The History of TISEI
The history of The International Society for Emotional Intelligence (TISEI) is rooted in the International Congresses initiated in 2007 to bring together leading researchers and scholars to share advances in the field of Emotional Intelligence. The first two congresses were organized by Dr. Pablo Fernández-Berrocal at the University of Málaga and held in Málaga (2007) and Santander (2009), establishing a sustained international forum for the field. The third congress was convened in Opatija, Croatia, in 2011 under the leadership of Dr. Vladimir Takšić, where discussions regarding the formal creation of an international society first emerged.
TTISEI was incorporated in 2012 and formally inaugurated at the fourth International Congress on Emotional Intelligence, held in New York City in 2013 under the direction of Dr. John Pellitteri. Drs. Pellitteri, Fernández-Berrocal, and Takšić are recognized as the Society’s co-founders. Many scholars involved in the early congresses formed the Society’s first Board of Directors, reflecting its international and interdisciplinary character.
In parallel, the Society has sponsored regional conferences, research network meetings, and thematic events to strengthen international collaboration, alongside the development of research networks and a multi-level professional certification program that has supported the training of professionals across educational, organizational, and clinical contexts.
Some of these regional events include a conference held at Porto, Portugal, in 2024 (chaired by Florbela Silva), the series of conferences and workshops events conducted as part of the recurring Emotional Intelligence week in Sofia Bulgaria from 2019 – 2023 (chaired by Antonina Kardesheva), and the research network event bringing together regional scholars from Eastern Europe held in 2018 in Bankstra Bystrica, Slovakia (organized by Lada Kaliska).
Upcoming Congress, 29th July 2026
Celebrating the First 35 Years of Emotional Intelligence at TISEI’s Tenth Annual Congress
July 29th – 31st: Congress
Yale School of Management
Join us this summer at Yale University for The International Society on Emotional Intelligence (TISEI) Tenth Annual Conference—an energizing gathering that celebrates 35 years of emotional intelligence research and real-world practice.
Bringing together the field’s founders, Peter Salovey and Jack Mayer, alongside leading scientists, and practitioners from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and around the world, the conference will showcase the latest advances in EI theory, measurement, and application across education, health, business, artificial intelligence, and everyday life.
Expect compelling keynotes, rigorous research sessions, hands-on workshops, and plenty of opportunities to connect with collaborators and thought partners. Come for the science, stay for the community, and leave with fresh insights, practical strategies, and renewed momentum for where emotional intelligence goes next.
History of the Congresses and Initiation of TISEI
Since 2007, the founding members of the International Society for Emotional Intelligence (TISEI) have convened international congresses on a biennial basis, creating a sustained forum for scholarly exchange and professional collaboration in the field of Emotional Intelligence. While these early congresses reflected a growing and organized international community, it was during the 2013 New York Congress that both the formal establishment of the Society and the institutionalization of the biennial congress model were officially recognized, marking a pivotal moment in the consolidation and long-term governance of TISEI and its global academic mission.
