Foreword by the President

Keeping Up with Rapid Advances. The field of aggression research is rapidly changing and internationalizing, and the impact of aggression research is increasing, both in traditionally interested disciplines as well as in disciplines that did not consider aggression as a topic worthy of attention before. Aggression research is also “unifying” in the sense that novel technologies and concepts allow us to build bridges between areas that hitherto seemed miles apart.
Many of our members attend our meetings not just to link up with their own discipline again but rather to gather what is going on in the other fields. Such considerations underscore the importance of ISRA as a platform for interdisciplinary exchange.
Budapest: A Scientific Hotspot. Budapest is an attractive and charming European city and is also the center of a dynamic scientific community, a community that managed to maintain its scientific traditions and increase its international impact, even in periods of the past when such things were not at all easy. Hungary has become a full member of the European Union and other Western organizations without relinquishing its charming national character. During the past decade I visited Hungary repeatedly, and every time I was impressed by the new scientific accomplishments of my colleagues, and by the Hungarian talent for organizing excellent, vivid, convivial meetings.
A Balanced Program, with Your Help. Our meeting organizer and ISRA officers are acutely aware of the need to prepare a balanced scientific program that takes a wide view on current aggression research and incorporates novel developments. Since no single person can follow or judge the entire span of disciplines and novel developments, we would greatly appreciate your suggestions on topics that, in your opinion, should have a place in the program for the World Meeting. Suggestions that bridge different fields, or topics from scientific or geographic areas that were not well represented before in ISRA, will be especially welcome.
Menno R. Kruk