that in some particularly culturally sensitive cases it may not be appropriate to use photographic images at all. Finally, we expect attendees to be aware of the potential for distorted interpretations of evolutionary theory to be used to reinforce racist, sexist and other discriminatory beliefs and to consider ways in which their work may be misunderstood or misappropriated by broader audiences.
Harassment
We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference at the discretion of the conference organizers. Harassment can occur both on- and offline and includes, for example:
- Discriminatory verbal comments related to personal characteristics listed above
- Behaviours which exclude other attendees from full participation in the conference based on personal characteristics listed above
- Sexualised images in public spaces
- Intimidation, stalking or following
- Photography or video recording without consent
- Sharing of presentation materials without consent
- Sustained disruption of talks or other events
- Inappropriate physical contact
- Unwelcome sexual attention
- Encouraging any of the above behaviour
Reporting & enforcement
We hope that everyone will behave respectfully throughout the conference and that all attendees feel welcome and valued. However, if someone makes you feel unsafe or unwelcome, you can report it to members of the local organizing committee, either in person or via email. If you want to talk to us in person, you can approach a member of the organizing committee (identified by our badges) during the conference and we will find a quiet place to talk to you.
If you report an incident to us, we will take all feasible actions to keep you safe and to prevent further harm. We will try to obtain your consent for any action we take unless the action is immediately necessary to protect the safety of you and other attendees. This could include, for example, a verbal or written warning to the perpetrator or in more serious cases, barring them from the conference. We can also help you liaise with other support services when appropriate.
We will treat your report in the strictest confidence unless there is a need to break confidentiality due to a risk of serious harm to you or others.
Committee members & contact details
- Sarah Alami (co-chair) – [email protected]
- Mathieu Charbonneau (co-chair) – [email protected]
- Edmond Seabright – [email protected]
- Zachary Garfield – [email protected]
Resources consulted
The above code of conduct draws strongly from the code of conduct used during the CES 2024 conference in Durham. We would particularly like to acknowledge and thank the authors of codes of conduct from previous Cultural Evolution Society and Evolution and Human Behaviour and Evolution Association.
- For any questions regarding the conference, please contact the Co-chairs of the local organizing committee by [email protected], [email protected] (Sarah Alami and Mathieu Charbonneau).
- For any questions regarding logistics, please contact the AIRESS Team by [email protected].
Welcoming Cocktail (Day 1)
A welcoming cocktail will be served on the evening of the first day of the conference at the event venue, alongside the poster session. This will be a great opportunity for attendees to connect with one another in a convivial setting.
Conference Dinner (Day 2)
An off-campus dinner will be hosted in one of Rabat emblematic restaurants, offering participants the chance to gather in a relaxed atmosphere. The local organizers will arrange transportation from the campus to the restaurant and back to the hotels.
Rabat Activity
On Thursday May 14th, participants can register for a guided daytrip (comprising transportation together with lunch and snacks) to the impressive ruins of Volubilis, an Amazigh-Roman city situated near the city of Meknes. Alternatively, you can book a guided tour (3h before lunchtime) to the Chellah in Rabat, a World Heritage site comprising Roman ruins and a medieval Muslim necropolis. Booking is available on the registration platform.