Dr. Frans de Waal is a Dutch-American biologist and primatologist known for his work on the behaviour and social cognition of primates. Speech title: Prosocial Primates: The Cooperative Background of Our Species

In my work with monkeys, apes, and elephants, I have found many cases of one individual coming to another's aid in a fight, putting an arm around a previous victim of attack, or other emotional responses to the distress of others. There is also ample cooperation among them. Here, I will review expressions of empathy in animals, which ranges from a core mechanism of emotional linkage (known as emotional contagion) to higher levels of perspective-taking and targeted helping. I will also discuss the sense of fairness in animals, and the many ways in whcih they achieve common goals.

Living Links, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, and Psychology Department, Emory University, Atlanta, USA

Dr. Frans B. M. de Waal is a Dutch-American biologist and primatologist known for his work on the behaviour and social cognition of primates, including the study of cooperative beahaviours in these animal groups. His scientific work has been published in journals such as Science, Nature, Scientific American, and outlets specialised in animal behaviour. His popular books - translated into over twenty languages - have made him one of the world's most visible primatologists. His latest book is "Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?" (Norton, 2016).

De Waal is C. H. Candler Professor in Psychology and Director of the Living Links Center at Emory University, and Distinguished Professor at Utrecht University. He has been elected to the (US) National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences. In 2007, he was selected by Time as one of The Worlds’ 100 Most Influential People Today.