The ISF Congresses have historically been held every two years in different countries, often as joint meetings in collaboration with national organisations. The first ISF Congress took place in Milano in 1956 and since then ISF Congresses have been held every two years, the most recent being Berlin (2001); Bordeaux (2003), Prague (2005), Quebec (2007), Sydney (2009) and now Nagasaki, Japan (2012).