Reimagining the conference experience…
The world around us is constantly changing. Our role as scientists is to understand these changes and how living organisms adapt to meet the dynamic demands of their environment.
At the Emerging Concepts in Cell and Developmental Biology Meeting in Aarhus, we highlight and discuss some of the most important new discoveries in our field and the methods that enabled them.
We also discuss the environment in which we practice science, with special emphasis on mentorship; the future of publishing; and equity, diversity and inclusion.
Image credit: Photopop
A welcoming environment.
Attending a conference (particularly your first conference, or perhaps your first conference post-lockdown) can be an intimidating experience. To help counter this feeling, we invite all “newcomers” to meet immediately before the Welcome Reception on Day 1 in the foyer of the Scandic Mayor. Here, Ralitsa will facilitate introductions and Laura (an Aarhus local and researcher at Aarhus Uni) will provide non-Danish residents with light rail passes and show attendees how to get from Aarhus C to the University. The trip takes about 15 min and is the perfect time to get to know each other ahead of the conference events!
Sign up details will be sent to registrants approx. 1 week before the meeting.
Image credit: Photopop
Breakout discussions.
During the meeting we will hold three concurrent breakout discussions (1-1.5 h each). These discussions will focus on the topics of:
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
BiasWatchIndia co-founder and winner of the ASCB Women in Cell Biology Junior Award 2021, Dr Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan, together with Assoc. Prof Salah Elias (Chair of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton) will facilitate a discussion on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) in science.
How do we find (and foster) inclusive workplace environments? Can we redefine excellence to prioritise and value ED&I initiatives? What is intersectionality and why is it important? Allyship—how can we best support minority and disadvantaged researchers around us? These are some of the topics that may be discussed by the ED&I breakout group.
*To allow people to speak freely, this session will not be recorded or streamed for virtual attendees. We hope that you understand and respect this decision.
Issues affecting early-career researchers.
In this breakout session, Drs Colinda Scheele and Emilia Peuhu (two researchers who started their own labs in the last 2-3 years) chat with Dr Ralitsa Madsen (member of the UK Committee on Research Integrity, UK CORI) to discuss some of the unique issues facing early-career researchers (ECRs). Everyone can attend this discussion and ECRs nominating to attend this event will be invited to submit discussion topics. Topics may include insecurities around temporary contracts, imposter syndrome, inequalities within the lab environment, the pressure to move internationally (and what this may mean for different groups), challenges facing first-gen scientists, the student-mentor relationship, finding a supportive work environment, the cumulative impact micro-aggressions and many other topics.
*To allow people to speak freely, this session will not be recorded or streamed for virtual attendees. We hope that you understand and respect this decision.
The future of publishing.
Should we be paying thousands of dollars to put tax-payer funded research behind journal paywalls? What is the distinction between Editor and gatekeeper? What role does race, gender and geography play in manuscript acceptance? Why are people still complaining about pre-prints? Should reviewers be paid for their contribution?
In the future of publishing breakout session, Drs Bethan Lloyd-Lewis and Suzanne Madgwick talk about some of these issues and potential solutions. Joining this conversation will be a representative from publishing company The Company of Biologists.
This discussion will be streamed for online attendees.
During the final (invitation only) registration process, we will ask you to nominate your preference from one of these topics. Ahead of the meeting, the discussion facilitators may contact you to find out which particular topics of conversation interest you the most.
Image credit: Roar Paaske
A special lecture on slow science.
Research institutes invest lots of money, time and energy on recruitment searches, trying to find the best and brightest scientific minds. Then they start the tenure clock. This design takes creative, big thinkers and makes them risk averse.
There has to be a better way. Scientists needs the space, time and freedom to think big. In his lecture, Søren Rud Keiding (Director of the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies) talks about the concept of Slow Science.
Due to unexpected illness of our Guest Lecturer Prof Søren Rud Keiding, the session on ‘Slow Science’ has unfortunately been cancelled. We refer you to some key resources on the concept of ‘Slow Science’ from other Institutes for Advanced Studies and what it has to offer. We hope that this is enough to inspire conversations around this topic at our meeting.
“… slow science is not about doing the same thing at a slower pace, less speed, no, it is about creating conditions that allow vital aspects of research to flourish: space to ask new questions, to uncover and reconsider assumptions, to doubt.“ IAS website.
Image credit: Frame & Word
But how do we change something as old as academia?
So, we now have an understanding of what the issues are, we can imagine what a better system may look like, but the big question remains—how do we best bring about change within structures that resist change? Or those that deny the scale of the problem? Or perhaps don’t appreciate its urgency?
Creating a dialogue around ED&I, mentorship, publishing and research freedom is important. But presenting the problems and dreaming about the solutions isn’t enough if each of us go home feeling unable to challenge and change the injustices.
In the final day of our meeting, Dr Kasper Knudsen, a Diversity Consultant at the Living Institute will provide a 3 h seminar on how to create meaningful change within academia. We are particularly excited about this part of our program and hope that you are too!
*To allow people to speak freely, this session will not be recorded or streamed for virtual attendees. We hope that you understand and respect this decision.