Royal Zoological Society of Belgium

The Royal Zoological Society of Belgium (RBZS), also known as the Royal Belgian Society for Zoology, is a Belgian scientific society devoted to the promotion of zoology and the publication of zoological research. Its origins trace back to 1863, when the Société malacologique de Belgique was founded in Brussels and began publishing the Annales de la Société malacologique de Belgique. The organisation underwent name changes in 1903 and 1923, and in 1989, with the internationalisation of its editorial board, its journal was renamed the Belgian Journal of Zoology and opened to the international scientific community. The Society connects zoology researchers throughout Belgium and abroad, providing a network for junior and senior members who benefit through contacts and collaboration. Membership is open to all biologists and offers benefits such as access to grants, reduced meeting rates, and job offers. The RBZS hosts and co-organises the annual Benelux Congress of Zoology together with its Dutch and Luxembourg sister societies, and organises the yearly Master Day Biology where Belgian universities present their master studies. The Belgian Journal of Zoology is an affordable open-access journal publishing high-quality, original, hypothesis-driven research papers of broad interest. It publishes in English original papers, reviews, and notes in zoology focusing on biodiversity, ecology, and evolution. All manuscripts are peer reviewed by at least two referees. The journal appears in two regular issues per volume (January and July) plus occasional special issues, and is distributed to about 400 Belgian and international members of the Society, to bookshops, and through an active exchange policy to 230 libraries in more than 50 countries. The Editor-in-Chief is Dr Isa Schön of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. The Society remains active, with recent news including the Pairi Daiza Foundation grant 2025, an RBZS grant call for 2025, the 2024 Pairi Daiza Foundation grant recipient, the launch of the first RBZS fundraising campaign in November 2024, and the Benelux Zoology Congress 2024.

The Royal Zoological Society of Belgium traces its origins to 1863, when the Société malacologique de Belgique was founded in Brussels and began publishing the Annales de la Société malacologique de Belgique. This marked the beginning of a long scientific tradition devoted to the promotion of zoology and the publication of zoological research. Name changes occurred in 1903, when the publication became the Annales de la Société royale malacologique et zoologique de Belgique, and again in 1923, when it became the Annales de la Société Royale Zoologique de Belgique. These changes reflected the society's evolving scope from malacology toward broader zoology. A major turning point came in 1989, when the editorial board was internationalised and the journal was opened to the international scientific community under the new name Belgian Journal of Zoology. This shift positioned the society and its journal within the global zoological research community. Today the Belgian Journal of Zoology is distributed to about 400 Belgian and international members of the Society, to bookshops, and through an active exchange policy to 230 libraries in more than 50 countries. The journal publishes in English original papers, reviews, and notes in zoology focusing on biodiversity, ecology, and evolution, with all manuscripts peer reviewed by at least two referees. It appears in two regular issues per volume (January and July) and occasional special issues. The Society connects zoology researchers throughout Belgium and abroad, providing a network for junior and senior members. It hosts and co-organises the annual Benelux Congress of Zoology together with its Dutch and Luxembourg sister societies, and organises the yearly Master Day Biology where Belgian universities present their master studies. Membership is open to all biologists and offers benefits including access to grants, reduced meeting rates, and job offers. Recent activities include the Pairi Daiza Foundation grant 2025, the RBZS grant call for 2025, the 2024 Pairi Daiza Foundation grant recipient, the launch of the first RBZS fundraising campaign in November 2024, and the Benelux Zoology Congress 2024.

• 2025

  RBZS grant call for 2025 opened; Pairi Daiza Foundation grant 2025 announced.

• 2024

  First RBZS fundraising campaign launched; Benelux Zoology Congress 2024 held.

• 1989

  Editorial board internationalised; journal renamed Belgian Journal of Zoology and opened to the international scientific community.

• 1923

  Name change to Annales de la Société Royale Zoologique de Belgique.

• 1903

  Name change to Annales de la Société royale malacologique et zoologique de Belgique.

• 1863

  Société malacologique de Belgique founded in Brussels; begins publishing Annales de la Société malacologique de Belgique.

A learned society and network for zoologists in Belgium and abroad, publishing an open-access journal and hosting scientific meetings.

• Belgian Journal of Zoology

  Affordable open-access journal publishing high-quality, original, hypothesis-driven research papers of broad interest in zoology, focusing on biodiversity, ecology, and evolution. Published in English, with two regular issues per volume (January and July) and occasional special issues.

• Benelux Congress of Zoology

  Annual congress hosted and co-organised with Dutch and Luxembourg sister societies; a platform for master students to present thesis results.

• Master Day Biology

  Yearly event where Belgian universities present their master studies.

1. 1Royal Belgian Zoological Society – official websiterbzs.be
2. 2About the BJZ – Royal Belgian Zoological Societyrbzs.be
3. 3About the Society – Royal Belgian Zoological Societyrbzs.be
4. 4Royal Zoological Society of Belgium – Wikidatawikidata.org