Timing: Northern summer within the period June - September 2011.
Executive Secretary: the WISC member association is responsible for nominating an individual who will act as Executive Secretary of the WISC Committee until the Conference in 2014. This is not an onerous task since the preparations for the 2014 Conference will be largely the responsibility of the host association and institution for 2014 - 2017. The position consists mainly of preparing and chairing the annual meetings of WISC and ensuring that its decisions are implemented. The individual should be a senior figure with good international connections.
The location: Previous conferences have been in places which have good international travel connections, which are attractive and in which there is a committed and well-connected local institution. For the first two conferences, the meetings have been held on a University campus but this is not a requirement. What is necessary, since the Conference is self-funding, is a reasonable assurance of a minimum of 450 full fee paying participants drawn from all corners of the globe.
Local organisation: This involves finding a suitable location, local hotels, receptions and sponsorship, high profile local speakers, touristic possibilities and the like. We are particularly interested to know of the extent to which the local organisers think they will be able to raise support funding for scholars from the developing countries. The local organisers are members of the Conference Committee but they are NOT responsible for the major tasks of Programme Chairperson nor for registration.
Checklist of items: These items are those used for Ljubljana and serve as a guide
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Ca 30 seminar rooms |
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1 plenary room for +/- 500 |
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Seminar rooms will be given free of charge |
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Some office, phone, fax, email... |
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Safe for additional fees, etc. |
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Book exhibition room |
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Cafeteria |
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Suggestions for end-of-conference outings |
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Local organiser + team + student gofers |
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Local mobile phones (similar as the ISA uses during its conferences) for the organisers, to be in touch on a permanent basis |
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Airline concessions |
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Free hotel rooms |
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Funding for Africans |
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Sponsors |
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Printing of programmes |
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Local plenary speaker |
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Receptions offered |
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Internet room for participants |
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Local transportation |
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Travel agent |
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Costs to WISC |
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Hotel capacities for up to 1000 |
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Currency – Euro? |
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Visa arrangements |
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Dates |
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Other |
Finance: WISC pays for approved expenses but any surplus from the Conference reverts to WISC.
Further information: Please contact the present Executive Secretary Professor A.J.R. Groom at the following address wisc@kent.ac.uk
Making an application: The WISC Committee next meets on March 28, 2008 in San Francisco and would like to consider detailed applications then. It is desirable that a representative of the host association/institution be present to explain the proposal and answer questions. Prior to that or immediately thereafter the Executive Secretary or a Committee member will make a site visit. The final decision will be made no later than the Ljubljana Conference in July 2008.
