Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) and the local organizing team are honoured to host the 37th EGOS Colloquium in July 2021. The general Colloquium theme is “Organizing for an Inclusive Society: Meanings, Motivations & Mechanisms”. We are very much looking forward to welcoming EGOSians to a Colloquium that will foster open dialogue about organizing for an inclusive society!
Against the background of remaining uncertainties concerning the development of the COVID-19 pandemic and our prioritization
of the health and safety of EGOS members and the wider society, the EGOS Executive Board together with the local organizing
team have decided to hold the 37th EGOS Colloquium online. Our joint decision was somewhat easier to make thanks to the positive feedback on the virtual format
that had been adopted by the Hamburg EGOS Colloquium organizers in 2020. We are confident that we will be able to organize
the academic program in a way that should cater to our needs and wishes in terms of academic content. In addition, our decision
aligns with the long-term goal of the EGOS Executive Board for the Colloquium to become more sustainable and inclusive.
Thus, the entire program of the 37th EGOS Colloquium will be held online to ensure inclusive and safe participation for all EGOS members. There will be no offline,
physical Colloquium activities, nor will there be facilities for participants at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
However, we are well aware of the need for, and benefits of, face-to-face encounters. We will therefore schedule time slots
in the program that allow for people to meet locally. For example, people from the same university could meet for a (COVID-safe)
drinks session, or attend plenary sessions together, as some scholars already did this year.
In addition, if the situation in July 2021 allows, we might explore the possibility to meet in person with those EGOSians who decide, are
able, and/or are allowed to travel to Amsterdam closer to the time of the 37th EGOS Colloquium. This reflects not only our own desire but also the express wish of the EGOSians for face-to-face interaction.
However, such possibilities are entirely contingent upon the situation in July 2021, and any local social activities will
therefore be organized and announced in early summer 2021.
The tremendous efforts by the local organizing team in Hamburg 2020 and the EGOS Executive Board paid off in terms of the
positive feedback provided by participants. However, the symbolic Colloquium fee did not cover the costs incurred. Far from
it. You may wonder what costs are involved in running a virtual conference, when no food and drinks are provided, no venues
need to be booked, and no staff are required for guiding participants on the ground. As was the case in 2020, the EGOS Colloquium
2021 will be run on a professional virtual conference platform for which licensing costs occur. In addition, the local organizing
team will need to contract the professional services of a specialized agency, which will design the platform and offer real-time
technical support. This is necessary to ensure the smooth and seamless running of the entire Colloquium.
We very much look forward to welcoming EGOSians to the 37th EGOS Colloquium in July 2021 and to keeping up the EGOS spirit in a safe and inclusive space. We thank you for your continuous
support of our scholarly community.
Let us have inspiring dialogues about organizing for an inclusive society!
The Amsterdam EGOS Colloquium organizing team