International Congress 2022

The College’s Congress committee has provided an update to let members know what to expect from Congress in 2022.

First, we would like to thank you for your continued support of our International Congress. We were overwhelmed by all the positive feedback and comments as we navigated through such uncertain times and held our first ever virtual International Congress.

The pandemic has taught us the many benefits of online conferences. These include accessibility, convenience and the ability to watch what we want when we want. Yet many of us missed the interaction, the chance to catch up with old friends, make new ones and the protected time away from our homes and offices.

Your feedback reflected this and is why we’ve decided, going forward, to embrace the benefits of both approaches. In 2022 we hope to meet again for an in-person International Congress in the fabulous city of Edinburgh. Then, in 2023, we’ll move back online to deliver another innovative virtual International Congress, using the best of technology to deliver our cutting-edge programme.

Although we are planning to return in-person in 2022, we want to keep some of the welcome innovation from our virtual Congress which you told us that you valued so much. We’ll be recording content from the Congress to enable attendees to catch up on sessions they have missed or things they want to watch again.

We’re also planning on offering poster presenters the welcome opportunity to be published again in a special supplement of BJPsych Open. We’re also revamping our social and networking programme.

Edinburgh will be our first face-to-face Congress in three years and a welcome chance to get out and about again. The city is steeped in history and culture and is the perfect location to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of a diverse and vibrant city. Whether this is your first time visiting or your 100th, there are several fascinating stories to discover.

Over the four days of the Congress, you’ll be able to attend lectures from up to 17 world-renowned keynote speakers and choose from over 70 cutting edge sessions. The programme will feature the best of international academic psychiatry, those with lived experience, families and opinion leaders in mental health from the social and political sphere.

We hope to have the programme available at the beginning of next year, so do keep an eye on our Congress 2022 pages or join the mailing list for up-to-date information when that is released.

There is still a chance to be a part of this amazing programme. We’ll be opening the call for abstracts for poster presentations very soon. The top scoring abstracts will be selected for Rapid Fire Presentation, giving you the opportunity to present your research to psychiatrists from across the world. All poster presenters will also be given the chance to have their abstracts published in a special supplement of BJPsych Open.

We’re very much looking forward to seeing you all again in person next year and we are working hard to ensure that our return to a face-to-face Congress makes the most of the opportunities that it presents, and that it’s our most inspiring Congress yet.

We’ve extended the early bird deadline to the 31 March to give you more time to take advantage of our lower rates. Bookings will open at the beginning of December; remember we have sold out in previous years so book early to avoid disappointment.

We hope to see you in Edinburgh next June.

Adrian James, President

Regi Alexander, Associate Dean for Advanced Learning and Conferences

Ian Jones and Lade Smith, Congress Co-chair

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