ANdiNA's philosophy
ANdina was formed to address the absence of opportunities for debate amongst scientists (initially those working on weeds and invasive species, but now more widely). It does this through innovative workshops designed to make attendees from different cultures and backgrounds feel relaxed, unthreatened and hence able to participate in frank and open debate resulting in forward-looking plans. It is, and should remain, a “grass-roots” movement, unaffiliated with any society. Although it was initiated by a small group of colleagues, AnDinA strives not to be a clique and encourages a diversity of opinions. Andina is not a society, but merely a loose affiliation of concerned scientists, and ideally will evolve over time.
The specific aims of our workshops are:
The specific aims of our workshops are:
- To engage scientists from around the world in vigorous debate about the most important questions that we need to address, where significant progress will come from, contentious issues and the limitations of (and solutions to) current approaches.
- To try innovative ways of designing workshops that can achieve this.
- To provide a means through which early-career scientists can engage with senior and inspirational people in their field.
- To initiate effective international collaborations between individuals meeting for the first time.
- To bring together people from diverse disciplines and cultures to publish their combined thoughts and ideas.
- Social interactions between attendees are central and we deliberately build these into the workshop plans, often in covert ways, over multiple days
- Our meetings will fill a gap in the communication/interaction opportunities currently available: the emphasis is thus on achieving different things in different ways, not duplication. Otherwise there is no reason for Andina to exist!
- No two meetings will be structured in exactly the same way
- Each meeting will be run by a different committee and (preferably) with a new program chair. Likewise, the majority of participants should be new to ANDIna workshops
- At least one third of the places at a workshop should be reserved for early-career researchers (post-PhD)
- No meeting will be merely an add-on to, or session within, a traditional conference. However, they could be held with a society as a partner (either to obtain funds or to encourage attendance)
- No conventional research or keynote papers will be presented unless there is some exceptional reason that fits in with specific goals of the program committee
- “Free-range” discussions will occur every afternoon (i.e. hiking) according to the capabilities of all attendees, weather permitting
- Every attendee will be assigned a job to do before or during the event, to widen ownership
- All attendees are accommodated within a single venue that is as isolated as possible; no partners are permitted unless they are invited as scientists in their own right
- Every attendee is expected to attend for the duration of the workshop and to participate in all sessions (barring unavoidable circumstances)
- Costs will be kept as low as possible and designed to break even
- Money should be sought from outside bodies, but with priority given to helping ECRs to attend (rather than invited celebrities)
- Outcomes from the meetings should be forward-looking and must be communicated widely, preferably through journal articles
- A meeting can only use the Andina label if it adheres to all the above principles and is run by someone who has attended previous Andina workshops.