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Conferences

Further Info on SIPS 2025 Location

Dear SIPS Members,

We recently became aware of a public statement from one of our members, expressing their decision not to attend the 2025 SIPS conference in Budapest due to concerns about the political and social climate, particularly regarding LGBTQIA+ rights in Hungary. We want to acknowledge these concerns (which have also been raised by some other members) and take this opportunity to explain the rationale behind our decision to hold the conference in Budapest.

Choosing a conference location is always complex, and no single location is free from challenges. When choosing a conference location, we strive to make SIPS accessible, inclusive, and safe for all members, but different locations inevitably pose different barriers. These include political and social conditions, visa requirements, and financial accessibility. When deciding on Budapest, we weighed several factors, including the excellent local organizing team and the opportunity to host the conference outside of North America and Western Europe, making the conference more accessible to our many members in the Eastern hemisphere. One of the main recommendations from the 2021 SIPS Global Engagement Task Force Report was that the in-person portion of SIPS should be held in geographically diverse regions (especially those outside of North America and Western Europe), to increase the diversity of conference attendees and better support underrepresented minorities.

We are aware of the 2021 legislation banning “homosexual and transexual propaganda” in Hungary. Two issues that one may have with the SIPS conference being held in Budapest under these conditions are: 1. Perceived SIPS endorsement of this legislation, and 2. Safety for LGBTQIA+ travelers. 

On the first point, SIPS does not endorse this legislation. SIPS serves scholars around the world who strive to improve psychological science. These scholars are located in countries with varying laws, many of which do not match SIPS’ values. Many Eastern European LGBTQIA+ scholars would be further isolated if we refused to hold the conference in Hungary.

On the second point, the LGBTQIA+ travel advice for Hungary (from the UK, as an example) includes that “Budapest is generally tolerant and open.” The hosting institute welcomes our LGBTQIA+ members with full support. We hope that everyone will enjoy the event and leave it with a positive experience. To this end, the conference committee has enlisted the help of an LGBTQIA+ consultant, who is Hungary’s national Pride fest organizer. The conference committee will provide guidance on the conference page based on advice from this consultant.

We know that no location is perfect for everyone, which is one of the reasons we have made sure to hold an online portion of the conference every year, and have been testing different formats for this so we can best serve our members. We strive to ensure that our members’ voices are heard, and we are committed to learning from this experience and improving our processes. SIPS offers many opportunities for members to share their thoughts and be involved in society decisions, through sessions at our conferences (e.g. “The Future of SIPS”) and committees that members can join (e.g. the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Committee”). In addition to this, we are also always open to hearing your thoughts via email – please email us at sips@improvingpsych.org.

Finally, we want to emphasize that SIPS will continue to prioritize inclusivity, openness, and diversity. We understand that some members may choose not to attend certain conferences due to personal or ethical concerns. We respect these decisions and will use them as an opportunity to reflect on how we can make SIPS better. We appreciate our members’ engagement and feedback as we continue to strive for an inclusive and welcoming community. 

Sincerely,

SIPS